What Do The Critics Say?

"Thor's digital trickery and pyrotechnics doesn't appear to faze Branagh, who balances the thrills of a summer blockbuster with tender romance and broad comedy. Chris Hemsworth possesses the imposing physical presence as the god of thunder, who is brought down to Earth to learn about humility. But he leaves the emotion to Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins. Action set pieces are orchestrated at breakneck pace and the digital effects are polished." Catherine Jones LIVERPOOL ECHO "A wonderful fantasy epic and one that can stand alone and attach to the Marvel onslaught of superhero cinematic entries storming theatres. "Thor" is a wonderful fantasy epic and one that can stand alone." Felix Vasquez Jr. CINEMA CRAZED "The writing's sharp, the story zips along, and the cast does a terrific job of bringing this fantasy adventure to life. Thor's hugely entertaining. It's hard not to get caught up in this story." Rebecca Murray ABOUT.COM "Delivers pretty much everything you could want from a Thor movie, thanks to a superb script, note-perfect direction from Kenneth Branagh, a terrific supporting cast and a charismatic, star-making central performance from Chris Hemsworth." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Of all Marvel comics, adapting Thor was always going to be the biggest challenge. For a start, he is less superhero and more actual god. He also spends as much time in the cosmic world of Asgard as he does on Earth. Where Iron Man 2 got bogged down in setting up The Avengers, Thor gets the balance right by nodding to the existence of Marvel's gang without hammering the point home. A brilliant addition to the Marvel world. He came, he Thor, he kicked some ass. UnThorgettable!" Alex Zane SUN ONLINE

"Hemsworth fully embodies Thor with all the energy, passion, arrogance and blundering foolery you'd come to expect from a mythical warrior who lands on Earth. He’s more Superman than Iron Man, without having to go through all the learning processes and adapting to life on Earth in a regular job. Perhaps that’s the appeal of Thor who crash-lands, quickly discovers his feet then gets on with the job." Lisa Giles-Keddie REAL COM "Rather than bang us over the head with that hammer, Hemsworth and Kenneth Branagh take a mischievous, light-hearted approach more in keeping with the Marvel Comic than ancient mythology." Stella Papamichael DIGITAL SPY "A boisterous, bustling spectacle that attempts to balance the onslaught of special-effects wizardry with some welcome touches of humour and humanity. All you can say is Thor, he’s a jolly good fellow." Allan Hunter DAILY EXPRESS "Forget Hamlet and Henry V, Kenneth Branagh puts Shakespeare behind him and gives us a hero with real clout. Comic-book geeks will lap up the muscular heroics and bruising battles." Jason Best MOVIE TALK "There is a healthy dose of cheese in this slightly campy superhero flick and it does well not to take itself too seriously. With an excellent cast and in the hands of director Kenneth Branagh, not only does Thor look cool, but it laughs at itself a few times and invites the audience along for the fun. Even Hemsworth hams it up nicely as the strutting, booming but recently impotent thunder god." Tim Martain THE MERCURY

The Inside Story In 1962, the now-legendary duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced The Mighty Thor to readers of Marvel Comics, unleashing a new era of action-adventure with their take on the hammer-wielding Norse god. Despite the somewhat odd-sounding names, the story was rooted in familiar, universal conflicts that have driven human drama since the beginning of time: a son impatient to prove his worth to his father; a lethally resentful brother; and a woman who helps a man see the world anew. Royal bloodlines, a deadly vendetta, pride that goes before a fall—in any world, these are stories well worth telling. A founding member of the super hero team known as "The Avengers", Thor emerged from the same Marvel Comics bullpen that had previously given rise to "Iron Man", "The Fantastic Four", "The X-Men" and "Spiderman". "Thor" motion picture producer and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige ("Iron Man") recalls, "Stan Lee tells the story that after he and Jack Kirby created these other heroes, they thought, 'Let’s do a god—and let’s bring a god down!' And in a brilliant move, he looked at Norse mythology: a lot of people were familiar with the Greek and Roman mythologies; not so much with the Norse. When you read those stories, it’s like the best of the Marvel Comics, because it’s people who are very human, despite their powers: despite their calling down the storm, the thunder and the lightning. They have family issues, in the two brothers fighting, Thor and Loki. It’s a family drama, and they’re just as flawed as any of us, or any of the Marvel heroes. hat’s what makes the Marvel characters so relatable. "On film, we’ve explored a lot of the ground-based Marvel heroes," Feige ("The Incredible Hulk") continued. "But it’s called the Marvel universe for a reason. It’s a big place, and we’re going to a cosmic level with 'Thor'. It was the 'larger than life' Thor that also captivated director Kenneth Branagh as a boy growing up in 1960s Belfast. "It rained a lot in Northern Ireland and could sometimes seem grayish. The color of the Marvel Comics covers would pop out from the book shelves, and The Mighty Thor was the one I was always drawn to." What was it that graabed his attention? "I liked its primal qualities; the connection to something ancient, the weaponry, the Stonehenge feel of the lettering, and the character’s sheer physical heft. He’s the first in line to fulfill that cliché of never asking anybody else to do what he wouldn’t do himself. In fact, half the time you’ve got to try and stop him from doing something you might never consider. Coincidentally, it is that very determined and headstrong nature that stands between Thor and succeeding his father as the King of Asgard. A celebrated physique and success in battle are not enough to prepare the prince for leading his people: flashes of anger, shortsighted decisions, rash actions, these are things that will prove the ultimate downfall to a king. They are also the traits that can and do make for the self-destruction of a human, even without the weight of a crown hanging in the balance. The success of the Marvel connection with Norse mythology is an understanding that the human dimension at the center of epic tales is the glue that holds everything together." So, in comic books they are imitating life?"When characters respond to situations the way one would, when they’re thrust into overwhelming situations and just can’t deal with it very easily, when there are trials and tribulations to overcome just like all of us deal with all the time: that’s real, that’s relatable. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire weapons manufacturer, or the son of Odin, if you’ve got these problems or issues to overcome, that makes you, essentially, one of us." 1996 & '07 Hugo Award winning screenwriter J Michael Straczynski and writer of Marvel’s "Thor" comic from July 2007 until November 2009, was thrilled that 1993 Michael Balcon BAFTA winner Branagh was chosen to direct the hero’s motion picture debut. "With his classical training and his grounding in language, Ken has the ability to make this both lofty and accessible. He can bring these gods down to where a person can understand them." And Feige's takes on why Branagh (who played Sir Alistair Dormandy in "The Boat That Rocked") was Marvel’s choice? "As has been pointed out by minds far greater than mine, comic books are modern-day mythology, and Ken Branagh is someone who can adapt literature in a way that no one else can. He is, at heart, a gifted storyteller, and that’s what we wanted, someone who can tell the story. Centuries ago, these tales were handed down around the fires. It’s really sort of the same today, only the fire is the light of the projector." Those involved in pre-production (and later, the actors given the task of breathing life into the Marvel characters) were given reference materials on the Vikings and Norse mythology along with their armload of comic books, with several novels thrown in for good measure (Hermann Hesse’s "Siddhartha", for one). Chris Hemsworth, the towering Aussie cast as Thor, revealed: "It was like a college course. I got books about people finding themselves and then coming to terms with the reality of their existence. Ken knew that these were relative to the story we were going to tell." "Thor’s nearly invulnerable," screenwriter Ashley Edward Miller ("X-Men: First Class") offered. "He’s supernaturally strong, he has the ability to fly and he is gifted with a great hammer that controls the storms. As the prince and golden boy, he’s never heard the word 'no' and he’s been allowed to do practically everything he’s ever wanted to do. Now, at the point in the other stories where the hero is bitten by a spider or hit by a gamma blast, Thor is stripped of every quality and possession that makes him what he believes he is. And on top of that, he is banished to a strange place. That makes him a displaced prince who is now a pauper: so, he’s one of us." Yeh, right! "One of us if we happen to be built and look like a god, walking around a desert in New Mexico. the same desert research scientist, Jane Foster, is conducting fieldwork on some unexplainable phenomena in the night sky. "Jane is very focused on her research," says Oscar® winner Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), who plays Foster. "She’s probably on the fringe of astrophysics, because she believes in things that a lot of her colleagues might find nutty. His arrival seems to demonstrate things she supposes to be true." "Thor learns through Foster how much humans are capable of," says screenwriter Zack Stentz ("Agent Cody Banks"). "It’s one of the best facets of human nature: when we find ourselves pushed to the wall and all hope is lost, that sometimes, that’s when we find the measure of who we are; those can be our greatest moments. This is where Thor is transformed, this is his journey. He is this close to packing it in, because he’s not who he used to be. But then, he discovers what he can be." Hemsworth recalles: "Ken said very early on that fathers and sons are what this is about. The backdrop is a film about gods, but at the core, it’s about human beings." Mythic though they may be, the films characters were cast using mere human beings. "Chris Hemsworth looks like a super hero," says executive producer and Marvel originator Stan Lee. "Dressed as Thor, he looks like he has the maturity and wisdom to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders." "We decided to go for the actor who fit the part best, whether or not anyone knew him, because the character itself is a marquee name," says Feige ("Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer"). "We read dozens and dozens of people, and did screen tests with four or five. At the end, there was no question, it was Chris. He has a presence, he has humor, and he can deliver these lines in a way that you believe. You care about him, and that is what makes somebody watchable." "Chris is the real deal," says veteran stunt coordinator Andy Armstrong ("The Green Hornet"). "He’s in that rare category where all the women find him very attractive, and yet every guy relates to him, too. He’s as tough and full-throttle as any stunt man: a modern version of a 1950s film star like Robert Mitchum." After acting with Hiddleston on stage, in a radio play and in the 2009 & '10 BAFTA TV Award winning series "Wallander", Branagh was well aware of the actors range. "We needed someone with terrific versatility and an utter lack of fear about being the many different kinds of personalities that Loki becomes. Tom is also a wonderful blend with Chris. Both big lads, they feel like brothers, with the right kind of contrasting and complimentary qualities." And Tho's love interest? "We wanted Jane, the most famous early love interest of Thor, to be part of his origin story. In the original comics, she’s a nurse. We wanted to update her and make her a doctor who, while at school, became far more interested in astrophysics than she was in anatomy. But clearly, we needed someone beautiful who could also fit the mould. A clearly intelligent and powerful woman. So early on, as we were compiling lists of people to audition, we just kept describing her as having that Natalie Portman quality," Feig notes. So how did Portman make it into "Thor" Some genius stated the bleeding obvious. "Well, why don’t we ask her?" And they did! Stellan Skarsgård ("Angels & Demons") was cast as Dr Erik Selvig. "The project, for me, was attractive for several reasons. First of all, it was working with Ken that really brought me to the project. Then I heard that I would mainly be working with Natalie." With acting legend Sir Anthony Hopkins cast as Odin (the aging king and Thor’s father), the stakes were heightened for the young cast, particularly Hemsworth. While filming the big father/son confrontation, Branagh said to Hopkins: "Let it affect you. Be upset. I dare you." The Oscar® winning actor thought for a second and replied: "Okay, good idea." That left Hemsworth thinking: "Oh my gosh, what is he going to do now? So we start the scene again and I make my entrance. I come in, start doing my thing, and he’s just silent. His eyes start to well up. He’s the father who’s hurt and disappointed that his son has disrespected him, and dishonored the family, the kingdom and everything they’ve stood for. And you realize it’s tearing his heart out. When they called 'Cut!', people were crying. Then the crew started applauding and I remember thinking, 'That’s amazing and I’m useless. I may as well drop this hammer and leave. But those are the moments you live for in this business." Rene Russo ("Outbreak") plays Odin's wife, Frigga. "I hadn’t really done anything in about three years, and this project came to me. I thought it would be a bit of a challenge, but I also thought it would be a blast. In the end, I thought, 'Okay, I’m a Queen, and it’s working with Kenneth Branagh. How cool is that?' It was a challenge, but it was fun. Sounds like a great day at work for me!" Colm Feore, plays Laufey, the leader of the Frost Giants: "a mix of Tony Hopkins, filtered through Max von Sydow, with a little bit of Paul Scofield thrown in for good measure!" What's It All About?

The Mighty Thor is a powerful but arrogant, young warrior whose reckless actions, despite the advice of his father, breaks a long standing peace pact and reignites an ancient war. As a result, Thor is stripped of all his rights and banished from the mystical realm of Asgardto. Thor is sent to Earth, minus his hammer, where he is forced to live among humans, until he regains his humility and realizes the error of his ways. Meanwhile, out in the desert, Professor Andrews, Jane and Darcy, using equipment they have developed, continue their search for Worm Holes. Suddenly the night sky opens up and Thor crashes to the ground. They take the young man to a nearby hospital unaware of who he is and that secret agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. are about to change their lives. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

The Verdict "Welcome to Marvel® world. A wonderful, mysterious and mythical netherland into which we can all (at one time or another), escape to. A fantasy netherland where comic book heroes battle to save, us mere mortals, from the darkest of evil characters and the most terrifying forces imaginable. A glorious dreamworld where we can become an indestructable hero who saves the world or a mythical God who commands the elements. The latest Marvel® comic book character to receive a big-screen makeover is Thor, the son of the god Odin. A pagan God, who in Germanic and Norse folklore, was associated with (amongst other things), thunder and lightning. He also carried a rather large hammer known as the Mjöllnir (crusher), which he often used to pulverize mountains and belt the living daylights out of his enemies. It appears Thor also had a taste for Goat meat. While his name rarely comes up these days, mainly because our generation has more impressives gods to worship: the greatest of which appears to be; Mamón (often refered to as 'the love of money'), Thor is still a part of modern society through the fourth day of the week: Thorsday (a.k.a. Thursday). Without sounding biased, I must say, "Thor" is one of the most outstanding comic book characters I've seen on the bigscreen, and that's not because 'aussie' Chris Hemsworth plays him. For me, Hemsworth's Thors is everything you'd expect the mighty God to be: the physique, the stature, the golden locks and a voice that sometimes sounds like the rumble of distant thunder. There is much to like in "Thor" and that includes Anthony Hopkins role as Thor's father, Odin. When Hemsworth and Hopkins go 'toe to toe': the theatre shakes. The special effects work a treat but I wasn't impressed with the 3D. In "Iron Man 2" cinemagoers were introduced to S.H.I.E.L.D. In "Thor" the covert agency has a wider role. The supporting cast gets a big tick. Great stuff! 4 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Chris Hemsworth Tom Hiddleston Anthony Hopkins Colm Feore Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgård Kat Dennings Ray Stevenson Idris Elba Rene Russo Jaimie Alexander Clark Gregg Jeremy Renner Tadanobu Asano Josh Dallas Adriana Barraza Dakota Goyo Josh Coxx

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Thor Loki Odin Laufey Jane Foster Professor Andrews Darcy Volstagg Heimdall Frigga Sif Agent Phil Coulson Clint Barton/Hawkeye Hogun Fandral Isabel Alvarez Young Thor Hailstrum

The Production Team Directed by Kenneth Branagh Screenplay by Ashley Edward Miller/Zack Stentz/Don Payne From a story by J. Michael Straczynski and Mark Protosevich From the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee/Larry Lieber/Jack Kirby Produced by Kevin Feige Original Music by Patrick Doyle Director of Photography Haris Zambarloukos Film Editing by Paul Rubell Casting by Sarah Finn & Randi Hiller Production Design by Bo Welch Art Direction by Pierre Buffin/Joe Ceballos/Kasra Farahani Art Direction by Luke Freeborn/Sean Haworth/A. Todd Holland Supervising Art Director Maya Shimoguchi Set Decoration by Lauri Gaffin Costume Design by Alexandra Byrne Run Time 115 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.