Chris Hemsworth was ace as the brick wall that is Thor, playing the loving son and brother and the mighty warrior perfectly, a performance that could easily have been cheesy in another actor's less capable hands, but the newcomer that had the most profound effect on me was the brilliant Tom Hiddleston. He played the scheming, intelligent, devious and loving Loki to perfection. As he says himself, he just can't hide his intelligence.
Hiddleston originally auditioned for the role of Thor in January 2009 (after gaining 20 pounds of muscle) and made the final 5, but Hemsworth beat him to it. The casting directors claim that he was always auditioning for the role of Loki, although he didn't know it at the time!
In a way, this is as much an origin movie for Loki as it is for Thor. In the beginning, Loki and Thor are just two brothers, brains and brawn, until Loki learns something about himself that shocks him and his world is turned upside down, turning his mischief into malevolence.
There's also a bit of comedy thrown in, along with a great action fight-scene (I'm not into fighting, war or too much action but I loved this) and a trip to Earth from Asgard, Thor's Realm.
The movie stays true to the original Marvel comics, and the attention to detail is fantastic. If you're interested in Superhero movies I'd definitely reccomend it, and even if they're not quite your thing, go along for Hiddleston's performance, which is phenomenal. Boiled down to the basics, it's really about a family feud, and Branagh's Shakespearean roots influence the storyline a lot.
All in all, this is a movie worth seeing, especially with The Avengers coming out in 2012 (Thor and Loki both have major parts in it). 2 pieces of advice if you decide to go see Thor: Watch out for Hawkeye, another member of The Avengers, who is the sniper, played by Jeremy Renner, and STAY UNTIL THE CREDITS ARE OVER!!! They're quite long, but it's worth it because, in true Marvel style, there's an extra scene starring someone unexpected...I won't spoil it, you'll have to watch the movie!
I'd give this movie 9/10, mainly because of Tom Hiddleston's superb performance.
Cast (from Wikipedia)
Hemsworth promoting the film in London in April 2011.
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
- The god of thunder based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name. Director Kenneth Branagh and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige chose Hemsworth after a back-and-forth process in which the 27-year-old actor was initially dropped from consideration and then given a second chance to read for the part. Hemsworth stated that he gained 20 pounds for the role by eating non-stop and revealed that "It wasn't until Thor that I started lifting weights, it was all pretty new to me". Regarding his take of the character, Hemsworth said, "We just kept trying to humanize it all, and keep it very real. Look into all the research about the comic books that we could, but also bring it back to 'Who is this guy as a person, and what's his relationship with people in the individual scenes?'" About approaching Thor's fighting style, he remarked, "First, we looked at the comic books and the posturing, the way [Thor] moves and fights, and a lot of his power seems to be drawn up through the ground. We talked about boxers, you know, Mike Tyson, very low to the ground and big open chest and big shoulder swings and very sort of brutal but graceful at the same time, and then as we shot stuff things became easier".
- Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:
- A scientist and Thor's love interest. Marvel Studios stated in an announcement that the character was updated from the comics' initial portrayal for the feature adaptation. When asked why she took the role, Portman replied, "I just thought it sounded like a weird idea because Kenneth Branagh's directing it, so I was just like, 'Kenneth Branagh doing Thor is super-weird, I've gotta do it.'" Portman also stated that she really wanted to do a big effects movie that emphasized character, and getting to do it with Branagh was a new way of approaching it, relative to Star Wars. Regarding her preparation for the role Portman remarked, "I signed on to do it before there was a script. And Ken, who's amazing, who is so incredible, was like, 'You can really help create this character'. I got to read all of these biographies of female scientists like Rosalind Franklin who actually discovered the DNA double helix but didn't get the credit for it. The struggles they had and the way that they thought – I was like, ‘What a great opportunity, in a very big movie that is going to be seen by a lot of people, to have a woman as a scientist'. She's a very serious scientist. Because in the comic she's a nurse and now they made her an astrophysicist. Really, I know it sounds silly, but it is those little things that makes girls think it's possible. It doesn't give them a [role] model of 'Oh, I just have to dress cute in movies'".
Hiddleston promoting the film in London in April 2011.
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
- Thor's adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name. Hiddleston was chosen after previously working with Branagh on Ivanov and Wallander. Initially Hiddleston auditioned to play Thor but Branagh decided his talent would be better harnessed playing Loki. Hiddleston stated that "Loki's like a comic book version of Edmund in King Lear, but nastier". Hiddleston also stated that he had to keep a strict diet before the start of filming because "Ken [Branagh] wants Loki to have a lean and hungry look, like Cassius in Julius Caesar. Physically, he can't be posing as Thor". Hiddleston looked at Peter O'Toole as inspiration for Loki as well explaining, "Interestingly enough, he [Kenneth Branagh] said to look at Peter O'Toole in two specific films, The Lion in Winter and Lawrence of Arabia. What’s interesting about The Lion in Winter is, [O'Toole] plays Prince Henry, and what’s beautiful about his performance is you see how damaged he is. There's a rawness [to his performance], it's almost as if he's living with a layer of skin peeled away. He's grandiose and teary and, in a moment, by turns hilarious and then terrifying. What we wanted was that emotional volatility. It’s a different acting style, it's not quite the same thing, but it’s fascinating to go back and watch an actor as great as O'Toole head for those great high hills".
- Anthony Hopkins as Odin:
- The ruler of Asgard, father of Thor, and adoptive father of Loki, based on the mythological deity of the same name. In an interview Hopkins stated he knew nothing of the comic. About the film he said, "It's a superhero movie, but with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in". Hopkins stated, "I'm very interested in that relationship between fathers and sons", and that, "My father's relationship with me was cold. He was a hot-blood character but to me, cold. When I was young, he expressed his disappointment because I was bad in school and all of that. He didn't mean any harm, but I felt I could never meet up to his expectations." Hopkins also expressed that he finds a personal resonance in the Odin role, saying, "He's a stern man. He's a man with purpose. I play the god who banishes his son from the kingdom of Asgard because he screwed up. He's a hot-headed, temperamental young man... probably a chip off of the old block but I decide he's not really ready to rule the future kingdom, so I banish him. I'm harsh and my wife complains and I say, 'That is why I'm king.' He's ruthless, take-it-or-leave-it. Women are much more forgiving; men are not so forgiving. I know in my life, my karma is, 'If you don't like it, tough, move on.' And I move on. I'm a little like Odin myself".
- Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig:
- A scientist doing research in New Mexico who encounters Thor. Skarsgård stated that he was not initially familiar with Thor. As to why he took the part, Skarsgård remarked, I "chose Thor because of [director] Kenneth Branagh. The script was nice and we got to rehearse and talk to the writers and do some collaborating in the process to make it fit us. So I had a very happy time on it. What I always try to do is immediately do something I just haven’t done so I get variation in my life. I’ve made about 90 films and if I did the same thing over and over again I would be bored by now. I try to pick different films, I go and do those big ones and having done that I can usually afford to go and do some really small obscure films and experiment a little".
- Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis:
- A co-worker of Jane Foster. Dennings described her character as Foster's "little helper gnome". Dennings also stated that her role was expanded during the rehearsal process. Dennings explained, "She’s kind of like a cute, clueless, little puppy or maybe a hamster. There wasn't much on the page for the Darcy role to begin with and I didn't even see a script before I took the job so I didn't really know who Darcy was at first. But she really evolved — she’s so much fun now even. She's very Scooby-Doo if that makes sense. She’s always three steps behind and reacting to what's happening with these great expressions ... She gets things wrong and doesn’t care."
- Idris Elba as Heimdall:
- The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the bifröst bridge, based on the mythological deity of the same name. Elba said Branagh's involvement was a major incentive to take the role: "[Branagh] called me up personally and said, 'I know this isn’t a big role, but I would really love to see you play it.' It's Kenneth Branagh. I was like, 'Definitely'". About the role Elba remarked, "I did green screen for the first time! I wouldn’t like to do a whole movie of green screen, though. You kind of forget the plot a little—like being in a Broadway play and doing it over and over and forgetting your line halfway through". Elba stated he has made a four-picture commitment with Marvel Studios. Elba's casting prompted a debate amongst comic book fans and a proposed boycott by the Council of Conservative Citizens, some insisting it was wrong for a black man to play a Nordic god. In response Elba called the debate "ridiculous".
- Colm Feore as Laufey:
- King of the Frost Giants, based on the mythological being of the same name. Feore stated it took five hours for his makeup to be applied. About his character Feore remarked, "I am the King of Frost Giants. And if you’ve seen any of the Frost Giants, you know that I am, of course, the Napoleon of Frost Giants. We’ve got some massive, fabulous guys who dwarf me and come in at around eight-and-a-half feet, nine feet. But, no. Can’t you tell by the commanding presence? I am the boss".
- Ray Stevenson as Volstagg:
- A member of the Warriors Three; a group of three Asgardian adventurers who are among Thor's closest comrades, known for both his hearty appetite and wide girth. Stevenson previously worked with Kenneth Branagh in the 1998 film The Theory of Flight, and with Marvel Studios as the titular character in Punisher: War Zone. Stevenson wore a fat suit for the role, stating, "I've tried the suit on, and what they've done is kind of sex him up: he's sort of slimmer but rounder.". Stevenson said, "He's got every bit of that Falstaffian verve and vigor, and a bit of a beer gut to suggest that enormous appetite, but he's not the sort of Weeble-shaped figure he is in the comics. He's Falstaff with muscles. I've got this amazing foam-injected undersuit that flexes with me.".
- Tadanobu Asano as Hogun:
- A member of the Warriors Three, primarily identified by his grim demeanor and as the only member who is not an Æsir. Ray Stevenson said of Asano's character, "He doesn’t speak much but when he does, everybody shuts up. But also in the healing room where everyone licks their wounds, he’s the guy who just goes about his business".
- Joshua Dallas as Fandral:
- A member of the Warriors Three, characterized as an irrepressible swashbuckler and romantic. Stuart Townsend was initially cast after Zachary Levi was forced to vacate the role due to a scheduling conflict. However, days before filming began, Townsend was replaced by Dallas citing "creative differences". Dallas said he believed that Fandral "would like to think of himself a philanderer. He would like to think of himself, I was saying, as the R. Kelly of Asgard. He’s a lover, not a fighter". Dallas also mentioned that Errol Flynn was an inspiration for the character stating, "He was a big inspiration for the character and for me. I watched a lot of his movies and kind of got that into my bones. I tried to bring out that little bit of Flynn-ness in it. Flynn had a lot of that boyish charm that Fandral's got...."
- Jaimie Alexander as Sif:
- A warrior and Thor's childhood friend based on the mythological deity of the same name. Alexander is best known for her portrayal of Jessi XX on the ABC Family series Kyle XY. Alexander said that she was familiar with Marvel Comics before having taken the part, having grown up with four brothers. Alexander said the part required hours a day in the gym, though training is not unfamiliar to her, explaining she was one of few girls on her Colleyville, Texas, high-school wrestling team. Alexander described her character as "one of the guys" and that, "She's a very talented, skilled warrior and can stand on her own against any villain in the film". About her relationship with Thor she stated, "She is very loyal to Thor and cares a lot about protecting him and protecting Asgard".
- Rene Russo as Frigga:
- The wife of Odin, queen of Asgard, stepmother of Thor and adoptive mother of Loki, based on the mythological deity of the same name. Russo stated in March 2011 interview that she has signed on for possible sequels, joking that, "Eventually they'll kick me out, so who knows how many I'll do".
