Can I just take a moment to say that I loved Thor.
I'm not saying that it was a particularly good film. The writing was sloppy, the romance was phoned in (not to mention, unnecessary), and the tokenization was handled with a nod and a wink as if we were all in on some special joke. No, I loved this movie for precisely three things.
1) The Movie References the Lay of Thrym
For those of you who don't know. The Lay of Thrym (or Þrymskviða) is the story of how Thor lost his hammer, dressed up as the goddess Freja, and married a mountain giant in order to recover it. While this story is never specifically mentioned, it is the only real reason to call Thor, "Princess." Well, that and the not so subtle reminder that effeminacy is still considered somehow shameful for 'real men,' even in this day and age. (Aren't we lucky that Thor learns that it's alright to have 'the feels' by the end of the film).
Personally, I love the Lay of Thrym - and I will probably write up a prose summary some time in the near future. I would love some help finding Marvel panels to accompany the retelling.
2) I got to watch a bunch of white-supremacists lose their shit because Heimdall was played by Idris Elba.
The main complaint of these Yahoos was that Elba is black, while Heimdall is "the whitest one of all." The funny thing about this statement is that it betrays a complete ignorance of Norse mythology. Baldr was the god known for his fair complexion (except for his feet - Njörðr has the palest feet).
The word which is actually used to describe Heimdall is "hvitr." Now it is true that hvitr can mean 'white,' but can also mean 'shining,' 'resplendent,' or 'effeminate.' Which leads me to the third thing:
I'm not saying that it was a particularly good film. The writing was sloppy, the romance was phoned in (not to mention, unnecessary), and the tokenization was handled with a nod and a wink as if we were all in on some special joke. No, I loved this movie for precisely three things.
1) The Movie References the Lay of Thrym
For those of you who don't know. The Lay of Thrym (or Þrymskviða) is the story of how Thor lost his hammer, dressed up as the goddess Freja, and married a mountain giant in order to recover it. While this story is never specifically mentioned, it is the only real reason to call Thor, "Princess." Well, that and the not so subtle reminder that effeminacy is still considered somehow shameful for 'real men,' even in this day and age. (Aren't we lucky that Thor learns that it's alright to have 'the feels' by the end of the film).
Personally, I love the Lay of Thrym - and I will probably write up a prose summary some time in the near future. I would love some help finding Marvel panels to accompany the retelling.
2) I got to watch a bunch of white-supremacists lose their shit because Heimdall was played by Idris Elba.
The main complaint of these Yahoos was that Elba is black, while Heimdall is "the whitest one of all." The funny thing about this statement is that it betrays a complete ignorance of Norse mythology. Baldr was the god known for his fair complexion (except for his feet - Njörðr has the palest feet).
The word which is actually used to describe Heimdall is "hvitr." Now it is true that hvitr can mean 'white,' but can also mean 'shining,' 'resplendent,' or 'effeminate.' Which leads me to the third thing:
3) I got to watch Idris Elba play Heimdall. Forget Chris Helmsworth, Anthony Hopkins, and Natalie Portman (Thor, Odin, and Jane Foster). The best acting came from Idris Elba, followed closely by Tom Hiddleston (Loki). It certainly didn't hurt that the interactions between these two characters were the only places where the writing was sharp and the motivations clear, but that wouldn't have mattered if Elba and Hiddleston hadn't had the acting chops to pull it off. Also, Elba's Heimdall was far and away the shiniest thing on the screen. And, well, remember hvitr? |
If I do go to see Thor: The Dark World, it will be to watch Idris Elba reprise his role (which has apparently been expanded in the 2nd film). Opening night is October 30, 2013.