Review of Thor: Tales of Asgard

The subtitle of “Before the Hammer… there was the Sword” is pitch-perfect for introducing the biggest caveat emptor of this movie.  This is not Thor of the Avengers.  Well, I mean, it is – but this is the My So-Called Life version of the character.

The movie is pleasant and light-hearted for the most part.  The art is unremarkable, but not bad by any means.  It actually brings to mind a “neo-” Cartoon Network kind of sensibility (a la Ben 10).  The influences of the Bruce Timm animation era are clearly felt and it’s safe to say that the art quality is on par, if not superior, to other straight-to-video titles recently released by either Marvel or DC.

There are plenty of failings and foibles to criticize, however.  Scene-to-scene transitions feel clunky and jarring.  The predictable plot and hokey dialogue take you out of your suspension of disbelief.  But, with that being said, the action sequences are exciting and compelling and the depiction of scale gives you a feeling of the grandiosity of the locales.

The voice acting is a mixed bag.  Some characterizations, such as Thor’s and The Three, are nailed gloriously while others feel as flat and lifeless at the script their actors are reading from.  While this obviously is not the kind of film to be in the running for an Oscar, one would hope for more gusto from the voice cast as a whole.  Especially considering the bombastic nature of the movie’s setting which allows for more outlandish characterizations.

The biggest consideration for someone watching this film is how familiar they are with the source material.  From a personal standpoint – I am not a follower of the Marvel Thor mythology.  As such, I wondered if I was missing hints and in-jokes that were placed to tantalize fans of the franchise simply because I was not “in the know”.  But even without knowing the mythology I can say with fair amount of certainty that the portrayal and characterization of Loki in this telling is unique to the film.  The trickster god has little of his mischievous nature and is compared to his comic counterpart merely by his name and magic.

Another item I cannot judge accurately, but cannot overlook, is the both overt and unintentional sexism.  The mythological Nordic mentality towards women is known to not be one of respect or admiration, so the male vs. female confrontations written into the dialogue are expected and not unsurprising.  (“Me man. Me strong. You woman. You weak and dumb. Look at my muscles.  Unga bunga.”)  It’s the more subtle expression a of woman’s strength and ability (or lack thereof) depicted outside of the dialogue that make my eyebrows rise.  As a point of example – a group of bad guys previously defeated without much effort by a handful of male characters becomes a harrowing force of destruction when sided off against an army of Valkyries.  Even though the Valkyrie leader’s condemnation of aid is supposed to be a reaffirmation of their aptitude, or at least competence – it instead comes across mule-headed and egotistical to the point of poor leadership.

Lastly, the morality in the story comes off ham-handed and heavy.  That’s not a criticism, merely an observation.  As this is not a mature audience targeted movie, some lack of subtlety in the overall message can be forgiven with consideration of the wide age range of viewers.  I doubt Thundercats or He-Man was particularly subtle when I was a child, so why should this be held to a higher standard?

I personally enjoyed the movie and would watch it again if someone I know hasn’t seen it yet.  I do recommend others watch it if they have the opportunity but don’t go out of your way to find it or own it unless you are already a fan of the franchise.  I give Thor: Tales of Asgard 7.5 of 10 stars. [Rating:7.5/10]