Movie Reflection: Thor

Ok, so a couple disclaimers right off the bat. One, I am not a comic book guy, so this movie will be reflected upon merely as a movie guy, as it should be considering that if a movie wants to make any money, it needs to appeal to more than just comic book people.

And two, if you are a comic book person, don't hate me.

***SPOILERS

The Good

We will start with the couple things that Thor did well. One of the best parts of this movie for me was the music. The music in this movie was composed by Patrick Doyle, who is an internationally respected film composer, and I have to say, he was a great pick-up for this film given his experience with epics such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Eragon, and Henry V. His experience shone through in this film. The music fit the movie excellently and was perfectly crafted.

The other thing Thor did well was the casting. Chris Hemsworth just looks like Thor, and he is a decent actor. Also, the pick-up of Anthony Hopkins to play Odin was just wonderful, and Tom Hiddleston played a great Loki. He really is that pale, and Kat Dennings is a babe. The acting was excellent through and through, I was impressed.

The short scene in which he walks into a pet store looking for an animal to ride was gold. 

The Bad

And oh boy, was there a lot of it. Steel yourselves. The first thing I noticed was that I hated the main character. Thor was an obnoxious brat, and obviously arrogant to the point of stupidity. I understand this was a story telling point in that he would be punished and be changed, but he was such an ass in the beginning of the movie that I doubted King Odin's wisdom in passing the kingdom on to Thor in the first place.  It's as if the movie expects me to forget that everything that happened wasn't Thor's fault to begin with when he acted arrogantly in his invasion of Jotunheim (the Frost Giant world), disobeying his father's orders. So immediately I had a serious problem liking the main character, which very much got in the way of enjoying the film.

Also, Thor's little band of warriors seemed greatly out of place. In the movie they never really did anything at all. They went with Thor to Jotunheim and they kicked some butt there, but anymore than that they were really just characters to make sure the audience had a stake in Asgard while Thor was on Earth. They were simply disappointing in their attempt to help Thor save Earth from the Frost Giant fire breathing metal golem that Loki sent (seriously, what was that thing).

As far as Thor's "changed man" (overdone) storyline, it was not executed very well. Almost all of the events in this film take place in a span of 48 hours, which is a ridiculous notion. I mean, they built an entire army compound around Mjöllnir (Thor's hammer) in less than a day. Clearly not possible. Also, exactly when he changed was unclear to me. I understood the traumatic experience of not being able to retrieve Mjöllnir from the rock (which by the way, also overdone, hello King Arthur) but even after that, he was still a bit of an ass. Or maybe I am projecting.

The Ugly

In Asgard, everyone has British accents

Random Asian character in Asgard (who also has a British accent)

Stupid one liners. "Next." "At least give me a challenge."

Banishing someone to Earth so they will become a better person is...laughable

Kat Dennings' character, Darcy, comedic relief to the point of annoyance

If in same Universe as other superheroes, where are they to save town

Summary

For me, Thor could only go as far as the special effects and music could take it, and they did a good job with that stuff. But the story was thin and overdone, and the characters were too uninteresting to make me care about what was happening to them in the film.

--Kameron

On a more personal note I think I will be doing these movie reflections at once a week. It will vary, depending on funds, whether or not the movie I do will be a new release or more of a classic, but we will see. In fact, YOU guys tell me what movie to see. I will be doing one regardless, but if someone wants to recommend something, or you want something reviewed, let me know and I will take a look at it!

As always I fully encourage any criticism, advice, suggestions, or general discussion in the comment area.
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