Of the various Avengers, the one I knew the least about before seeing a movie featuring them was Thor. My vague understanding of Norse mythology helped make up for that deficit, but it didn’t make me think any more or less of the hero before I finally saw his movie. Of all the films in Phase I of the MCU’s releases, Thor sits squarely in the middle of the pack. Compare the movie to the broader MCU pantheon or just the Infinity Saga, and it holds up even more favorably as a simple but satisfying hero origin story.

Pros

Acting from the cast is strong and convincing, with some great moments between characters
Straightforward hero’s journey that makes Thor interesting and likable by the end
Interesting camera angles and direction
Decent action scenes with the abilities of the heroes and villains on display

Cons

Pacing is a little slow in some spots
Effects do not look as impressive as other MCU films from this era
Hemsworth’s wig does not always look great
The big moment in the film’s climax is undone in later films without explanation; in isolation, this moment is great, but it’s undone by the broader MCU

Plot & Thoughts

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the god of thunder, son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is destined to inherit the throne of his father, and he knows it. He’s a skilled and valiant warrior, and he knows it. He’s cocky, arrogant, and believes that he is ready to claim his birthright. After he directly disobeys Odin and brings the realm of Asgard close to war by attacking the ice giants, Odin strips him of his rank and his hammer, Mjolnir, and banishes him to Earth. Disillusioned, Thor struggles to come to grips with the fact that he’s lost his powers and may never return home. The curious scientist, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and her team meet Thor, and she attempts to help him in the hopes of understanding where he came from and what this means for the universe. Meanwhile, Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is plotting with the ice giants to overthrow Asgard.

Thor tends to be the middle-of-the-road Avenger. He has good moments in each of his movies. He’s a character who changes a great deal over the course of the Infinity Saga, much like Tony Stark, so it’s enjoyable to see that character grow from his arrogant beginnings to the self-sacrificing legend he becomes in Infinity War. It’s a shame a lot of that glory is undone in Endgame, but that’s for a different review.

The overall story of Thor is relatively simple and familiar. He’s an individual with undeniable strength and power, but he is too egotistical to be a hero. So, he must be humbled in order to reclaim his honor and become worthy of the life that had once been afforded to him. If Loki were not on his own villainous journey, Thor would be a classic retelling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son story from the Bible. It’s a satisfying tale because we get to see how reaching his lowest moment puts him on the path to being his best. Unlike recent films that have tried to deconstruct heroes from popular franchises in order to prop up other characters, the deconstruction of Thor is to his benefit for the purpose of making him a hero worthy of wielding his hammer and joining the Avengers.

Nonetheless, the simple plot of Thor would not be nearly as entertaining if it weren’t for the solid performances and direction. Anthony Hopkins elevates any movie he’s in with his mere presence, and his performance as Odin is fantastic here. Hopkins is able to masterfully evoke the fatigue of an old ruler who is frustrated by the children he loves while bearing the burdens of trying to maintain a tenuous peace agreement with ancient enemies. When he argues with Thor over the fight with the Ice Giants that could have brought about war, it’s a convincing emotional exchange between the two of them. Likewise, Hemsworth and Hiddleston also turn in good performances as Thor and Loki, respectively. Hemsworth establishes the character of Thor well in this movie and manages to keep that consistent tone and attitude going for several movies. His petulance in the opening act is chiseled away, and when he triumphantly earns the right to wield his hammer again, it’s a satisfying moment. Hiddleston immediately became an A-list actor for his performance here because he’s able to do so much with his facial expressions in the quieter moments. He embodies the trickster god and is able to manipulate his way through whatever unpredictable situation he creates. All three of these characters became immediately iconic in Thor and would go on to be more complex and interesting in the later installments.

Where Thor doesn’t quite achieve the greatness of its compatriot films in this opening phase of the MCU is in its pacing, some of its action, and the slight disconnect that is inherent with the story that is mostly focused on a character that doesn’t belong on Earth and whose conflict does not necessarily affect Earth directly. The opening and closing acts move relatively quickly, but the middle portion of the story (when Thor is cast out of Asgard and falls to Earth) feels like it takes a while for things to progress. Loki’s plotting in the background and the interactions between various important characters move things along, but it still feels like it takes a while for Loki’s plan to take shape and for a real threat to Thor to be established. In addition, the final act has a great moment between Thor and Loki in which Thor must sacrifice his ability to see Jane again, which then amounts to nothing because he obviously comes back to Earth in the various sequels. Even Loki is screaming about how he’ll “never see her again,” but maybe that’s just another one of his tricks. Who knows?

TL;DR

While Thor may have been a relatively straightforward hero story that kept it in the middle of the pack, the film has held up as an underrated gem, thanks to great acting and direction. It has its pacing problems, but the characters do a lot of heavy lifting to keep the movie engaging and occasionally funny. It quickly established some iconic characters who would go on to grow and change over the course of the MCU in satisfying ways.

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