(You probably already know who.)
Thor isn't a straight-up adaptation of Norse mythology; it's an adaptation of Marvel Comic's adaptation of Norse mythology. So obviously it's not very close to the original myths. I'm not a comics fan so I can't say how close it sticks to the comics, but other people's remarks make me think it's a loose adaptation of them too.
Every so often you find a film that is just average on its own, but has a character/a plot/a song (if it's a musical)/a scene that you fall in love with. Thor is one of those films. I frankly couldn't care less about Thor's romance with Jane, and his quest to get back to Asgard is interesting but not enough to hold my attention. Every time I watch this film (and I've seen it dozens of times), it's because of Loki.
I'm pretty sure absolutely everyone knows the actors, so I won't even bother listing them. Instead I'll go straight to the plot. Not the entire plot, just the important parts.
The story begins Jane trying to get photos of a storm, only for a man to appear out of nowhere and hit her van. Then it flashes back to the events leading to this situation.
Odin, King of Asgard, tells his young sons, Thor and Loki, about a war between the Æsir and Jötnar/Frost Giants.
Young Loki, young Thor, and Odin
Then we jump forward about a thousand years. Thor and Loki are now adults, and Thor is about to be crowned King of Asgard. The ceremony is interrupted when a group of Frost Giants sneak into Asgard. Thor, egged on by Loki, takes some of his friends and goes to Jötunheim in retaliation. A fight breaks out. And in the middle of it, Loki is grabbed by a Jötunn... and sees his skin inexplicably turn blue.
The moment that set Loki on his path to villainy. Poor Loki 😢
Odin rescues Thor and co., then promptly banishes Thor for nearly starting a war. Thor ends up on Earth, where he crashes into Jane's van.
Loki, back on Asgard, discovers that he is a Jötunn. Not just any Jötunn, but the son of King Laufey. He takes this revelation... pretty badly. Just to make things worse, Odin -- in a display of spectacularly bad parenting -- has raised him to hate and fear Jötnar.
Result: Loki goes off the deep end. He decides the best way to cope with this is to nearly murder Thor, and try to destroy Jötunheim.
It doesn't end well for poor Loki. In fact, it ends in attempted suicide, and him becoming a full-fledged villain 😭
Result: Loki goes off the deep end. He decides the best way to cope with this is to nearly murder Thor, and try to destroy Jötunheim.
It doesn't end well for poor Loki. In fact, it ends in attempted suicide, and him becoming a full-fledged villain 😭
Don't let go, don't let go... NOOOOO! 😭😭
The film ends with Asgard cut off from Earth thanks to Loki's actions. But after the credits there's a scene that reveals Loki is still alive, and on Earth. I'd cheer, but considering what he's on Earth to do...
So, what do I think of it overall?
Thor's plot is pretty average and predictable. And to make things worse, I can't think of a single scene where his romance with Jane feels natural. Every time they interact it's painfully obvious that this subplot is here just because the director/script writer/producer/whoever thought the film needed a romance subplot and didn't care if it was believable.
Loki, on the other hand, is the greatest character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's tragic, he's losing his mind, and I feel so sorry for him even when he's trying to blow up a planet. This is one of the reasons why I'm not the biggest fan of Loki's characterisation in later films, incidentally. From The Avengers onward he stops being a tragic villain and becomes just a villain. A fascinating, amusing villain, but a much less sympathetic one.
Is it available online?: Probably, but I'm not sure where. I've heard it's on Netflix, but I don't have Netflix so I don't know if that's still true or not.
Rating: 5/10 for the plot, and 8/10 for Loki.
So, what do I think of it overall?
Thor's plot is pretty average and predictable. And to make things worse, I can't think of a single scene where his romance with Jane feels natural. Every time they interact it's painfully obvious that this subplot is here just because the director/script writer/producer/whoever thought the film needed a romance subplot and didn't care if it was believable.
Loki, on the other hand, is the greatest character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's tragic, he's losing his mind, and I feel so sorry for him even when he's trying to blow up a planet. This is one of the reasons why I'm not the biggest fan of Loki's characterisation in later films, incidentally. From The Avengers onward he stops being a tragic villain and becomes just a villain. A fascinating, amusing villain, but a much less sympathetic one.
Is it available online?: Probably, but I'm not sure where. I've heard it's on Netflix, but I don't have Netflix so I don't know if that's still true or not.
Rating: 5/10 for the plot, and 8/10 for Loki.
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