Have You seen Thor the Movie?

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.

So here's my ten cents worth on the movie.

*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

Chris Hemsworth IS Thor and he plays the arrogant god really well and one can feel his sincerity when he is humbled by his experiences on Earth. Chris has a bright future in Hollywood!

Image via Wikipedia

Tom Hiddleston is fantastic as Loki. He is fragile and quiet at first, he was so convincing that I kept thinking if there was another villain in the movie but when he sheds his Norman Bates-facade...wow! And as I read somewhere, the most dreadful villains are the inconsistent and unpredictable ones and Hiddleston does this so effortlessly. This is one actor to watch out for.

Image via Wikipedia

I 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!

Related articles

• [Movies] Thor (2011) (geeky-guide.com)
• "Movie Review: Thor (2011)" and related posts (cinemaviewfinder.com)

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• "Movie Review: Thor (2011)" and related posts (cinemaviewfinder.com)

Thor the Movie Updates

http://www.flickr.com/photos/popculturegeek

The much-awaited movie among Marvel Comics superheroes, Thor is coming out in May 6, 2011!

In the synopsis of the movie via Marvel.com:

At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. 

Director Kenneth Branagh leads a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman in the Thor's big-budget, silver screen debut, in movie theaters on May 6, 2011! 

Click here for the official movie trailer!

Thor in 2011! For Odin's Beard! For Asgard!

For Odin's Beard! For Asgard! Chris Hemsworth Is Done!

After seeing Ironman 2 for the 2nd time and waiting for the full end credits with the bonus scene for the 2nd time as well, got curious if there is indeed a Thor movie in the making and came across this article at comicbooked.com (by the way to all fanboys and comic geeks out there this is an awesome site! follow it on twitter!---thanks to@Jon Favreau for the link).

According to IMDB, the movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh, award winning-actor and director who is more known for his Shakespearean movies. Marvel probably is banking on the same uniqueness that Jon Favreau, who is also more known as an actor than as a director, brought to Iron Man. Playing the God of Thunder is Chris Hemsworth, an Australian actor recently seen in Star Trek where he played as George Kirk,  James Kirk's father.

Thor is slated to premiere in May 6, 2011... a year to go but certainly worth the wait, especially when the Avengers movie comes out in 2012!