Thor: Tales of Asgard

I felt this movie pretty passable as a person who isn't a fan of Thor or the Marvel franchise in general. The tone balanced mature themes and characters well with an arrogant lead and a younger target audience. I felt the pacing was good and it wasn't predictably boring.

I was really surprised I liked this movie as much as I did. The story was great, the Loki dynamic was very good and it made for a very well spent afternoon. It needed a bit more of a budget and it would have made a hell of a great MCU entry.

I've always considered Thor a bit of a weak link when it comes to Marvel. Not only have I always found him a pretentious unlikeable character but I simply don't see the appeal of turning previous deities and gods into superheroes.

It begs he question whats next? Will Allah feature in the next Avengers film? Can we expect Jesus to battle alongside Batman next year?

Tales Of Asgard follows a young arrogant Thor eager to prove his worth in battle. In doing so he teams with his brother Loki and accidentally re-ignites tensions between Asgard and the frost giants.

It's pretty play by numbers stuff and though the story is solid enough the characters are a combination of weak and annoying.

One for fans only.

The Good:

Story is engaging

The Bad:

Not loyal to the comics

Characters are annoying

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

After Fist Of Jesus (2012) I'm thinking a Jesus superhero movie could work

This movie is great at what it is and the people giving it the negative reviews need to get out of the box once in a while. What it is; is a look at Thor and Loki on their first real adventure, the trouble they get into (good and bad) and the consequences of their actions. It is also a brief look at Thor's relationship with Sif and the Valkyrie. Animation is good, not great, but the story and fresh perspective of the young Thor make up for it. I rated the movie high because I enjoyed the risk they took to make it; PLUS, anytime I can watch a movie like this and not guess just about every plot twist AND still enjoy the movie and the story---I am happy. Fun watch, and if your a Thor fan, you will like it all the more.

This film was much better than I expected. True, it does have some anime influence (like slim bodies and expressive eyes) but most contemporary cartoons have that anyway.

In short, this movie is about a teenage Thor embarking on a quest to prove his manhood to his father, who still considers him immature. With the aid of his brother Loki and the Warriors Three he travels through different realms to complete his quest.

What I liked in this film was that it showed a different, refreshing perspective on Thor and Loki's relationship. In this film we actually see Loki as a caring brother who is a loyal Asgardian. He and Thor share a special bond, trust each other and, when times get tough, provide each other with support. Seeing this just makes it even more heartbreaking as the viewers know that in the future these two would become mortal enemies.

Some dialogues were actually funny without relying on simple humor - even giving room to a bit adult humor when it came to Fandral. There is romance (concerning both brothers), and there are notable number of dark scenes and dialogues which concentrate on the topics of genocide (yes, genocide!) and character death. Unlike most children's cartoons nowadays, it has quite a few mature themes which adults may like.

All in all, it was a pleasant surprise and more mature than I expected. I warmly recommend this film.

PS - the music was epic!