Giving in to my son Marti's incessant pleading, we saw Thor at the Powerplant Mall Cinema last Saturday on its 2nd day of showing here in Manila.
*SPOILER ALERT* I will mention some scenes in the movie so if you don't want me to ruin it for you, see Thor first!
If you're a stickler for Norse mythology like me, there will be a little confusion here as Thor and Loki are depicted as brothers in the movie and the comic book series when in mythology Thor is the son of Odin and Gaea (Earth) while Loki is in the same level of the Aesir as Odin than that of Thor and is descended from giants. Having said that, twisting the story in the comic book series and the movie may have been necessary to add more intrigue and drama to the storyline as both gods become arch-enemies when they have known each other as brothers not so long ago.
The depiction of Asgard is simply stunning with the aerial views of the city reminding me of the Lord of the Rings epic trilogy. Although it lacked the Viking-inspiration portrayed in the comic book, the costume design is magnificent especially Odin's armor but was a little disappointed that Thor rarely wore the helmet he is so much associated with, second only to Mjolnir. Kenneth Branagh does a surprisingly marvelous job as a first-time director of a comic-book movie but he's probably a fitting choice as the Shakespearean storyline needed his touch. He is also brave to veer away from the original comic book story when fans are avidly protective of their comic book heroes.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
Image via WikipediaI told my son that I really pictured Odin as Sir Anthony Hopkins because who else would have a commanding presence as he does? The King of Asgard is known to be stern and wise and Hopkins portrays that to the letter. I just hoped that the there was more of him in the movie but even in a coma he is fierce!
Natalie Portman was also good but it seemed that their brief encounter wasn't convincing that the two would already have fallen for each other. I guess the movie had to reserve the time for Thor and her character Jane Foster to develop a relationship in a sequel. But again Natalie's Jane Foster is still so much better that Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane. Ugh.
It's a fairly good movie, I'd watch it again with Marti. One last tip: stay on until the end of the credits for a surprise! Nope, Iron Man isn't there but it sure is shocking and provocative!
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