Humor! Action! Kat Dennings! Now THIS is a Thor Trailer!

thorhemsworth500.pngCan we all agree that the Thor marketing materials thus far have been a little less than thrilling? Good. Because now we really have something to look forward to from the Kenneth Branagh-directed Marvel actioner -- an epic-scale tent pole set on two worlds with a sense of humor about itself, lots of swirling, hammer-smashing action, fantastical villains and creatures to ogle, and the acknowledged fetishizing of Chris Hemsworth's abs.

Well, all of the above may have been present and accounted for in the first trailer for Thor, but Marvel's latest trailer fleshes things out to the point that Thor actually now looks exciting. That said, it's a pretty conventional trailer that opens with the requisite set-up: Government investigates strange crop circles; meanwhile, hot scientist lady Natalie Portman and her cohorts (Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard) chase twisters and literally run into Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in the middle of a supernatural cyclone. The rest of the plot unfolds like clockwork: Thor wakes up in a hospital, freaks out, learns to adjust to his newfound surroundings, discovers coffee and Earth food, and the fish-out-of-water defends his adoptive home from his evil native enemies.

Obvious plotting aside, we do get more of a sense of the film's sense of humor. Portman's skeptical delivery and the comic relief of co-star Kat Dennings suggest a self-aware tone to temper the silliness of Thor's premise; there's a certain charm to Chris Hemsworth-as-Thor's obviously not-from-around-here speak, his arrogant manners, the way he delightfully hails for more drink as if a serving wench is about to refill his mug.

Also, this:

thorhemsworth500.png

Ahem. Then it gets around to the fighting -- the large men thrashing about, Hemsworth's slo-mo leaping hammer blows, glimpses of skirmishes on Earth and in the skies of Thor's home world. Peeks at swirling, otherworldly CG landcapes and glowy-eyed gods, ice-blue caverns, Odin's sprawling golden chambers. And, you guys: We get to see Thor use Mjolnir like a boomerang, ZOMG! And we haven't even gotten to the explosions, the laser beams, the scary Frost Giant dudes and monster moles and the Destroyer and Sir Anthony Hopkins waging close-quarters hand-to-hand combat!

Whew! Well, that was fun. The only remaining question mark is Thor's 3D conversion treatment, which stands as much a chance as any other 3D film to go the way of Clash of the Titans. We'll find out just how well ol' Kenny B. handled the conversion on May 6, when Thor hits theaters.

Verdict: Thor has awakened new feelings in me that I haven't felt before. Color me intrigued.



Comments

  • The Winchester says:

    There's, like, TEN awesome album covers in that preview alone.
    (And it does look like they have that Oldboy scene, except instead of a hallway, it's a battlefield. And it's nothing like the scene in Oldboy.)

  • CiscoMan says:

    God, I hope Stellan Skarsgard is, at one point, standing next to a portal linking Earth with Thorland, and lights a cigarette, and then gets his arm bitten off by a Thor-shark. Pretty please?

  • Andrew says:

    Thumbs up!
    But I can't help but feel like Hemsworth is just not...right. He "looks" good in the part, but he seems like he's just occupying the role rather than filling it.
    From clips in the trailer, he's too dour and subdued. I don't get rage or cocksure arrogance from him. I get annoyance and mopiness. Thor is a god. A god of LIGHTNING. The performance should be bigger.
    Even that clip when he orders more drink and smashes the cup, the ACTION is big and it IS amusing, but he doesn't sell it with his presence. He just smashes a cup and says his line. I can't help but imagine what someone like Alexander Skarsgard would have done with that same bit.
    So unfortunately gonna have to lower my expectations to "guardedly optimistic".

  • Citizen Bitch says:

    I forgot Natalie Portman was in this one. So that makes 4 films she is starring in opening in the first 5 months of 2011? And Black Swan just came out the previous December. Natalie, this is your now!

  • pbt says:

    I agree with Andrew above. I will imagine Alexander Skarsgard in this role while I watch the entire movie. I so wanted to see him in this role playing along side Stellan. Now that would have been epic.

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