Thor Set To Thunder Into Cinemas

Belfast-born Kenneth Branagh's take on comic-book superhero, Thor is the latest Marvel adaptation and follows Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk to the big screen, writesJames Gracey.

It depicts the adventures of the Norse god of thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant young warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war.

As a result, Thor is stripped of his powers and banished to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), where he is forced to live among humans, including astrophysicists Jane and Prof Andrews (Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgård).

When his villainous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) sends dark forces to invade Earth, Thor must learn what it takes to be a true hero and put things right, both on earth, and back home in Asgard.

Cue dramatic music, titan fisticuffs and much anguished emoting. In 3D!

As a comic book adaptation, Thor has a vast mythology to play with, and while the story only scratches the surface of the rich tapestry of Norse legends and tales, director Kenneth Branagh still excels in creating whole worlds to let the epic story sprawl out within.

Although the plot is the most basic imaginable, clocking in at just over two hours, Thor has an epic feel that belies the simplicity of the story, thanks in part to Branagh's larger than life, bombastic direction.

He deploys all the illusory smoke and mirror techniques available to him, such as impressive CGI storms, battles and explosions to distract us from the fact that this film is essentially just intended as a basic introduction to the titular character and mythos; a mere prelude to next year's The Avengers.

Branagh might seem an odd choice to direct such an action-packed film, but considering the almost Shakespearian themes of familial dysfunction, sibling rivalry, father-son schisms, treachery and blood-soaked revenge that course through the tale, he is actually quite fitting.

He handles the scenes of melodrama well and his camera is rarely static; it moves in and around the actors, thrusting the audience right into the thick of things. The action scenes are where he really excels though, as the camera swoops over buildings, through electrical storms, over landscapes and in and out of clusters of nebula. While the film was only 3D-ified in post-production, and the process doesn’' really lend the story anything, save for perhaps the astounding shots of the Norse kingdoms of Asgard and Jötunheimr, Thor still impresses with beautiful cinematography, brisk pacing and a thunderous score by Patrick Doyle.

Many of the actors merely phone in their performances, but because they are all of such high calibre – particularly Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgård - they still compel effortlessly, and a few even manage to deliver cheesy crowd-pleasing one-liners with just the right amount of tongue in cheek.

As the eponymous character, Chris Hemsworth plays his fish out of water part with a wink and wry conviction, while Tom Hiddleston adds a dark pathos to the evil god of mischief, Loki.

Yes it is overblown and at times as heavy-handed as Thor's hammer, but thanks to a compelling story, zealous direction and a solid cast, Thor is an endlessly entertaining summer blockbuster romp, more 'blood and thunder' than 'storm in teacup.

Thor is released 27th April 2011

Certificate 12a

(JG/BMcC)