THOR (2011, Blu-ray released September 12, 2011 – MSRP $44.99)
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I’m not saying that Marvel movies can do no wrong (hell, we all remember Daredevil and Elektra) but this run of films from Marvel Studios, beginning with Iron Man and leading to next summer’s The Avengers has proven a pretty exciting series of films. Thor sits firmly in the middle of the established timeline thus far and also sits firmly in the middle of the films in terms of quality. It’s nowhere near as solid as Iron Man but nowhere near as flawed as Iron Man 2.
- “The world has many heroes… but only one is a god. When the arrogant warrior Thor (Chris Hemsworth, “Star Trek”) is banished to Earth from his homeworld of Asgard, he must fight to reclaim his lost powers. Pursued by an invasion force sent to destroy him, the fallen God of Thunder must rise to the battle and learn what it takes to become a true hero. Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) and Anthony Hopkins (“Beowulf”) also star in the blockbuster adventure critics are calling “thrilling, entertaining and cool.” (Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool News).“
I could say that I was hoping for more from Thor but honestly, the film turned out almost exactly as I was expecting. It’s a whole lot of fun and a fairly accurate representation of the popular Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comic book thunder god. When the film was in pre-production, producer Kevin Feige spoke of it as a Shakespeare-inspired, Lord of the Rings-style fantasy epic. I’m pretty sure they hired director Kenneth Branagh on the basis of that take on the narrative, what with his background as one of the finest Shakespearean actors of our age. As production moved forward, tying the story into the worlds of fellow heroes Iron Man and Captain America became a necessity to lead in to The Avengers film, so it was determined that the narrative would need to bring Thor to Earth, just as his four-colour newsprint counterpart had done some fifty years before. And I think it’s there that the film’s weaknesses lie.
For as wonderful as all the lead performers are (and they are pretty wonderful, believe me) nothing can keep Thor from losing it’s epic feeling when it shifts the action from the cosmic wonderworld of Asgard to bland, dusty New Mexico and trades in powerful God-like Frost Giant antagonists for the wimpy men in black feds of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sure, the fish out of water stuff is fun and helps the audience relate more directly to Thor’s humanity, as he stumbles around the small, backwater town, seeking his lost super-powered war-hammer, being tasered by and drinking with the local mortals. But there’s very little weight given to all the story elements present there. Including his developing relationship with physicist Jane Foster (Portman.) It’s only upon Thor’s return to his home-world that things regain any sort of balance but by then the party’s over. And I’m left feeling like an opportunity to really deliver the goods is lost. Give me more Shakespearean family drama and epic battles with hordes of marauding Frost Giants and less of our titular hero serving scrambled eggs to Kat Dennings.
Paramount brings Thor to Blu-ray in a transfer that’s a fair representation of what I saw in the theatre. The disc isn’t demo material – soft shots abound and the image can be flat and very dark at times – but all around it looks great. Colours pop, detail is abundant, and blacks are deep. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is… well… THUNDEROUS! Seriously though, this is an immersive, booming audio track that will give your system a work out. Don’t worry about the dialogue getting lost in the storm. It’s clean and clear throughout.
There are quite a number of special features on the disc, with Branagh’s commentary track being the most informative and involved of the bunch. You can choose to hear his comments on all the deleted scenes as well, but he generally offers only a brief sentiment on each one, far less loquacious than in his commentary over the feature. The collection of featurettes on the disc would be a nice little 40-minute (or so) doc on the making of the film if the menu offered a “Play All” option (why do all the studios hate the “Play All”?) The Consultant short film is cute but is really just another showcase of Agent Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) g-man cool. “The Road to the Avengers” is nothing more than a clip-show from the Iron Man films, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk and Thor. Not much to see there. The disc is rounded out by trailers and a DVD and Digital Copy of the film.
Special Features:
- Commentary by director Kenneth Branagh
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Kenneth Branagh
- Thor and Loki Before the Coronation (02:48)
- Warriors 3 and Sif Turn Over Their Weapons (1:13)
- Thor and Frigga (0:34)
- “Rah Rah” (Extended) (4:22)
- Hospital (Extended) (2:02)
- Frigga Confronts Odin (1:06)
- Loki is Made King (3:23)
- Selvig Sings with Thor (1:07)
- Warriors 3 and Sif Arrive (Extended) (4:41)
- Darcy’s Dog (0:23)
- Selvig is Saved by Thor (1:32)
- From Asgard to Earth
- Our Fearless Leader
- Assembling the troupe
- Hammer Time
- Creating Laufey
- Music of the Gods
- A Conversation
- Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (3:41)
- Road to The Avengers (2:24)
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