Thor is another of Marvel’s superhero films that provided the basis for 2012’s superhero mashup Avengers Assemble, and is well worth a repeat viewing. Seeing the eponymous superhero, played by Chris Hemsworth, attempting to navigate the human world, whilst battling against his evil brother Loki (played extremely well by Tom Hiddleston) make the film an engaging watch. Moments of humour punctuate the drama (Kat Denning’s Darcy tassers the God of Thunder is a particular favourite of mine) but the core of the film remains the same – this is about a familial relationship that has gone dramatically wrong because of pride, secrets and arrogance.
The landscapes of Thor are vast and visually striking. The desert of New Mexico is stark, providing a perfect juxtaposition to the clean futuristic lines of the Asgardian robot. Asgard itself is a shiny futuristic world, with intense colours and a magnificent skyline that needs to be seen in HD to show the full majesty of the CGI. Thor combines Norse mythology with futuristic imagery, and creates some very interesting visual spaces within the film.
With the sequel Thor: The Dark World being released today, now is the perfect time to catch up on this enjoyable superhero film.
Thor (2011) is directed by Kenneth Branagh, is distributed by Walt Disney Studios, and is Certificate 12.
