Movie Review: Thor

The superhero hype of 2011 starts with the movie Thor, a fictional character from the Marvel comics. Thor, is a part of the movie studio's plan to bring out a movie for Marvel's "Avenger" superhero team. So the question is, compared to Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk which came out in the last 2 years, is the latest movie about the God of Thunder any good? Let's find out.

Story:

Marvel's Thor, is a superhero based on the mythological god in Norse mythology. In the Norse myth, Thor, is the son of Odin, the father of all. The Norse gods lived in Asgard, and they protected our world Midgard(which actually translates to Middle Earth), by constantly battling against the giants. In Norse mythology, Thor is the God of thunder, the champion of Asgard who wields this magical rune hammer"Mjollnir", which can be thrown and will magically return to his hand. Thor also has a special belt where it grants him super human strength (sounds like some computer RPG hehe..) . Also in Norse mythology, Thor is a hot tempered warrior, who is destined to battle the Midgard serpent (Jurmungandr) who threatens to encircle and engulf the entire life tree of the universe with its body. In Norse mythology, it is said that at the Ragnarok (the end of the world), all the Asgardian gods will battle the giants that will bring about a new age. As for the God of thunder himself, Thor will battle the Midgard serpent until both of them die (a pretty cool story really). In ancient times, the Vikings, Icelanders, and possibly the Saxons have worshipped the Norse gods, and Thor, is one of the biggest diety of worship. Even today, one can find runestones situated throughout Scandinavia from ancient times describing Thor. Actually, the English word for "Thursday" is actually a day dedicated to Thor (Thor's day). I guess this really shows how pagan the English language is.

So, in 1962, Marvel introduced the character Thor, based on the mythological Norse god. The character is well received and is now one of the most notable character in the Marvel universe. In 2011, the movie is released as a part of the built up for the "Avengers" movie.

The story of this movie, is rather simple, linear and not very complex. In the case of the superhero movie, a simple, linear story is actually a good thing, because it allows the movie maker to emphasize the moral of the story instead of distracting audiences with complex plot progression. The movie starts with an introduction of the history of Asgard, where Thor is shown to be an arrogant, hot tempered warrior who is all about battle and glory. After Thor made a big mistake, he refused to listen to his father's teaching. After an argument, Odin stripped Thor of all his power, and banished him to earth. Thor's hammer, was also sent to earth, with Odin's whisper that whoever can lift the hammer, will be granted the power of Thor.

Arriving on earth, although in mortal form, Thor still acted the same way as he did in Asgard. Arrogant, and full of pride. Thor met and befriended a group of scientists in search of the inter-galatic worm holes. At the same time his hammer landed in a desert, where no one can pick the hammer up. After Thor discovered that his hammer is here on earth, he attempted to retrieve his hammer to recover his former strength, only to discover that he cannot lift his hammer, because Odin is trying to teach his young and arrogant son a lesson about humility and the meaning of true leadership...

I will stop telling the rest of the story, so I don't spoil it for you. However, I have to say that although the story of Thor is really linear, simple, with cheesy romance, but it does have some very good values to it, values that are often taught in the Bible, such as humility, self-sacrifice, servitude and leadership..etc.. Another good thing about this movie is that, even though there are a lot of fighting, the level of blood and gore is very low. Sex scenes are non-existent in this film, there are no rude languages neither, and contains some quite humorous moments. Which makes it a good movie for the whole family in my opinion.

Final verdict:

Story 8/10 - Like I said before, Thor has a very linear, simple story with a few cheesy moments. However, I really liked the values and the morals of the story, such as humility, sacrifice, servitude and leadership. In my opinion, I much rather watch a movie with simple stories that has something good I can take with me, than a movie with a complex, sophisticated story but with philosophies that are going to corrupt my mind. Therefore, despite its cheesiness, I give the story an 8/10

Cinematography 8/10 - I saw the movie in 3D, and I think it is worth watching this movie in 3D because the special effects are quite good. The lighting contrast of the pictures are very crisp and clear, and is an entertaining experience.

Violence - low

This is a superhero movie, so there are a lot of fighting scenes. However, the level of blood and gore is really low.

Sex - none

I was really surprised that despite the cheesy romance in the movie, there are actually no sex scenes. Which is quite uncommon for a Hollywood production.

Final score: 8/10

I really enjoyed Thor, the story is simple and the movie doesn't require you to think too much. The moral of the story is very clearly presented and easy to understand, with good values to think about. I will leave it to you to find out how Thor recovered his power, which is the central theme of all these superhero movies. I think you will like it too..