Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:25 am**

Posted: **Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:14 pm**

Looks promising.

I assume the black haired guy is Loki. Love how they play him off as a sympathetic brother in that trailer.

Posted: **Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:16 pm**

Some folks are pissed that Heimdall is black.

Who gives a shit?

I like how the article talks about how upset these people are that a black guy is playing a white character who never actually existed.

So was Jesus black or white?

Posted: **Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:01 pm**

Being black doesn't bother me but this just seems to be pandering by the film makers. No big surprise and if the black actor was the best person to audition for the role then he should have gotten the part but it does seem lame to throw the token black guy in.

Posted: **Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:34 am**

He was good on The Office.

He reminded me of Twayne the Bone Raper.

Edited By Leisher on 1293168915

Posted: **Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:04 pm**

Posted: **Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:11 pm**

Leisher wrote:

More like the woman of science in my pants.

Posted: **Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:27 pm**

Doesn't War look like Liv Tyler?

Posted: **Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:33 pm**

I agree.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 9:39 am**

Why does this chain show up on the third page of results when I search for "Thor"?

Minor spoilers in the summary of the plot.

Anyway, on a whim I wound up seeing this at some point over the last day or two, probably when I should have been doing something else.

A very solid film dealing with a very difficult character to make interesting.

Thor is a tough sell as a stand alone character. He's very powerful, which means you'll have a tough time finding villains for him to fight. He's also drowned in mythology, and that doesn't lend itself to telling stories in the modern world. Thor is simply a dated character. Marvel has always had trouble selling his books, yet fans love him.

He is at his best when he's with the Avengers, of which he's a "founding member". That's why you're getting a Thor movie right now, and a Captain America movie in two months. The Avengers has started shooting, and will be out next year (staring Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, etc.).

Back to this film, the beginning of the film is really oddly done. It begins in the present day in Midgard (Earth) before showing a flashback in Asgard detailing how the present day event here occurred, and then moves strictly forward from there. They could have simply started in Asgard and then tied it into the opening scene. I guess they wanted to make sure folks saw Natalie Portman right away?

Speaking of Natalie Portman, she is gorgeous in this film and gives a really good performance. You can tell that she really got into this role. She plays a scientist who is more concerned with her job than any social life until she's face to face with a god.

Back to the story, Thor gets to play fish out of water with all the humans thinking him to be insane, but too hot to simply send away or be considered a threat. I wish that last sentence was false, but the part of the story that has Thor ending up as a member of Portman's little group is thin. To their credit, the filmmakers make a few subtle jokes about this fact.

Anyway, while Thor is on Earth, the bad guys are plotting against Odin and Asgard.

The story involving the Asgard side of things is strong and not as boring as I expected (I'm not a big fan of the mythology part of Thor.). The relationship between Odin and his sons, Loki and Thor, is exactly what you expect. The Warriors Three and Sith are not a huge part of the film, but they're there and do a decent job.

The biggest surprise is Heimdall. I don't know if they took liberties with his character or if they played him closer to mythology, but his character played a huge role, and was pretty cool. The guy playing him did a really good job.

I was also impressed with Loki's character throughout. He can be tough to write, but they did a good job.

The entire cast seemed to have a lot of fun with this film, and the performances reflect that. I can't think of a single person who "phoned it in" or even provided a mediocre performance.

The dude playing Thor was great, and I think he's just shot himself towards the A list with Star Trek and Thor.

An excellent film that's not quite up to Iron Man's rock star feeling, but that's ok because that's not Thor. I think it could have used a bit more action, but the plot, acting, effects, etc. were all very strong.

8 out of 10.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 9:46 am**

Because it sorts by date?

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 10:53 am**

It is listed by date. Did that change? How have I never noticed that before? Why would by date be the default instead of relevance?

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 11:25 am**

I think it's always been the default.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 11:57 am**

That's odd. No wonder I've always thought the search function on this board sucked. I wonder if we can change it? I'll have to check during lunch.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 12:36 pm**

Whoa, Thor was directed by Kenneth Branagh? Really? That's ... that seems very odd.

Now I have to see it. I through Branagh only did Shakespeare.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 12:55 pm**

They probably drove an assload of cash up to his house. Ken seems well off, but not well off enough to turn down an inflated paycheck for something that could reel in hundreds of millions.

Posted: **Sat May 14, 2011 1:01 am**

Saw it, liked it. A couple plot points seemed a little thin, but eh, probably helped with the pacing.

I also liked Loki's character.

They really missed a chance to show Natalie Portman in some skimpy sleepwear when in her trailer in bed reading. Booo.

Posted: **Sat May 14, 2011 1:04 am**

Oh, and was "Hawkeye" the funny dude with the bow and arrow? I really have no idea who Hawkeye is outside The Last of the Mohicans.

Or M*A*S*H.

Posted: **Sat May 14, 2011 1:33 am**

GORDON wrote:Oh, and was "Hawkeye" the funny dude with the bow and arrow? I really have no idea who Hawkeye is outside The Last of the Mohicans.

Or M*A*S*H.

Was he wearing a crappy purple outfit? If so that was hawkeye.

Posted: **Sat May 14, 2011 10:48 am**

It was Hawkeye, and no, he was not sporting the purple.

Did you stick around after the credits? I forgot to mention that Sam Jackson shows up and they hint at the plot and a villain for the Avengers movie.