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[Jimmy the Squid]

So Thor just came out in Australia last week.

Rizzo, my girlfriend and I went and saw this just the other day and I was fairly impressed. I mean it wasn't incredible but I don't really have anything to complain about at all. Probably the only thing I can say is that the 3D didn't add anything to the film and I'm slightly annoyed we had to pay $20 a ticket to see it but still, I was really happy with this film.

Thoughts? Is it even out yet where you guys are?

[Dimmukane]

All the trailers I'd seen said it was coming out on a single-digit day in May.  So probably next week?  So far it's gotten pretty good reviews, however few it may have.

[StaedlerMars]

It's out in the UK as of Wednesday, got a troupe of people together to see it, was quite good fun. I think it met a standard for action super hero movie, it wasn't offensively bad or corny, and I was entertained throughout the movie. Maybe it lacked the epic last battle, but it didn't really - what I think happened was that there was just so much cool stuff going on throughout the movie that the last bit just seemed kind of 'meh'. There were a couple of bits where the audience roared with laughter (it's been a while since I saw that happen in a theatre, it's been a while since I went to the theatre).

Also, I've only really read the first few Thor comics from when he was first in The Avengers, so I don't really know what his current arc is like, but has it changed significantly?

*spoiler* Also, if Loki is just one of the things involved in The Avengers movie then that movie is going to be intense. Personally I think the showing-a-teaser-after-the-credits thing is one of the more brilliant marketing things / appealing to geeks thing marvel could do.

[Odin]

I'm hoping that they go for the Masters of Evil storyline in the Avengers movie, myself. It would just work so well if they do Captain America's movie right (there had better be some Zemo and Cap had better refer to him as Sock-Face at some point!).

[Border Reiver]

Sonny boy hasn't given you tickets to the advance screening yet? 

(Sorry, couldn't resist that one)

Marvel's superhero movies have been generally solid lately - decent scripts, competant acting and directing - nothing for the ages, but entertaining

[KvP]

I'm dreading Kenneth Branagh's transition to action, honestly. I'm having a hard time imagining the Thor mythology coming off as anything other than ridiculous (as in, ridiculous enough that it takes you out of the film - all superhero stories are ridiculous). But they got a suitably teutonic-lookin' dude for the lead role.

[Alex C]

Yeah, my paranoia is born of the simple fact that I know some of the source material. The character is literally a Norse god running around doling out haymakers to assholes. He started his comic career fighting aliens but sometimes he has to take time out to curb stomp some dude who wields a magic crowbar. I have affection for that kind of thing but every time I try to explain anything about Thor to someone who doesn't know comics my brain starts to hurt. At its least ridiculous we're talking about levels of modern fantasy that make the WoD look pretty staid.

[Odin]

Yeah, my paranoia is born of the simple fact that I know some of the source material. The character is literally a Norse god running around doling out haymakers to assholes. He started his comic career fighting aliens but sometimes he has to take time out to curb stomp some dude who wields a magic crowbar. I have affection for that kind of thing but every time I try to explain anything about Thor to someone who doesn't know comics my brain starts to hurt. At its least ridiculous we're talking about levels of modern fantasy that make the WoD look pretty staid.

I haven't seen this film yet, but that Hulk Vs. Thor short/feature that was paired up with a Vs. Wolverine on DVD a while back was a pretty fun portrayal of Thor (and Loki as well) that had just enough exposition to explain who the major players were and why they were carrying on like they were.

Can anyone that has seen this one offer any comparisons?

[Jimmy the Squid]

I haven't seen that DVD but I thought that the film gave a pretty good account of what's going on. I didn't feel that the exposition was too heavy handed, in fact I thought it was handled quite well.

I totally agree with Staedler about the ending in that it didn't have the kind of resonance that I think I expected or maybe hoped that it would but I think that it fits with the story line better and I'm starting to view these particular Marvel films as chapters in an on-going Avengers arc rather than separate films.

[LeeC]

I haven't seen that DVD but I thought that the film gave a pretty good account of what's going on. I didn't feel that the exposition was too heavy handed, in fact I thought it was handled quite well.

I totally agree with Staedler about the ending in that it didn't have the kind of resonance that I think I expected or maybe hoped that it would but I think that it fits with the story line better and I'm starting to view these particular Marvel films as chapters in an on-going Avengers arc rather than separate films.

i think thats what is intended at this point. Excited about this movie.

[Thomas Edison]

Saw it at the IMAX. Was quite impressed with what I saw. It didn't blow me away but it was a very solid film I thought.

[Lines]

That was a fun movie. The one liners were pretty great and seeing him bumble about as a mortal was enjoyable. ("How dare you threaten the son of Odin with such a puny weapon!" and the subsequently being tasered cracked me up.)

Also the preview for Capt. America looks good!

[Torlek]

If you were to take Iron Man as just an action piece, I think Thor is almost it's equal. However Thor keeps it's story simple; Thor acts like a douche, Odin doesn't like this and kicks Thor out, Thor needs to learn to not be such a douche so he can get his magic hammer back and smite something with it. I was worried about how Branagh would transition to an action director but anything involving the Asgardians demands to be over the top and bombastic and that's exactly what he provides. The references to Marvel lore are more obscure to the non-comic enthusiast than they were in Iron Man or Incredible Hulk but the post-credits scene for this one pretty much tells us who the big bad for Avengers is going to be. Hemsworth is pretty much perfect in his role, particularly when he's showing Thor's obliviousness to Earth customs ("I need a horse!"). However most of the supporting cast just feels there except for Hopkins who chews scenery like he's starving and it's made of cake. I was quite impressed by the score, it felt appropriately epic and classic fantasy but had some shades of Hans Zimmer. The 3D, at least in the IMAX, was superfluous but unobtrusive. All in all it does an excellent job of introducing one of the more off the wall Marvel heroes to the populace and the setting and characters are ripe for a sequel. It's summer blockbuster done right.

[Blue Kitty]

I was surprised at how funny the film was, quite a few times the entire theater was cracking up. I really enjoyed the Warriors Three, though I thought the movies portrayal of Hogun was a little odd. I thought Loki was spot on.



Speaking of before-the-movie trailers, my girlfriend is really excited for X-men: First Class

[Tom]

I hear the game tie-in fridges Sif.

[MusicScribbles]

I was also surprised about the quality of the film. Some of its humor was pretty good considering that it was a family story mixed in with a fish out of water tale. The fish out of water stuff was pretty good.

I have to say though, that my biggest criticism for the film was that the dialogue wasn't good. If the acting from Hemsworth, Hopkins, and Hiddleston (Whoa guys.) had been anything less than excellent, some of the dialogue would have died in the theatre speakers it was so bad at times.

[J]

i agree on the dialogue for the most part. it worked well for the gods and their epic proclamations of very simple things, but for the human characters it was very stilted and wooden.

the comedy was handled well by playing the character completely straight, and avoiding the usual 'fish out of water' cliches. the story was pretty basic and one dimensional, as were most of the characters, but that was fine. the one exception to this was loki, who was enjoyably much more layered than the usual supervillain from these movies.

visually, i do have a complaint about the fight scenes, as they overused the shaky-cam and quick-cuts to an extent that sometimes made it hard to distinguish exactly what just happened. other than that, the film looked good, with a unique aesthetic for asgard that was suitably over the top and embellished.

overall, a very enjoyable 'popcorn flick' without much substance, but enough style to make up for it, as well as it's moderate sodomization of norse mythology.



also, how fucking cool was that image of anthony hopkins rearing up on slepnir in a bolt of lightning?

[Jimmy the Squid]

I was quite impressed by the score, it felt appropriately epic and classic fantasy but had some shades of Hans Zimmer.

Can't see why this would be a criticism to be honest. I know Zimmers style wouldn't be appropriate for a lot of films but I love basically everything he's done.

[Torlek]

I was quite impressed by the score, it felt appropriately epic and classic fantasy but had some shades of Hans Zimmer.

Can't see why this would be a criticism to be honest. I know Zimmers style wouldn't be appropriate for a lot of films but I love basically everything he's done.

Wasn't a criticism. You just don't usually associate Zimmer's style with high fantasy. He's more rooted in slightly darker fare where his themes are slightly repetitive but build throughout the score until it finally erupts in a wall of sound that envelopes you and makes damn certain you know that this is the climax. I thoroughly enjoy his work too and I am pleased to see it start influencing the work of other composers.