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

[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.