Film review: Thor

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Staring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård

On at: Cinema City Cotroceni, Cinema City Cotroceni – Sala VIP, Cinema City Sun Plaza, Hollywood Multiplex, Movieplex Cinema, Samsung Imax Cotroceni, The Light Cinema

Comic books and capes often lead to movies that take themselves ridiculously seriously and rely on special effects to compensate for wooden acting and a clunking, incredible (in the bad sense of the word) script. Thor is in 3D, a device that can further disguise an essentially empty film. So at first glance Thor, the Marvel Comics-inspired superhero story of the hammer-wielding god of thunder, could threaten to be thunderously boring.

Debbie Stowe

But wait – what’s this? Look who is at the helm. Not a dumb action peddler Jerry Bruckheimer-type but RADA-schooled Shakespeare vet Kenneth Branagh. And he’s lined up two Oscar winners, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, to star. So maybe Thor can rise above the usual comic book adaptation pompous predictability and avoid a hammering (ho ho) by the critics.

And indeed it does! Yes, there is the somewhat formulaic fantasy story arc, with simplistic notions of good and evil, “it was a time of war” melodrama and some “Luke, I am your father” family flimflam – all of which, by the way, is aesthetically accomplished in 3D. But the narrative also sees Thor visit Earth – specifically Hicksville, New Mexico – which, besides the usual romantic subplot, is the premise for some funny fish-out-of-water scenes that recall Crocodile Dundee.

Can Thor (Chris Hemsworth) get back to his far-off galaxy in time to thwart the mischief being plotted by a traitor in the ranks, save his land from the belligerent Frost Giants, while simultaneously managing to learn some humility, smooch Natalie Portman and liberally flash his astonishingly ripped pectorals? You’ll just have to watch the movie to find out!

Of course, Thor is limited by its source material. The characters are fairly one-dimensional – Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is a welcome exception – the plot twists conventional and though effort has been made to elevate Natalie Portman’s character above stock love interest level by making her a pioneering scientist with some smart lines, essentially it’s machismo that saves the day.

But these minor faults are more than offset by the movie’s charm, humor and visuals (including those pecs). Even if superheroes are not your cup of tea, you won’t regret putting in this hammer time.

Debbie Stowe

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