Thor – Movie Review (Second Opinion)

The Story: I’m not surprised Thor loves super-unhealthy, diner breakfast food— it’s awesome.

The Review: As a god, Thor’s not really threatened by much, and certainly not by the majority of villains in the Marvel universe.  Besides his loyalty to the Avengers, his connections to Earth lean more on divine fondness for the planet and its people as a whole, with few links to its non-superhero-related mortals—especially as his Donald Blake identity saw less use over time.

Straczynski brought back Thor’s human persona to prominence in his relaunch of Thor, so it’s fitting that in his and Protosevich’s screenplay, they try very hard to give the banished god a personal relationship with Earth.  But actually the time Thor spends exiled on the planet is pretty short—about a few days, film-time (which is about 20 minutes, screen-time).  It limits Thor’s exposure to modern mortality, and makes his intimacy with Jane Foster et al seem rushed/forced.

Helmsworth and Portman are both very likeable, and they definitely have a warm chemistry, but really, they only get several minutes-long scenes alone together, and the moments feel friendlier than romantic.  It’s disappointing Thor gets hauled out of the mortal realm so fast, because it feels like his human relationships have just barely begun.  Which is too bad, because they offer some of the funniest moments of the film (KOing Thor in various ways never gets old).

Aside from wearing a desert small-town outfit for, like, a day, and one funny cultural snafu where he smashes his mug (of coffee?  Hot chocolate?  Whatever it is, he really likes it.) on the floor of a diner, Thor doesn’t get a real mortal life experience.  His heroic actions at the film’s climax are more motivated by his innate nobility than a personal investment in Earth.  He would’ve done the same for any planet of innocents.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #4 – Review

By Roger Langridge (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Matthew Wilson (colorist)

The Story: It’s Boys’ Night Out for the God of Thunder as The Warriors Three drop by to take Thor out for an evening of mass mead consumption.

The Good: Every month, this comic just keeps getting better and continues to be one of the few comics I eagerly anticipate reading! This month’s issue sets a new benchmark in quality for “The Mighty Avenger”, firing on all cylinders to tell a story that was pure entertainment from start to finish. Free from the constraints of continuity that burden its sister titles, this comic is free to flirt and play with Thor’s history as it sees fit without ever being dragged down by it. The Warriors Three are, of course, long-term mainstays in Thor’s world, but here in this comic their appearance feels fresh, yet strangely familiar, like meeting three good friends again for the first time. Here, Langridge writes Thor’s buddies like three older brothers who adore and idolize their younger brother and wouldn’t think twice to throw down with Captain Britain for the sake of their young friend. It’s that well-crafted sense of camaraderie that Langridge executes here that made me view Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg as more than obedient sidekicks, and I like when a comic can get me to look at old characters in new ways.

I mentioned this issue was entertaining, right? More to the point, it was absolutely hilarious, but I suppose that was inevitable in a story about a bunch of guys going out to drink for the night. You know guys like this. You’re probably friends them and have had a few of these nights over the course of your infamous friendships with them. Yeah, they might be gods, but Langridge writes them as a motley crew of loyal friends first, and that’s a quality that we can all get behind and endorse. They’re a rowdy bunch though, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Samnee’s glorious splash page of the Warriors Three spurring Thor on to beat the crap out of Captain Britain. Samnee’s work continues to captivate me, and I love how easily he can transition from an intense brawl between Thor and Captain Britain to a tender moment between Thor and Jane. His work bursts with energy and emotion in a style that is deceptively simple but always worth a view.