Did you expect anything than an (almost) Box Office Bonanza for THOR? We sit with the Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Kenneth Branagh on what hay took away from the experience of the film, plus Kevin Ferge talks about how these little things lead to THE AVENGERS.
Think THE AVENGERS will work as a big movie project? Drop us a comment below!
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For a Marvel movie geek, three things were inevitable about Thor: 1) The Stan Lee cameo scene, 2) the post-end credits scene, and 3) nitpicking. Nitpicking is going to happen with any comic book related movie, and I’ve grudgingly accepted it as a necessary evil that certain sacrifices would need to be made in any translation of a story from one medium to another. Thus, certain things will have to be overlooked IF the end result is successful.
Marvel’s version of Thor in its many incarnations has tread a delicate balance of Norse mythology and something flashy thanks to Jack Kirby’s glorious art. In Kenneth Branagh’s movie adaptation of Thor, there are elements of the Prodigal Son, Arthurian mythology, and of course, grounding in Marvel history.
For his arrogance and defiance of his father Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins), King of otherworldly Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is stripped of his considerable power and warhammer Mjolnir and banished to Earth. Making matters worse, his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is beginning to discover things about himself, and let’s say he starts some trouble, now that Odin is in a coma. While on earth, Thor is tricked into believing that his father is dead (and three guesses as to who tricked him).
There was the requisite love interest in Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a scientist investigating atmospheric anomalies. As with recent Marvel movies, the shadowy government agency SHIELD was behind the scenes, and this being a Summer movie, there was the requisite amount of wholesale property damage.
While formulaic, Thor is refreshingly entertaining. Comic book movies rely heavily upon reverence for and adherence to the source material. The result must look and more importantly feel like the comic books. Kenneth Branagh’s Thor succeeds and entertains although the progression from arrogant bastard to superhero wasn’t deep enough, and I could have done without Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), Dr. Jane Foster’s ultra-annoying assistant.
If you still have no idea what the movie’s about, here’s a brief featurette:
The 20011 Summer Movie barrage is now officially underway and first up to bat – one of the most beloved Marvel Comic legends, Thor. It was no easy task translating decades of comics into a visual project and we talk to the cast and director about how each one of them faced that challenge. Natalie Portman, Kenneth Branagh and Chris Hemsworth all join us for our exclusive coverage right here.
Ok – you saw THOR? Did it hit the mark? Drop us a comment below!
This week, [[[Thor]]] comes to theaters! With a director like Kenneth Branagh, stars such as Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins, and rave reviews happening from advanced screenings, many fans old and new can’t wait for this latest film from Marvel Studios and Paramount. It stars Thor, god of thunder, who in the Marvel Universe divides his time between living in Asgard, traveling through other dimensions, and acting as a superhero on Earth.
Over the years, Thor’s had some pretty epic adventures. So let’s take a look at six tales that any new Thor fan should check out.
“BUT DR. BLAKE CAN DIE!”
Thor vol. 1 #145-153
For his impudence, Thor is banished to Earth without his powers. As he continues to act as a superhero as best he can, Thor’s allies plead to Odin, the All-Father, to return his son’s full abilities. This story keeps building up the stakes as Thor’s sometimes lover and constant ally Sif inhabits the powerful Destroyer armor. Meanwhile, Loki arrives to make another bid for power and Ulik the troll shows up to cause more trouble. Elsewhere, Hela, goddess of death, watches and waits. An epic storyline that highlights both Thor and Don Blake as heroes and is a classic tale of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby days.
If you can’t wait two weeks for Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, we have a surprise for you. This is the post credit sequence at the end of the movie– the quality isn’t great and we’re looking for a better one, but you can figure out a whole lot.
Seriously, we aren’t kidding: if you don’t want to see what happens in this sequence, don’t view it, as it gives clues that lead us up to Marvel’s upcoming films Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers.
You’ve been warned.
[viddler id=a379c3a7&w=545&h=349]
Thanks to the guys at The Flickcast.
We, the fair and proud gentlemen of mirth, aka Comic Book Enthusiasts, have a new reason to celebrate forthwith! The mighty gods from the House of Ideas has given birth to a new trailer for their forthcoming magical visage of the thunder god himself. Yay, my brethren, Marvel hath beseech-ed unto us several minutes of the mighty Thor in action. Behold, through the power of the interwebsphere… and the arcane magicks of “embedded code”… THOR! (Cue the lightning. Wait. We don’t have lightning? Come on! I’m trying to set the mood here. What do you mean the mic is still on? I don’t believe you. Wait. Oh crap. Just play the danged video now, OK?)
Marvel Studios has essentially confirmed that the production drawings for the costumes circulating online this week are accurate. So, we present a look at how Chris Hemsworth will appear as the God of Thunder, Thor, and Chris Evans will be seen as the Star-Spangled Avenger.
Nikki Finke breaks the rumor:
Chris Hemsworth, a virtual unknown to American audiences, had just been approved to play the lead role in Thor
by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the film’s director Kenneth
Branagh. Hemsworth can currently be seen as “George Kirk” in J.J.
Abrams’ Star Trek reboot and also just snagged the lead in Red Dawn for United Artists last Thursday. (He’s currently filming Joss Whedon’s horror flick Cabin In The Woods
for UA, and I heard the studio was so hot on him that’s why it cast
Hemsworth in the action pic.) The 25-year-old hunk played “Kim Hyde” on
171 episodes of Home and Away, the successful Oz TV series where Heath Ledger started. Marvel Studios has scheduled Thor
for a May 20, 2011, release. The way Chris Hemsworth got the part of
Thor is one of those great Hollywood stories that happens only once in
a blue moon.
She goes on to explain how he (allegedly) got the part:
[ROAR Management partner William Ward] had
found Chris during one of the manager’s many scouting trips to
Australia. Ward brought him to Los Angeles and really put him out there
to casting directors and production executives. As for the major
agencies, I hear CAA passed on the meeting, Endeavor took it but passed
on repping him, and ICM was interested but dragged their feet. But
Ilene Feldman understood his appeal immediately.Chris
had read for the part of Thor but wasn’t given a test because a casting
director had nixed him early on. I’m told Chris’ younger brother Liam
(who’s also a ROAR client) then tested for the role of Thor, but Marvel
Studios President Kevin Feige passed. Then, after a conversation with
Ward (“You’ve got to reconsider Chris, he’s your guy”), Feige decided
to let Chris read again. And once Marvel put him on tape, it was “Oh my
god”. Branagh came to town last week and saw the Chris test and made
the final casting decision today.What a week for Chris since, on Thursday, UA picked him as the Red Dawn
lead. Brother Liam, who’s only been in Los Angeles for 3 weeks and
doesn’t even have an agent yet, just got cast the male lead in Last Song
opposite Miley Cyrus in the Disney film based on the Nicholas Sparks
novel. Both brothers live in William Ward’s guest house. Unreal!
I thought he was great as George Kirk in Star Trek— short scene, but very powerful.
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