Thor on DVD and Blu-ray

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Thor is a tough movie to evaluate. On the one hand whenever I am confronted with the overrated Natalie Portman as the star of a show, I feel like sprinting in the other direction like a hermaphroditic Olympic runner. She is lifeless, dull, and brutally unattractive (my personal opinion largely colored by her ruinous performance as Princess Amidala). On the flipside, Thor is directed by the magnificent Shakespearean actor/director Sir Kenneth Branagh. It is littered with references to Norse mythology which is both didactic and fascinating, and the majority of the acting is superb (here's looking at you Kat Dennings!). Moreover, Thor is spectacular in 3D and in high definition. Its special effects will be and have been infrequently paralleled.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is being groomed for leadership. Odin has great providence and forward vision for his first born son and heir apparent. Unfortunately the pot is stirring and Thor is being led astray from his rational sensibilities. Odin's adopted second son, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is a brilliant schemer. He exercises the power of his mind while Thor predominantly relies on his physical brutality and sublime sense of honor to achieve victory. On the cusp of being coroneted, uninvited assassins and thieves from Jotunheim (home world of the Jutens) enter their realm of Asgard. These giant ice demons, known as the "Frost Giants", are trying to recapture their ultimate source of power. Their godlike power nearly unleashed an ice age on all of Earth, one of the primary realms within their reach.

In this Marvel Comics adaptation of the Terran (earth/earthlings) mythology of Norse gods and Viking warriors, Asgard is a magical world deep within infinite space and Thor and Odin are demi-gods gifted with nearly unlimited powers. Chief among their powers is the ability to travel across the "Bi-Frost" bridge/gateway to other worlds. The Bi-Frost bridge is glorious, scintillating, and literally out of this world!

Normally the Asgardians (sic) are peacemakers and keepers of the universe, but the invasion of their home wreaks havoc on their temperaments. Thor believes their incursion, no matter how minor, must not go unpunished as it is a litmus test of Asgard’s will to defend its borders. Although the invaders interrupted his coronation, Odin had already granted him the hammer of power. The hammer does not appear to be omnipotent being a relatively short and moderately sized weapon, but in the hands of its rightful possessor, it can unleash unparalleled numinous powers.

Thor disobeys his father and ignores the ostensibly sage advice of his brother Loki and invades the giant ice demons' world. Odin is experienced enough to understand the value of patience and pragmatism and finds himself disappointed by Thor's brashness. Little do they realize that Loki is the villain behind the scenes manipulating them both into feeling at odds and ultimately separates them at a critical moment. Despite Thor and his closest friends' derring-do in the other realm, Odin is disgruntled by their urge to avenge Asgard's ephemeral vulnerability. Thor is cast aside to Earth to be powerless and hammerless until he learns the true essence of what it means to be a kind and to be a wielder of such a powerful weapon.

Meanwhile, in Thor's absence, Loki wreaks havoc in the kingdom. He strikes a deal with the ice demons allowing them to invade Asgard in a plot to murder Odin in his slumber. It turns out Loki himself is a Frost Giant, only a pygmy in comparison to his brethren. On Earth, Thor is hell-bent on recapturing Odin’s hammer and reclaiming his rightful place as the fearless leader of Asgard.

Along the way, Thor is helped by three ingenious scientists, Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), and his surrogate daughter Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Professor Selvig is overprotective of Jane who falls utterly in love with Thor. Who can blame her as he is more chiseled than an ice sculpture after spending six months at the permafrost gym. He is better sculpted than the statue of David, but that is the point, he is Thor, Norse demi-god and invincible leader. Darcy provides the comic relief with dimwitted pop-culture jokes at the perfect moments. She is adorable. The film develops into Thor's struggle to reinvent himself as a wise and smart hero capable of leading his people to into great times. He will find only tragedy and disappointment, but ultimately becomes the hero his father always dreamed he would be.

I have to hand it to Kenneth Branagh. He chose a virtually random cadre of actors and still managed to direct a nearly flawless motion picture (that lonely flaw being the casting of Natalie Portman as the lead). Portman's gushing girlishness is hard to stomach, as is her lack of chemistry with any man she has EVER been cast with in a film. She is man repellent. Chris Hemsworth is both charming and convincing as Thor and I would welcome his return should a second film be commissioned. Kat Denning has found a nice niche for herself as a colorful supporting actress. She flourishes in that capacity. Thor is a very nice treat; a film that is equal measures intelligent and exciting. I highly recommend you watch it. That's all folks