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Quote1 Two worlds. One hero. Quote2

Appearances

Featured Characters:

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Vehicles:

  • Acura TL (S.H.I.E.L.D. edition)
  • Acura MDX (S.H.I.E.L.D. edition)
  • Acura ZDX (S.H.I.E.L.D. edition)
  • Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle equipped with an extensive suite of scanning equipment.

Plot

Quote1 Your ancestors called it magic. You call it science. I come from a place where they're one and the same thing. Quote2
Thor

In the present day, Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Darcy Lewis investigate an unusual phenomenon in the New Mexico desert, and hit a mysterious man inside the storm with their van.

Centuries ago, in 965 A.D., the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, led by Laufey, attack Earth with the Casket of Ancient Winters, but are defeated by the Gods of Norse mythology. Odin's army of Asgard reclaims the Casket and Jotunheim is reduced to ruin.

Centuries later, Odin's son Thor, the God of Thunder, is about to become the new king of Asgard when the ceremony is interrupted by Jotuns attempting to steal the Casket, who are defeated by the Destroyer, an enchanted metal giant in Odin's Trophy Room. Desperate to know why the attack occurred, Thor, his brother Loki and friends the Warriors Three and Sif travel to Jotunheim behind the AllFather's back.

At Jotunheim, the gods are greeted with an attack by Laufey's warriors, which is quickly halted when Odin arrives via Bifröst. As Laufey threatens a new war with Asgard, Odin banished Thor to Earth and casts a spell on Thor's hammer Mjolnir, allowing only those worthy to be able to lift it.

On Earth, Thor lands in the path of Jane Foster's van and is then tasered by Darcy, proving to be mortal. While Thor befriends Jane on Earth, Loki discovers that he is actually the son of Laufey. When snapping at Odin about it, Odin collapses and falls into the Odinsleep, a process which allows him to recuperate his powers. Loki is proclaimed as acting King of Asgard and forbids Thor's return from his exile on Earth.

Jane agrees to help Thor reclaim Mjolnir when S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson has her scientific research covered up and sent to a temporary base at the crater where the hammer landed. Thor fights off many agents but fails to lift Mjolnir. While imprisoned, Loki appears to him and tells him that Odin is dead, and Frigga forbids Thor's return. Loki also proves unworthy to hold Mjolnir. Selvig, although strongly disbelieving Thor's connections with Norse mythology, convinces Coulson to set him free. That night, Thor explains to Jane the cosmology of his dimension and accepts his place as a mortal.

The Warriors Three, Sif, and Heimdall conspire against Loki to bring Thor back, so Heimdall sends the four into New Mexico to find him, and is frozen in place by an angry Loki, holding the Casket. He sends the Destroyer to attack Earth. After the Warriors Three and Sif fail to defeat the Destroyer, Thor offers his life in exchange for Earth's safety. Stricken by the Destroyer's blow and near death, Thor earns worthiness to hold Mjolnir, which returns to him and restores his powers, which kill the Destroyer. Thor tells Coulson to consider him an ally of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Jane is allowed to complete her research under S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance.

Heimdall breaks free of his icy state and Thor returns to Asgard, promising to return to Jane with a kiss. Loki allows Laufey into Odin's chambers as part of their pact but kills the Frost giant in an attempt to please his father. Thor and Loki battle at the Bifröst bridge, which has been activated by Loki to destroy Jotunheim. Thor chooses to destroy the bridge and sacrifice his chance to see Jane again. Odin wakes and saves Thor and Loki from falling into an abyss, but Loki lets himself fall, presumably to his death, when he realizes he has shamed his adopted father.

Thor and Heimdall discuss possible means of traveling to Earth without the Bifröst while Jane looks to have found a way, indicating Thor will soon find his chance to return.

Erik Selvig meets S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, who asks him to begin research on a powerful cube-shaped artifact. Selvig, under the influence of Loki, agrees to "take a look".

Gallery[]

Cast

Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson make uncredited cameos as Agent Barton and Nick Fury, respectively. Adriana Barraza appears as Isabela Alvarez. Maximiliano Hernández portrays Agent Jasper Sitwell. Joshua Cox and Joseph Gatt portray Hailstrum and Grundroth, respectively. Dale Godboldo and Patrick O'Brien Demsey appear as Agent Garrett and Agent Cale, respectively. Writers J. Michael Straczynski, Walter Simonson, and Stan Lee make cameos in the film.

Reception[]

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave Thor generally positive ratings with a 77% fresh certified fresh and an average rating of 6.7/10. The consensus called the film, "A dazzling blockbuster that tempers its sweeping scope with wit, humor, and human drama, Thor is mighty Marvel entertainment."[1] However, top critics on Metacritic gave the film mixed or average reviews with a normalized score of 58/100.[2] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film, calling it "the most entertaining superhero debut since the original Spider-Man," attributing its success to Chris Hemsworth performance as Thor.[3] On the other hand, Roger Ebert, also of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film a negative review, calling the screenplay a failure and found the characters uninteresting.[4]

Trivia

  • Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, previously appeared in the post-credits scene of the film Iron Man 2.
  • There is a travel billboard in one scene that says "Journey Into Mystery"- the name of the comic where Thor first debuted.
  • A water tower in Puente Antiguo is painted with the words, "Home of the Vikings".
  • When Selvig mentions he knew a "scientist, a pioneer in gamma radiation" who "wasn't heard from again" after S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up, he's referring to Dr. Bruce Banner, better known as Hulk.
  • When the Destroyer lands on Earth, one S.H.I.E.L.D agent asks Coulson, "Is that one of Stark's?" mistaking the Asgardian construct for Stark technology. Coulson simply replies "I don't know. The guy never tells me anything", which refers to Tony Stark's reluctance to reveal anything about his current projects.
  • The scene in which men of Puente Antiguo gather to try and pull Mjolnir from the ground bears a strong resemblance to many knights' attempts to pull Excalibur from the stone in the story of King Arthur.
  • The Cosmic Cube, which appears in a post-credits scene at the end of the movie, became major plot points in Captain America: The First Avenger and Marvel's The Avengers.
  • In the scene where Thor drinks with Dr. Selvig, the bar they are in seems to be the same that General Ross had a meeting with Tony Stark in The Incredible Hulk.
  • Among the mystical items in Odin's vault are the Infinity Gauntlet and the Eye of Agamotto. However, most of the items in the vault, including both of these, are revealed to merely be replicas in Thor: Ragnarok, as both appear elsewhere in later MCU films.
  • Thor's armor in the film was inspired by the design made by Olivier Coipel for the modern Thor comics.
  • Thor's half-brother Balder was featured in an early script of the movie, and he would've played a crucial role in the plot. Concept artist Charlie Wen even painted a preliminary keyframe of the character battling alongside Thor before finding out that he had been scrapped from the film.[5]

Gallery[]

Alternate Posters[]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. Thor (film) at Rotten Tomatoes
  2. Thor on Metacritic
  3. Thor Review on RichardRoeper.com
  4. Thor :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews on the SunTimes.com. May 10, 2011.
  5. Wen, Charlie (24 August 2018) Charlie Wen (@imcharliewen) Instagram. Retrieved on 24 August 2018.
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