Shiny movies with pretty people: Thor

[winter]

I was somewhat dragged to see Thor, because my mother of all people decided she wants something pretty and brainless.

Not brainless, as it turned out (Kenneth Brannagh directing, J.Michael Straczynski with a writing credit, team from Terminator:Sarah Connor Chronicles - I should have guessed), but so. Immensely. Pretty.

Honestly, I could screencap any moment of the Asgard scenes and hang it on my wall. Classic pulp SF art, all soaring spires and gold and crystal, with angles and costumes to match. These are my childhood fairytales, and oh, they made them sing.

And really, nothing ruins it. I adore and root for Loki, of course, who is smart and tragic and engaging (and avoids chewing through scenery, unlike everyone else in Asgard and Jotunheim). There's not a single weak person in the cast, from Anthony Hopkins on down. For female characters, we get four strong major ones (a full third of MCs, impressive for a Hollywood movie) and the Bechdel test is passed with an impressive amount of technobabble. Good music. Very decent writing for a comic book movie, you can really tell which Shakespearean undertones they aimed for (and managed to hit). Chris Hemsworth in tight and/or missing shirts is the cherry on the cake.

I can get behind this kind of summer movie :) Pirates next, Captain America and X-Men First Class - anything else interesting coming out?

(Also, for a 3D movie this didn't give me a headache at all. I think the amount of CGI helps.)

Comments

[sailortelevator.livejournal.com]

I'm soooo excited about this summers movies! I really wanna see Thor, PotC, Captain America, X-Men, ALL OF THEM. *so excited*

[winter]

Thor's a great start :) Really, just the slate of actors alone, and then they went and augmented it with amazing visuals.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought about Thor as well. Shiny, fulfilled childhood tales, and also, Loki is so far the best and most fleshed out of the Marvel movie villains (always discounting Magneto, of course!). Granted, the competition isn't that great - I don't think anybody liked Iron Man for Obediah, or the Spiderman movies for their bad guys - but still!

And note: Thor's proof of newly gained maturity and insight isn't winning a duel or fighting better, it's being able to consider the civilians first, evacuating them, letting other people who at that point are more qualified do the fighting, and then, when it becomes clear the destructive villain is only destroying because of him, sacrificing himself without a fuss. I approve of this in an action hero.

[winter]

Loki is a villain with intelligence, motive, and a fatal tendency to out-think himself, which is something I'm intimately familiar with. Plus hey, he guilt-tripped himself into not!suicide. That boy has issues and is in clear need of cuddles. (I also loved his scene with Frigga, where it's clear that he adores her beyond measure.)

Mind you, he's matched in Thor being mostly mature, rather than the "aren't I cool??" antihero Stark, or somewhat hyperactive and moodswingy Spiderman. And I really liked the way the girls were handled - Sif being the more-or-less leader of the Warrior Three, Frigga laying into the Frost Giants with his sword, and the Jane-Darcy mentor-mentee relationship. I think I can stand behind this take on superhero movies. Here's hoping X-men:First Class is of the same class!

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

I don't often go to the movie theatre anymore (for the cost of a matinee plus popcorn and drinks for B and myself, we can get HBO for a month), but I'd like to see Thor. Loved the comic books when I was growing up and I have a weakness for built blonde guys.

Isn't the last Harry Potter movie due out this summer?

B is a big Green Lantern fan, so he plans to see that.

[winter]

Thor's one that's really worth seeing on the big screen. The visuals are truly fantastic. (And the built blond guy. His efforts to bulk up really paid off in a non-weightlifter way. He looks like he's been lugging around logs or something.)

And of course, forgot Potter! I'll have to hunt down a subtitled showing again - for some reason it gets classed as a kids-movie-only here and dubbed.

[xwingace]

I figured Chris Hemsworth's finely sculpted torso was why they made this move in 3D. :-)

It was absolutely amusing, yes.

XWA

[winter]

Well, Asgard was just as pretty ;)

The superhero movie is an easy cocktail to mismanage, so I'm happy this time they did it right :)

[new_vogue_ravyn.livejournal.com]

I was umming and aahing about Thor, since it looked really cool but given the level of some of the comic character adaptions I wasn't sure whether to go for it or not. But once it gets into the cinema I might see if I can round up someone to go with. Don't get the chance to go to the cinema much so it would be nice.

[winter]

I definitely recommend it. Reminded me of a certain storm god of our mutual acquaintance (and helped me get the fic to 2,000 words, not long now hopefully!)

[new_vogue_ravyn.livejournal.com]

Yay! :D Take your time though, I'm all about quality over speed. ;)

Also, were there any particularly scary or unsettling parts or images in the film? I ask because one of my friends who would go with me has mental health issues and so she can get quite easily unsettled by visual images. I don't want for her to come and find that it starts upsetting her (general violence is normally okay though, unless it's overly graphic or gory).

As an end note, I'd like to note that my film rental place began their review of Thor with "Stop! Hammer time!" which I thought was a moment of genius. XD

[winter]

Hmm. There are a few flashbacks to Odin just after he lost his eye, but it's not done in a graphic/gory way, just him with blood on his face. Several people get frozen over, because well, frost giants. There's a lot of battle, but wounds are glossed over, except one demonic creature (dinosaur-like) who gets a hole in its head, but no gore to go with it. The most common thing is for people to get knocked into things, really - very much cartoon violence.

One trigger could be medical settings. Thor lands on Earth (in the first scene ;)) and doesn't take well to a hospital, so he's subdued with tranquilisers and later tied to a bed. All done without graphicness, but I see where it could make a person with mental issues shiver - maybe alert her to it and assure her that he escapes shortly?

[new_vogue_ravyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for giving such a detailed responce. :) The hospital might not be an issue, one of her favourite films is Girl Interrupted precisely because she can relate to it so much due to her time in hospital. I'll let her know anyway just to make sure.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Thor lots too.

[winter]

Thought it would be your style :)

[-leareth.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked Thor! Certainly Branagh was a good punt on Marvel's part in making not just an enjoyable popcorn movie but a /good/ popcorn movie with characters and a core relationship that's as 3D as the effects. And how great was Loki? :)

(Did you see the post credits bit?)

[winter]

Loki was fantastic :D And really, the hero of the movie. He needs his own!

And alas, they kicked us out before post-credits. I know what's there, but I haven't found youtube footage yet.

[-leareth.livejournal.com]

Head over to CHUD.com, they have a full transcript of the THOR cast and crew interview panel and some of the discussions from Hiddleston and Branagh regarding Loki is very interesting, particularly since you say he's really the hero of the movie.

Aw man! Well let's just say the postbcredits bit made me squee because it sets up Loki for The Avengers (Hiddleston's casting in that already confirmed anyway).

[winter]

You wouldn't happen to have a link to the transcript? Their search engine is rubbish.

[-leareth.livejournal.com]

The two parts are currently on their front page:

http://www.chud.com/50856/thor-press-conference-part-1-the-cast/

http://www.chud.com/50884/thor-press-conference-part-2-the-filmmakers/

[winter]

Ah, I got confused because of a reference to "the last panel" :) Mind you, it's only now coming up to 5AM over here. I'm not at my brightest.

[cosmos14.livejournal.com]

"I need a horse!"


:D

[winter]

That was just icing on the cake :D

[alice_montrose]

Good to know Thor is worth it. :)

Other stuff to look out for besides what you mentioned - and I swear I'm not mentioning these for the eyecandy alone, though there are some fine specimens present in each:
* Priest (vampire flick starring Paul Bettany) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822847/
* Conan the Barbarian (mmmm, Ronon Dex Khar Drogo Jason Momoa ♥) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816462/
* Coriolanus (given teh cast, this could be either good or bad) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1372686/
* Immortals (here there be Henry Cavill) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1253864/
* (yet another remake of) The Three Musketeers (starring Orlando Bloom in bloomers funny pants) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1509767/

[winter]

I saw the Priest trailer. I think I'll give it a miss ~.~

[alice_montrose]

The one I'm really looking forward to is Conan. And, you know, PotC 4. :)

[fuumasfrog.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for pointing out that movie! I wouldn't have watched it otherwise, but your review made me curious, so I went to the cinema today witrh a friend to watch it. Great movie ^^ I loved it for the very same reasons you listed ^^

[winter]

It seems word of mouth marketing works ;) I always applaud good action movies, they're rare!

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Very fun movie (even in 2-D). I'm thinking I need to go back and see it again.