Coming Down To Earth Can Be Tough

Wikipedia defines hubris as “extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance [or] a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one’s own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power.”

We can all think of someone, either in our own lives or in the public eye, who exhibits hubris. In fact, most of us can probably think of more than one. We may have even been prone to hubris ourselves, and had life remind us, in no uncertain terms, that everyone gets brought to his or her knees at least once.

Surprisingly, this life lesson is at the heart of Thor, this summer’s first blockbuster. I don’t usually expect life lessons from my Marvel comic book adaptations, and the lesson here is painted in broad, obvious strokes. But it’s there nonetheless, and I was impressed by it.

Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, son of King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) who rules the planet Asgard. Thor has a younger brother named Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is jealous of Odin’s love and attention, and ruins Thor’s coronation day by allowing two Frost Giants from a rival planet to sneak into the palace. When impetuous Thor defies his father and takes Loki and his four most trusted solders to visit the Ice Planet, so that they can interrogate its evil King Laufey (Colm Feore), it sparks a war.

Odin is furious and banishes Thor to earth without any of his powers—or his magical hammer, the Mjolnir. There, in the New Mexico desert, he meets up with astrophysicist Jane (Natalie Portman), her mentor Erik (Stellan Skarsgård) and her intern Darcy (Kat Dennings). All three of them assume that Thor is a crazy homeless person, since he keeps talking about his home planet Asgard, his hammer Mjolnir, his father King Odin, and asking them which realm he has landed in. Eventually, however, his muscles and his passion to find the “satellite” that has landed 50 miles west (which is, in fact, his magical hammer) win Jane and the others over, and they help Thor save the world.

Chris Hemsworth is completely believable as Thor, though his prosthetic widow’s peak and blonde eyebrows are a bit distracting. I actually liked him better as a strutting, clueless prince among humans than as a humbled hottie serving breakfast with a dishtowel over his shoulder, but he plays both sides of Thor just fine. (The best line in the movie? “I need a horse!”) Buying Natalie Portman as an astrophysicist, on the other hand, is completely impossible, particularly when she’s stuttering her way through a conversation with a shirtless Hemsworth. Kat Dennings is much more believable in her role as Darcy, since she gets to vacillate between disdain, lust and disbelief for the blond wacko who has shown up. Clark Gregg, too, is very funny as Agent Coulson, who makes an appearance from the Iron Man franchise.

Special mention should be made of Tom Hiddleston, who brings depth, dimension and tragedy to Thor’s brother Loki. How many of us can relate to the jealousy he feels, and the primal need he has for a father’s love? Probably most.

The visual effects are plentiful in Thor, and they’re of the so-seamless-they-ruin-the-movie kind. I am always yanked out of a movie when I can tell that what I’m really watching is a bunch of actors flailing around on a sound stage, pretending to fight Frost Giants that will be added later on a computer. Having said that, there is a sparkling rainbow energy bridge that is gorgeous to look at, and King Laukey is truly scary and evil-looking.

The performances are by far the best part of Thor, along with its hopeful message that a person can learn compassion, humility and humanity. Maybe there’s hope for the planet, yet.

Four Patches out of Five

Overheard in the Ladies Room

“I loved that! Chris Hemsworth is hot!”

“Totally!”