Thor

“And though we have fallen into mans myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe.”

Kingdom of Asgard

Nominated for four Academy Awards (two for directing, one for writing, and one for acting) Kenneth Branagh (director: Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing; actor: Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Valkyrie to name a few) has been called the “Lawrence Olivier of his generation” for his work transcribing some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays to the screen. 

Maybe it’s all those years reading great literature that allows Branagh to succeed in a genre where directors with access to equally stunning visual affects and well-known actors (think Clash of the Titans) could not. 

Branagh on the set for Thor

In his latest film, Branagh takes a respite from the oft-quoted works of the Bard and reaches for something more ancient: Norse mythology. He succeeds and gives us a fantastical action film just as we like it. 

But don’t get out your Poetic Edda just yet, Thor isn’t just Norse mythology. The god of thunder is now one of Marvel Studios’ Avengers, predicted to pal up with Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America and other butt-kicking buddies. 

Thor and his brother Loki...or so we thought

No need to expound on the plot, just know that there are the usual elements: favored son, jealous son, attractive astrophysicist, evil neighboring kingdom of frost-giants, and of course, the interfering government agents who want to hide all evidence of the supernatural. Now throw in a magic hammer (don’t worry it bounces back like a very heavy boomerang) named Mjölnir and you get something above the average multi-million dollar my-powers-are-better-than-your-powers” showdown. It turn’s out that Thor has some depth. Themes and characters that might have otherwise felt stale and even comical are executed with style and competence. This is one summer movie that will have you shouting, in the words of the coffee-mug-smashing son of Odin “I like it. Another!” 

NY Times reviewer A.O. Scott complained about the number of cliches in the film, calling it "axiomatically bad"(read the suicide-threatening bashing here).  Yes, yes, there is nothing outrageously original about Marvel’s rendition of a pre-13th century Norse myth (not to mention that Asgard does somewhat resemble a golden Emerald City). But then again, we aren’t looking for non-cliches in a movie such as Thor. Myths and fairy tales are up to their wizard beards in cliches. That's not an excuse to slack when it comes to making a movie, but rather an invitation to make the genre shine to its epic fullest. And by the gods, Branagh pulls it off with a bang. 

Anthony Hopkins as Odin

Branagh’s deities are as anthropomorphically god-like as Homer and Co. would have us imagine. Chris Hemsworth (last seen as James Kirk’s father in Star Trek...don’t worry, gods can do that) balances his character perfectly. Thor is charming and funny enough for us to believe Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) could fall for him, but still dignified and threatening enough to be future king of Asgard. 

"I've loved you since you first fell from the sky..."

The ability to restrain their powers allows for good gods and bad gods. Thus, in the mythological tradition, the divine realm mirrors our own, except that they can blast themselves between galaxies at will. When you think about it, maybe even this isn’t so far from the innovations of humanity. Thor says that magic is only an ancient name for  science. Perhaps the reason the powers of the gods mirror our scientific triumphs is that they themselves are our inventions, and the reflections of our dreams. Thor concludes with a human searching the heavens for something she desires, some trace of the supernatural, some spark of magic: just another thing Branagh gets right.