Last night I had the privilege of viewing an advanced screening of THOR. The theater was packed, of course, and everyone was into it. It was one of the best theatrical experiences I've had in a while, despite a few technical glitches. To my surprise, we were presented with a 3D version of the film. Now, this can really make or break a movie, in my opinion, especially if the film was not shot in 3D, and this one falls into that category. While some of the scenes worked, others were dark and the action was too fast paced in some instances that you couldn't get any real benefit from it. Also, one must take in to account that you are basically wearing polarized sunglasses while watching. If the scene is dark and/or not originally intended for 3D viewing, it just looks dim or blurry. Many shots of the intended bright and shiny city of Asgaard came across with a soft-focus-at-dusk look to them.
The 3D debate aside, the movie itself was solid. I was concerned about how they would meld the real-world story with what would be gods and mythology. Their solution was quite ingenious. I won't give spoilers here, but I'm sure the purists and fanboys will probably complain, as they always do.
The cast is outstanding. Chris Hemsworth holds his own in scenes with Anthony Hopkins. The casting of Natalie Portman was great as scenes with her 5'3'' frame standing next to Hemsworth's 6'4'' really did make him look ginormous. Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Colm Feore and Stellan Skarsgard round out the main cast. Watch for cameos from Stan Lee, of course, as well as Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), writer J. Michael Straczynski and, wait for it, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.No real spoilers here, but the action is divided fairly evenly between present day Earth and the other "realms". CGI mixed with real sets and actors looked good in most instances, but some of the Destroyer character footage was a bit lacking. This is a loud, action packed movie with witty banter, cool psuedo-science, drama and some truly funny moments. In all, a very well-rounded kick-off to the 2011 summer blockbuster season.
Be sure to stay through the credits!!! ;)
THOR opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, May 6th. Look for Captain America on July 22nd!
