Thor

Thor – Thor arrogantly attacks Asgard’s ancient enemies but this results in his actions threatening the lives of his people. His father, Odin, banishes him to Earth because of his selfish nature. While in exile, Thor begins to understand the meaning of friendship and loyalty after meeting three human scientists. Meanwhile, a dangerous threat continues to hang over Asgard.

Thor (2011) – Director: Kenneth Branagh

Rating: 12

Running Length: 115 mins

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Genre: Action/Adventure, Comic Book, Fantasy

REVIEW: ‘THOR’

‘Thor’ is the 4^th instalment of Marvel’s Avengers/S.H.I.E.L.D storyline. As a protagonist Thor develops throughout the movie, starting as rather arrogant and reckless but learning through his mistakes that actions have consequences. There are essentially two storylines present with part of the movie based on present day Earth and part set in the off world kingdom of Asgard. The climax of the Earth storyline somehow feels a little flat, as if a big action scene was needed to set off against the surprisingly emotive finale.

‘Thor’ is a surprisingly deep and relatable experience and although it throws in enough action scenes to keep the ‘action / adventure’ tag, the main characters are strongly written and have a superb well roundedness to their personalities. Director Kenneth Branagh has treated the superhero tale as a more thoughtful exploration of family which makes for a very engaging movie. Greed, selfishness and betrayal are themes explored in the movie, only to be countered by honour, loyalty and the difficulties of weighing up the greater good. ‘Thor’ makes a refreshing change to the action-packed approach that is usually taken in the super-hero genre.

CONTENT – IS ‘THOR’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The opening scene shows the movie’s antagonists, the ‘Frost Giants’ attack a Viking village, a mother and child are seen running away but are then frozen solid, this is done in front of the camera but isn’t lingered upon. After a battle, Odin is seen without one of his eyes, there is just a black hole there with a little bit of blood around it. The filming in this section is dark and although this is a direct shot, it isn’t graphic and Odin is not suffering in any way.

The scene where ‘The Destroyer’ comes to Earth to kill Thor is possibly the most frightening for children. Although a few characters try to impede its progress, The Destroyer (a huge robot that shoots fire from its eyes) is portrayed as a devastatingly effective weapon.

One moment which was a little surprising was a mild implied rape reference. When talking about the human character of Jane, one of the antagonists threatens to go to Earth and ‘pay her a little visit’. This is extremely mild and children are unlikely to understand the meaning of this, however this is worth being aware of as there are no other threats like this throughout the film.

The bad language in this movie is minimal. One character says ‘Oh…My…God’ at a pivotal moment which children may repeat. There is also a short comedy drinking scene where the characters compete against each other leading to one being brought home in a drunken stupor. We do not feel that this is glamourising alcohol as most children understand that grown-ups get a bit silly when they have a few drinks.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘THOR’ FOR KIDS?

This movie should be suitable for children who enjoy action films. There are several fight scenes, but the violence is neither graphic nor sustained. There are plenty of slap-stick and comedy moments which children will love as well as a few references to the other Avenger’s movies which kids may pick up on.

As this film is possibly more about character development than action, many younger children may be somewhat bored with this film. There is a lot of talking and the action scenes are relatively short in comparison. However, it is likely to be useful for older children to see how people treat each other in the real world within the safe environment of an enjoyable fantasy movie. We feel that this is a good action movie which should be suitable for kids aged 7 and over, but would recommend that an adult should be with them who can explain any confusing moments to them.

• Violence: 2/5 (several fight scenes, particularly where ‘The Destroyer’ is used as a weapon)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (Thor is told that someone he loves is dead and is very upset although the audience know that this is a lie)
• Fear Factor: 1/5
• Sexual Content: 1/5
• Bad Language: 1/5
• Dialogue: 1/5
• Other notes: Deals with themes of jealousy, the responsibility of power, the virtue of friendships and fighting to protect those you care about.

Words by Laura Record

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