Thor Movie review...

[Chris Campbell]

Finally saw this movie and I really enjoyed it!

I thought that Chris Hemsworth owned the role. 

No major complaints. 

[Steve Raker]

Allow me to disagree, good sir. 

It does make that implecation, but I found it was at pains to make sure they didn't say they were aliens.  They said enough for us to come away with the idea, and never said "Yes, we are gods" but they never said "Yes, we are aliens" either.

Also, I thought Heimdall, the guy who allows major plot points to advance by disobeying Loki-king, was a major character.  If not for his choices and his duty, Thor would never have known Loki lied to him and the Warriors Three would never have gone to Midgard.

If Heimdall was a character invented for the movie, I would think it was a subtle racist move, but ol dude is an actual part of Norse mythology predating even America, and all that time he's a white Norse guy.  Lastly, there was nothing in the way Idris Elba performed the role that said "I'm just a doorman."  I can tell you, I respected him in the role infinitely more than, say, Chris Tucker's portrayal in The Fifth Element.  Sometimes a black actor does his skin color proud, and sometimes it just comes across as buffoonery to me. This time, I found no buffoonery in sight.

ps; I believe the black guy who put the whoopin on Thor near his hammer was Luke Cage. 

Agreed on all counts...Heimdall was awesome...the look of Elba's eyes alone should've won him the part!

You can say that the Norse Gods are really aliens or whatever, but they're still the Norse Gods, whether they 'fell' into that role by being mistaken by Norsemen or not...if the Norse called then their Gods, then they're Norse Gods, by gum!

During the movie, my father leaned over to me and said, "wasn't there a 'Power Man' who was a big, strong black guy?...was that SHIELD agent supposed to be him?".  I told him I really don't think so, 'cause Cage would've ripped a depowered Thor in half without breaking a sweat, then mutter, "sweet christmas" over the broken Thor.

[Steve-t]

Allow me to disagree, good sir. 

It does make that implecation, but I found it was at pains to make sure they didn't say they were aliens.  They said enough for us to come away with the idea, and never said "Yes, we are gods" but they never said "Yes, we are aliens" either.

Also, I thought Heimdall, the guy who allows major plot points to advance by disobeying Loki-king, was a major character.  If not for his choices and his duty, Thor would never have known Loki lied to him and the Warriors Three would never have gone to Midgard.

If Heimdall was a character invented for the movie, I would think it was a subtle racist move, but ol dude is an actual part of Norse mythology predating even America, and all that time he's a white Norse guy.  Lastly, there was nothing in the way Idris Elba performed the role that said "I'm just a doorman."  I can tell you, I respected him in the role infinitely more than, say, Chris Tucker's portrayal in The Fifth Element.  Sometimes a black actor does his skin color proud, and sometimes it just comes across as buffoonery to me. This time, I found no buffoonery in sight.

ps; I believe the black guy who put the whoopin on Thor near his hammer was Luke Cage. 

I see your points 

and I'd love it if is was Luke Cage!! But look we have a black character who guards the bridge because he "looks big and scary and imposing" and another black character who is actually just the boss charcater who you fight when all the others have been beaten because he is big and scary and imposing. I detect a subtle racism in these depictions. Not conscious, certainly but definitely those men are in those roles because of the physical threat they supposedly represent.

And yes they are certainly gods in name. I was just arguing that no one can say "A black man can't play that role!!!" on the internet because they aren't related to Norway in the film.

[Jay Tomio]

I need to get back to a friend of mine who I feel has a pretty good taste in movies who said it was  the worst movie he had ever seen, even after I brought up the Mummy 3. 

[JimN]

I see your points  

and I'd love it if is was Luke Cage!! But look we have a black character who guards the bridge because he "looks big and scary and imposing" and another black character who is actually just the boss charcater who you fight when all the others have been beaten because he is big and scary and imposing. I detect a subtle racism in these depictions. Not conscious, certainly but definitely those men are in those roles because of the physical threat they supposedly represent.

No offense, Steve, but maybe you're just looking for subtle racism in that casting. Seriously, do filmmakers now have to cast black actors in precisely the right combination of roles, as characters with precisely the right combination of traits, to avoid any suggestion of racism?

If we're supposed to live in a "color blind" world then honestly, people need to stop looking for racism absolutely everywhere. If those two black actors were cast in roles that demanded a physical presence maybe it's simply because they were physically imposing and showed they could do a good job, not because they were black. Heck, I was among those who didn't think Idris Elba should have been cast as a norse god but I still think his performance was one of the best parts of the movie so it's easy for me to believe he was cast because he was awesome. Maybe he got the role because they loved his audition and what he brought to the character and the color of his skin had nothing to do with it.

I apologize for going off but this kind of searching and struggling to find racism lurking around every corner is one of the things I believe perpetuates the problem. If we want to make everything about racism, it's pretty easy to do but why do it?

Jim

[Steve-t]

I apologize for going off but this kind of searching and struggling to find racism lurking around every corner is one of the things I believe perpetuates the problem. If we want to make everything about racism, it's pretty easy to do but why do it?

Jim

It stood out to me especially as I was already looking hard at that character in the light of ignorant comments elsewhere on the internet about his colour. If not for them it wouldn't be an issue I expect.

Hey, it's a great comic-book film. I should just rejoice in the awesomeness of the film really.

[JimN]

It stood out to me especially as I was already looking hard at that character in the light of ignorant comments elsewhere on the internet about his colour. If not for them it wouldn't be an issue I expect.

Is it really an issue anyway?

Hey, it's a great comic-book film. I should just rejoice in the awesomeness of the film really.

Exactly!

Jim

[New Mutant]

I see your points 

and I'd love it if is was Luke Cage!! But look we have a black character who guards the bridge because he "looks big and scary and imposing" and another black character who is actually just the boss charcater who you fight when all the others have been beaten because he is big and scary and imposing. I detect a subtle racism in these depictions. Not conscious, certainly but definitely those men are in those roles because of the physical threat they supposedly represent.

And yes they are certainly gods in name. I was just arguing that no one can say "A black man can't play that role!!!" on the internet because they aren't related to Norway in the film.

I gotcha.

I need to get back to a friend of mine who I feel has a pretty good taste in movies who said it was  the worst movie he had ever seen, even after I brought up the Mummy 3.  

I have a hard time taking criticism like that seriously.  Especially when so many, many people liked it.  That always smacks of "I'm going to say something controversial for the sake of standing out of the crowd." But hey, it's possible he didn't like it--even possible it was the worst HE'S ever seen.  But his taste in movies would be suspect to me after that.

Heck, I was among those who didn't think Idris Elba should have been cast as a norse god but I still think his performance was one of the best parts of the movie so it's easy for me to believe he was cast because he was awesome. Maybe he got the role because they loved his audition and what he brought to the character and the color of his skin had nothing to do with it.

I apologize for going off but this kind of searching and struggling to find racism lurking around every corner is one of the things I believe perpetuates the problem. If we want to make everything about racism, it's pretty easy to do but why do it?

Jim

I thought it was daft to have a black guy be a Norse god too, but since they've added in the extra-dimensional beings aspect, and like Mr. Raker proposes, these beings were interpreted as gods, then I can accept it. (I do wonder what the original Norse men thought when they saw a black guy standing at the entrance of Asgard though, given that none of THEM were black...)

But Jim, I think Steve-t's radar can stay active for the simple fact that racism keeps creeping in through all sorts of gates.  If not through this movie, we can still look at how many black characters have been disporoportionately killed off or "castrated" in Marvel since Civil War.  In my mind, if the Jewish nation can demand we never forget the Holocaust (and rightfully so) then I think blacks can keep the vigil on American racism too.  Much as I would LOVE it to go away, we only have to look at the current scrutiny on the President's life to see how far we are from an actual colorblind society.  (But hey, at least he DID get elected, so maybe we're not as far from it as I once feared we were.)

Viva la Geekdom and the dreams that propel us forward! Godspeed the day of true colorblindedness-ness!  

[Kenney]

I was talking to my buddy about Thor, and came to the conclusion that it wasn't as good as Iron Man 1, but better than Iron Man 2. It's great that it's in that level of Marvel movie, and nowhere near the train wrecks of Ghost Rider, Electra, or Daredevil. I give it a solid B, but I came out of the theater totally in love with Hemsworth's portrayal of Thor. He was about as good as you could hope, and the stuff with him on earth, being a fish out of water, was easily the high point of the movie for me. 

I think his costume looked pretty good, but the other costumes looked a little Batman Forever to me. I wish they went more Lord of the Rings with how they crafted the Asgardian look.

Idris Elba's Heimdall was easily the second dopest Asgardian. Homie was A BOSS! I thought he looked stupid in the trailer, but his whole shit totally worked in the movie. Idris already has a commanding voice, but I love that they bassed him up a bit. I really hope that in Thor 2 he gets into it a bit more.

[Jeppe]

And yes they are certainly gods in name. I was just arguing that no one can say "A black man can't play that role!!!" on the internet because they aren't related to Norway in the film.

I take offence to that comment! What about Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland?? 





Just kidding

[Jay Tomio]

I have a hard time taking criticism like that seriously.  Especially when so many, many people liked it.  That always smacks of "I'm going to say something controversial for the sake of standing out of the crowd." But hey, it's possible he didn't like it--even possible it was the worst HE'S ever seen.  But his taste in movies would be suspect to me after that.

I haven't seen the movie but I have hard time digesting Thor being a movie that one's reaction to dictates their taste. It would have be 100x better than Iron Man for that purpose. I know plenty of people who think Iron Man was okay until the ending which sucked ballz, making it a pretty uneventful experience overall. They seem to be normal people and I tend to agree with them, and further think Superhero films have a hard time with the third acts in general (I LOVED Batman Begins, and Nolan is supreme, but the third act was pretty garbage IMHO).

[JimN]

But Jim, I think Steve-t's radar can stay active for the simple fact that racism keeps creeping in through all sorts of gates.  If not through this movie, we can still look at how many black characters have been disporoportionately killed off or "castrated" in Marvel since Civil War.

How many black characters have been killed off or "castrated" (in what sense are you using that word—were their powers taken away or something?) in the Marvel universe since Civil War? I have no idea. However, whatever the number, I have to wonder if those choices were racially motivated. Is there a good reason to believe someone at Marvel wanted characters killed because they were black?

In my mind, if the Jewish nation can demand we never forget the Holocaust (and rightfully so) then I think blacks can keep the vigil on American racism too.

 

That's fine to a degree but there's a difference between being vigilant about actual racism and looking for it where it doesn't exist. It's too easy to go jousting at windmills and assume decisions are racially motivated when there are other, equally likely, explanations for them.

Jim

[Chris Campbell]

Stringer Bell was dope in this movie. 

[jdudley]

I've come to the conclusion that this simply isn't a movie for everyone. Thor—and particularly, Marvel's superhero version—as a concept simply isn't going to work for a large number of people.
Furthermore, this Kirby/Simonson version of the Asgardians is a bit much for most people to wrap their heads around and/or just roll with.

However, this is definitely ALL my bag and I loved the heck out of this film—and am happy to see that a great many others have felt the same way.

I can honestly say that this movie captured the feel of reading a Simonson Thor story and thus gave the film a wholly unique feel—watching it really felt like turning through the pages of a cosmic epic.

Very excited to see this version of Thor pairing with the Avengers!!

[Branagin77]

Thor was a great movie!!!  I really hope they all tie together well with the Avengers movie next year.  They could really screw it up if it's not done right, but I have faith in Joss... The Serenity movie was done pretty well 

[Steve-t]

But Jim, I think Steve-t's radar can stay active for the simple fact that racism keeps creeping in through all sorts of gates.  If not through this movie, we can still look at how many black characters have been disporoportionately killed off or "castrated" in Marvel since Civil War.  In my mind, if the Jewish nation can demand we never forget the Holocaust (and rightfully so) then I think blacks can keep the vigil on American racism too.  Much as I would LOVE it to go away, we only have to look at the current scrutiny on the President's life to see how far we are from an actual colorblind society.  (But hey, at least he DID get elected, so maybe we're not as far from it as I once feared we were.)

Viva la Geekdom and the dreams that propel us forward! Godspeed the day of true colorblindedness-ness!  

My radar remains active, I think keeping a healthy eye on these things will benefit us all in the end.

And it's worth saying that yes, some black characters have been treated badly by the Big 2, but through the decades I think Marvel and DC have both produced comics that have high-lighted racism and intolerance, and the consequences, and for those issues I think they should be commended.

[Steve-t]

Thor was a great movie!!!  I really hope they all tie together well with the Avengers movie next year.  They could really screw it up if it's not done right, but I have faith in Joss... The Serenity movie was done pretty well 

I thought that Serenity was a great film in terms of balancing a large cast, making an interesting story and giving us excitement. When I saw the "Thor will return in the Avengers" message my heart skipped a beat in anticipation!

[JimN]

My radar remains active, I think keeping a healthy eye on these things will benefit us all in the end.

Healthy is the key word there. Again, I mean no offense but looking for "racism" in the subtle, minute ways you seemed to be looking for it in the Thor movie doesn't seem healthy to me at all. It seems counter-productive. It's impossible for a society to become racially color blind if it's constantly focused on color.

Jim

[New Mutant]

How many black characters have been killed off or "castrated" (in what sense are you using that word—were their powers taken away or something?) in the Marvel universe since Civil War? I have no idea. However, whatever the number, I have to wonder if those choices were racially motivated. Is there a good reason to believe someone at Marvel wanted characters killed because they were black?
  

That's fine to a degree but there's a difference between being vigilant about actual racism and looking for it where it doesn't exist. It's too easy to go jousting at windmills and assume decisions are racially motivated when there are other, equally likely, explanations for them.

Jim

By "castrated" I mean having their prominence or relevance stripped down; ie Black Panther & Storm.

I don't think they have meetings where they discuss things like "Which blackie should we kill this month?" but I do think that when a story dictates that someone will die, someone in the seat of responsibility will look at the stable of characters and see the black one as a more viable candidate to be removed than others.  I do think something is set up in some minds to allow for that kind of passive racism.  Something subconscious that is more comfortable with doing away with people who are different ("the other") from the decision-maker responsible for the call.
I come to this conclusion based on simple history. It's a well-known joke to say 'the black guy is the first to die in the horror movie' but how did it come to be a joke? Because like all good jokes, it was based in truth.
Therefore I don't mind being vigilant to call it out wherever I suspect it, and I'll gladly take the risk of being wrong because in this case, being wrong would be good.  

[New Mutant]

Healthy is the key word there. Again, I mean no offense but looking for "racism" in the subtle, minute ways you seemed to be looking for it in the Thor movie doesn't seem healthy to me at all. It seems counter-productive. It's impossible for a society to become racially color blind if it's constantly focused on color.

Jim

You posted while I was writing so forgive me if I'm harping on this too much. I just think it'd be worth it to mention that racism itself isn't healthy so any attention we have to give to it is inherently unhealthy too, which is why we do it. Like being a vampire hunter. We take on an ugly job to eliminate the monsters. Somebody has to. And hopefully one day, it won't be necessary anymore.