Thor (film)

Did You Know?

• The film's score was composed by Patrick Doyle, a frequent collaborator of Branagh, who drew inspiration from an old Celtic folk song for Thor's leitmotif.
• The first television advertisement for Thor aired during Super Bowl XLV on the Fox network, with a rate of approximately $3 million per 30-second spot.

Plot

In 965 AD, Odin, king of Asgard, wages war against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and their leader Laufey, seizing the Casket of Ancient Winters. In the present, Odin's son Thor prepares to ascend to the throne but is interrupted when Frost Giants, secretly allowed in by his brother Loki, attempt to retrieve the Casket. Against Odin's order, Thor travels to Jotunheim with Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three, leading to a battle that Odin ends by intervening. As punishment for Thor's arrogance, Odin strips his powers and exiles him to Earth as a mortal, with his hammer Mjölnir protected by an enchantment allowing only the worthy to wield it. Thor lands in New Mexico, where astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, her assistant Darcy Lewis, and mentor Dr. Erik Selvig find him. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson commandeers Mjölnir and Foster's data. Thor tries to lift the hammer but fails and is captured. Freed with Selvig's help, he resigns to exile and develops a romance with Foster. Loki discovers he is Laufey's biological son, adopted by Odin, and takes the throne after Odin falls into the Odinsleep. Loki offers Laufey the chance to kill Odin, then sends the Destroyer to kill Thor when Sif and the Warriors Three attempt to return him. Thor offers himself to the Destroyer, and near death proves worthy, regaining his powers and defeating it. He leaves with his fellow Asgardians to confront Loki.

Cast

Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, the crown prince of Asgard. Director Kenneth Branagh and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige chose Hemsworth after a back-and-forth process in which the 25-year-old actor was initially dropped from consideration and then given a second chance to read for the part. Hemsworth gained 20 lb for the role by eating non-stop and later shifted to kettlebell workouts to maintain muscle mass. He adopted a British accent for the role, stating it suited the film's Shakespearean and mythological tone. Dakota Goyo portrays a young Thor. The cast also includes Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, and Anthony Hopkins.

Production

Sam Raimi originally envisioned the idea for Thor after making Darkman (1990) and pitched it to 20th Century Fox, but they did not understand it. The project was abandoned until April 1997, gaining momentum after the success of X-Men (2000). Plans for a television film with UPN fell through, and Artisan Entertainment helped finance it as a film by May 2000. Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased the film rights in December 2004, with David S. Goyer in negotiations to write and direct, but by 2005 Goyer was no longer interested. Mark Protosevich agreed to write the script in April 2006, and the project moved to Paramount Pictures. In August 2007, Matthew Vaughn was signed to direct and rewrote Protosevich's script to bring the budget down to $150 million. After the success of Iron Man, Marvel Studios announced a June 4, 2010 release date, later rescheduled to 2011. Principal photography took place in California and New Mexico from January to May 2010.

Reception

Thor grossed $181 million in the United States and Canada and $268.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $449.3 million, making it the 15th highest-grossing film of 2011. It earned $25.5 million on its opening day in the US and Canada, with a weekend gross of $65.7 million, of which 60% came from 3D screenings. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating with an average score, based on reviews, and the consensus read: 'A dazzling blockbuster that tempers its sweeping scope with wit, humor, and human drama, Thor is mighty Marvel entertainment.' Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, indicating 'mixed or average' reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B+'. Richard Kuipers of Variety noted the film delivers during action and family conflict but is less thrilling during Thor's banishment on Earth. Megan Lehmann of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that 'The hammer-hurling god of thunder kicks off this superhero summer with a bang.' Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called it 'the most entertaining superhero debut since the original Spider-Man.'