Movie review: Thor

A few years back, somebody at Marvel had an idea: 

"Let's make an Avengers movie!" 

"But wait," someone inevitably said, "won't all those superheroes be confusing as hell for anyone unfamiliar with The Avengers?"

"Alright, we'll make some origin movies, then The Avengers!"

And so they did. And that's what Thor is. Prep work.

Thor makes for an entertaining night out, but it's not a strong stand-alone film the way Iron Man or even The Incredible Hulk was. This was clearly a stepping stone, as evidenced by a note after the credits, "Thor will return in The Avengers," before a brief teaser clip.


As a superhero movie, It's definitely better than Spider-Man 3, but if that's the benchmark in superhero movies these days, somebody's got some serious changes to make. Special effects have come a long way since the days of Superman laying on an invisible table, and the action is exciting, if a bit close-up for my taste. 


What it really comes down to in a movie like this, though, are the characters. In comics, the characters are the focus. You have to be invested in what happens to them, and feel their triumphs and failures. This is where Thor falls short. 


The hero is bland, despite growing as a person over the course of the movie, the romance is made of cardboard, but at least the villain is entertaining. Loki is a complex character who the audience can sympathize with to some extent. To me, that's the mark of a good villain. 


At one point, Thor is trying to stop genocide, telling Loki "You can't kill an entire race," and I'm compelled to side with the trickster's response, "Why not?" That is how little this movie draws you in. You simply do not care what happens to anyone.


The supporting characters, excluding Natalie Portman's portrayal of Jane Foster, are what inject some flavor into this film. They are funny or silly because Thor must be as serious as he is in the comics. I particularly enjoyed Thor's friends from Asgard. Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, gave me hope, but he wasn't as brilliant as he's been in the past. 

Throughout the movie, there are references to other parts of the Avengers universe, most notably Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., who appeared in Iron Man and Iron Man 2. 


While this film isn't the strongest it could have been, it's good for what it is: buildup to The Avengers. I have to admit though, I'm glad Marvel made a Thor movie instead of origin movies for a couple other Avengers. Would anyone really want to sit down and dedicate two hours of their life to Ant Man? Not I.