2010s fantasy film action film adventure film science fiction film

Thor

2011 · United States · 114 min

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenplay: J. Michael Straczynski, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Mark Protosevich, Larry Lieber, Don Payne
Producer: Kevin Feige
Music: Patrick Doyle
Cinematography: Haris Zambarloukos
Editing: Paul Rubell
Production company: Marvel Studios
Based on: Thor

Awards: Saturn Award for Best Costume; Empire Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy; Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer; Film and Television Music Award for Top Box Office Films; Film & TV Theme Awards – Film Awards; Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman · 21 nominations

What the critics say

77 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews57 Metacritic /100

Cast

J. Michael Straczynski

Matt Battaglia

What it is about

Thor, heir to the throne of Asgard, the realm of Norse gods, sees his coronation ceremony interrupted by a threat from Jotunheim. His impulsive behavior sets off a conflict that leads his father to exile him to Earth, stripped of his powers. He keeps only his hammer Mjolnir, protected by an enchantment that prevents anyone unworthy from wielding it. In New Mexico he meets astrophysicist Jane Foster, while a secret agency keeps watch over the strange phenomena surrounding his arrival. The film pits an arrogant god against a world that is not impressed by him, and against a brother who covets the throne.

How it was made

The project went through years of development. Sam Raimi first proposed a film adaptation in 1991 and soon abandoned it, and several studios held the rights until Marvel Studios hired Mark Protosevich to write the script in 2006. Matthew Vaughn was set to direct for a 2010 release, but after he was freed from his contract in 2008, Kenneth Branagh took over and the release moved to 2011. The main cast was chosen in 2009. Chris Hemsworth, who had first been dropped from consideration, got a second chance, bulked up for the role, and then had to adjust his training when his costume no longer fit. He chose a British accent, which he felt suited the Shakespearean and mythological tone. Principal photography ran from January to May 2010 in California and New Mexico, and the film was converted to 3D in post-production.

Reception and legacy

Thor premiered in Sydney on April 17, 2011, and opened in the United States on May 6. Critics and audiences gave it generally mixed to positive reviews, and its box office earned more than 440 million dollars against a budget of 150 million. It won awards including the Saturn for Best Costume and the Empire Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Film, and received several nominations at genre ceremonies. As the fourth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it launched a series that continued with Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder.