Thor premiered for some folks over the weekend and their verdict is in.
On the whole, the reviewers are unanimous, Thor rocks. I won’t post any spoilers here but beware if you click through to the individual websites.
Empire Online gives the Marvel film four out of five stars saying Thor, “is tremendous fun, and further proof that Marvel Studios knows how to handle its back catalogue.” The reviewer also added that Chris Hemsworth, “comes into his own, adding new layers of humility and humour to his blustering God Of Thunder,” when he comes to Earth.
Of the Aussie actor, The Hollywood Reporter had this to say, “[Director Kenneth] Branagh may convey a lofty intellect to the Shakespearean interplay of feuding fathers and sons, and co-stars Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman the actorly gravitas. But the 6-foot-3 Hemsworth adds the winning ingredients, bringing a lusty Viking charm to his rumbling Olde English line readings, a towering physicality and biceps that look forged in a furnace. Verily, he is ripped.” Though their simplified review is, “The hammer-hurling god of thunder kicks off this superhero summer with a bang.”
IGN, giving it 3.5 out of five stars writes, “Thor may be the proverbial fish out of water here, but we’re thankfully spared many of the goofy things that come with that oft-tread movie territory. Thor understands Earth and humans; he’s just a little out of step with our customs and tech. Judging from the taser and hospital clips that have been released, you might think the film is chock full of physical comedy, but happily they are just a few moments in an otherwise straightforward Thor tale.”
Although the consensus was that Thor was a great film, the reviewers did take time to mention a few slight missteps. IGN for example said, “The biggest problem with the earthly story line isn’t its tone or setting, but rather the brevity of Thor’s stay there. He’s basically in town for the weekend and in that time he learns the error of his ways? … Exile ain’t what it used to be.”
THR said, “The arrogant warrior Thor’s great conversion, central to the plot, is unrealistically lightning-quick and the movie’s dramatic arc falters amid the constant shifts between earthly and celestial realms.”
Most reviews mention there is a lot of story to cover in the time-span given (especially for developing the Thor/Jane romance) but besides that, Thor succeeds. And yes, the film does give some onscreen time to connecting itself to the larger Marvel universe (as if we didn’t already see that coming).
Thor thunders into theaters May 6.
