Movie: Thor, 2011
Viewed: May 2011, in theaters, in 3D
Notable Cast Members: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, and Clark Gregg
Plot Summary:
Let me first say you don’t need to know a thing about the Thor comic books in order to understand the movie. It is pretty good at introducing necessary background information in the beginning and explaining what you need to know in order to follow the story along the way. Basically, the universe has nine realms. Earth is one of those nine realms. Asgard, the home of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), is another. Thor is a brillant but arrogant warrior, and his foolish actions anger his father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins). He is banished to Earth, where astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friends help him adjust. Meanwhile, an evil plot takes ahold of Asgard and threatens to harm Earth. What will Thor and his friends do?
Take Note:
Now, if you are a superhero movie fan like myself, you probably know that Marvel is going to be making an Avengers movie in the near future (parts of which will be filmed in CLEVELAND! woohoo!). You also probably know that Marvel has a reputation for putting scenes after the credits of their films, and that their most recent films’ post-credits scenes are what set up the connections between various movies’ storylines (for example, the post-credits scene at the end of 2010′s Ironman 2 is linked to Thor). Thus, since Thor is a key member of the Avengers, there is a scene after the credits of Thor that gives a hint as to what the plot of the Avengers movie might be. Remember how I said you didn’t need comic book background to understand Thor? (and really, you should remember, I just said it up above. C’mon, people.) Well, I lied a tiny bit. You do need comic book knowledge to understand the post-credits scene. Luckily, I have a knowledgeable big brother to turn to in this situation, who shed some light on the scene for me. So, if you see Thor and are confused about that scene, feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I’ll do my best to help you out! : )
Personal Thoughts:
This movie was definitely enjoyable. Action-packed, humorous, and even a bit romantic at some points. I personally love Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings, and Chris Hemsworth is pretty easy on the eyes, so that made the film more enticing for me. However, it the plot itself is a bit more fantastical and complex than previous Marvel superhero films, so here’s my recommendation: If you are a fan of superhero films, it is worth seeing in theaters (in 3D or not). If you are not a huge superhero film fan or fantasy isn’t your thing, then I would wait for DVD, or see it in theaters for a matinee or not in 3D to save you some cash.
Have you seen Thor? What did you think? Do you like superhero films in general?
