At the Movies with Fatwayne

This is a fantastical/sci fi/action movie that delivers on all fronts. It starts off in 965 A.D. in a place called Asgard ruled over by Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Odin is a peace loving king who is at war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. They are an imposing and, I might add, ugly race of chilly baddies who are out to conquer the Nine Realms, beginning with Earth. Luckily for us the Asgards are able to defeat the Frost Giants and secure their source of power which is called the “casket of ancient winters”.

Now we switch to the present and Odin’s son, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is ready to replace Odin as king of Asgard. Just as the ceremony is about to be completed those dastardly Frost Giants attempt to steal their reverred casket. The ceremony is halted as all go to the defense of this powerful treasure. Since they still have the casket and all of the Frost Giants were killed, the peace loving Odin decides that no action will be taken against the Jotunheims. The young and impulsive Thor is outraged and decides to go against his father’s command and travel to Jotunheim to confront the Giants.

Fortunately for Thor and his group of warriors, Odin intervenes and saves them but in doing so he destroys the truce between the two races. As punishment to Thor for his arrogance, Odin strips him of his Godly powers and banishes him to Earth. Odin also sends Thor’s hammer, the source of his power, to Earth but with a spell that will only allow the worthy to wield it.

So our boy Thor lands in New Mexico where he meets scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her mentor Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). Thor is confused and is suffering from a lack of manners and social graces. Jane tries to guide him in the ways of humanity with moderate success. In the interim, Odin goes into some sort of coma which southern women call the “vapors” but which he calls “Odinsleep” that will allow him to recuperate from all the stress. This allows Thor’s younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to assume the crown. Loki concocts a plan that will allow Laufey (Colm Feore) the leader of the Jotunheims to retrieve the Casket if he also kills the sleeping Odin. Loki discovers that Thor’s chums have gone to Earth to save Thor from exile. They have used the Bifrost which is a means of traveling between worlds in order to get to Earth. Loki decides to end all of these distractions by sending a giant robot like machine to kill them all. Nothing seems able to counter the “Destroyer’s” powers and in an attempt to save mankind, Thor offers his life if the humans are allowed to live. This selfless act renders him again worthy to wield his powerful hammer, Mjolnir, and ultimately defeat the Destroyer.

Thor and his comrades return to Asgard via the Bifrost to confront Loki and put a stop to his devious plan. Once there the final confrontation ensues. The big question is did Thor learn enough from his banishsment to convince his father that he is worthy to be king?

The magical worlds of Asgard and Jotunheim are truly sights to behold. This is a beautifully photographed movie and should be viewed in the 3D Imax format for maximum effect.

Rated  – PG13  -

Fatwayne’s Rating   

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