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THORMovie Reviews
Action adventure about the son of a god who is exiled to Earth when his arrogance stirs up conflict in the heavens and must prove himself before he can return home. Cast:Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony HopkinsDirector:Kenneth BranaghRelease Date:May 6, 2011DVD Release:September 13, 2011From:ParamountRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 55 minIn 3D
Thor played to good not great reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Amy Biancolli wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "...a competent, energetic and cheerfully hambone popcorn flick..." • And Andrew O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "Saying that it is half-assed would be too mean to everybody involved; it's three-quarter-assed. It'll be a big hit and it's slightly disappointing." More Reviews Below...
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...big, blond-bland, handsomely put together and a little musclebound.... After a rough start, and when it comes down to Earth, 'Thor' works pretty well."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,112 words, 05/04/11
David Germain, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The story flits fickly back and forth, but Hemsworth has true star power, a regal presence that helps keep the disparate elements stitched together."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 786 words, 05/04/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...pulls off something I wouldn't have thought possible: It restores the innocence to big-budget superhero mythmaking.... It's not art, but it's mighty fun."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 05/06/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...delivers epic fireworks that don't neglect the dramatic sparks ignited between father and son, brother and brother, and lovers from two different worlds..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 05/13/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: WEAK(cg) "Nothing exciting happens, nothing of interest is said, and the special effects evoke not a place or a time but simply special effects."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,251 words, 05/13/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: POOR(cg) "...a confusing motion picture.... confusing because it's been getting reasonably favorable word of mouth despite the fact that it's a lot of crap."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 05/05/11
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "...big enough and bold enough to fit under the Marvel umbrella but infused with sufficient uniqueness to make it work for those weary of generic superhero stories."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,268 words, 05/06/11
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...there's a snag: No matter how the filmmakers move Heaven and Earth, this comic-book adaptation looks cool but contains very little thunder."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 05/06/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...what we have here is an aesthetic standoff between predictable elements and unexpected ones. 'Thor' has its strengths, but it is finally something of a mishmash..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 05/06/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...acquires a sense of humor and becomes that thing that all creatures from all realms crave: a good time.... It helps having strong actors fully invested..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 05/06/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD "...equal parts trippy, tacky, and monumental... surprisingly agreeable, a happy change from all those aggressively down-to-earth superhero flicks like 'Iron Man.' "(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 05/09/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: WEAK(cg) "Nothing exciting happens, nothing of interest is said, and the special effects evoke not a place or a time but simply special effects."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,251 words, 05/13/11
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...another B-movie bomb helmed by a seriously slumming Brit.... there's scant evidence that a classically trained dramatist had anything to do with what's on screen."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 05/04/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Flashy digital acrobatics do kinda take over in the last reel, but that's a standard complaint about superhero movies these days.... See it flat if you can."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 05/05/11
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "Maybe IMAX will lend 'Thor' the grandeur it thorly lacks. Because as fanciful as the source materials are, as rich the mythology, this is a thudding failure of imagination."(See all of David Hiltbrand's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 05/06/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a hunky, self-mocking young star, solid support from a couple of Oscar winners and the slick sheen that state-of-the-art effects can give you."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 05/06/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...crammed to the gills with excitement and action... less an obligatory link in a continuing tale than a handsomely engineered, hugely enjoyable standalone."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/06/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "Fans of the comic may notice some deviation from the origin story, but if that's going to prevent you from enjoying this, you might be taking things a little too seriously."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 701 words, 05/06/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...diverting enough -- not close to a sharp-edged romp like 'Iron Man' but not the B-movie roadshow some of us were expecting."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 768 words, 05/06/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a pleasant change. The superheroes we've been getting lately are all either mutants (Spidey, the Hulk and all those X-people) or guys with really great workshops..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 05/06/11
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...a competent, energetic and cheerfully hambone popcorn flick - except that everything seems as papery and flat as a hand of poker."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 05/06/11
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...smart, self-aware entertainment that avoids both excessive camp and deadly earnestness.... the action scenes are generally thrilling, well-edited bits of mayhem."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 886 words, 05/06/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The ultimate product placement is the inevitable end-credit tease for 'The Avengers,' the upcoming movie in which Thor will join Iron Man and the Marvelettes..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 05/06/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pure geek fare. Which may thrill geeks but leave others yawning.... for others, it may be too out of this world for its own good."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 771 words, 05/06/11
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...another B-movie bomb helmed by a seriously slumming Brit.... there's scant evidence that a classically trained dramatist had anything to do with what's on screen."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 05/04/11
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Kenneth Branagh may be the real hero here, bringing more than a few Shakespearean flourishes to a mythos that's rife with them."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 154 words, 05/05/11
Keith Phipps, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a film with its own identity, the simple, thrilling story of a handsome god who falls to Earth and reminds everyone what heroes do."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 398 words, 05/05/11
Simon Abrams, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "Branagh's film is reasonably well put-together, but unlike even his worst films, it has no internal life, instead feeling like an impersonal, assembly-line product."(See all of Simon Abrams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 522 words, 05/04/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Flashy digital acrobatics do kinda take over in the last reel, but that's a standard complaint about superhero movies these days.... See it flat if you can."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 05/05/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the special effect of Asgard's Rainbow Bridge isn't nearly as impressive as the title role's character arc."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 05/05/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: VERY GOOD(cg) "Branagh creates a wonderfully transintellectual geekgasm of archetypal storytelling and highfalutin language... it's better than 'Clash of the Titans' by a whole bunch."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 931 words, 04/26/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...give the producers credit for casting that slab of beefcake with the blazing smile. Hemsworth looks and acts like a comic-book superhero come to life..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 238 seconds, 05/06/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "Bodies hurtle, armor clanks, force fields spark, vortexes swirl, oceans roil, warriors freeze and defrost, and none of it conveys a scintilla of feeling."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/06/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: MODERATE "At the end and I am giving away no secrets here -- they kiss. But how? Is he holding her up, with her little toes kicking his kneecaps? Thor only knows."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 05/09/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...what we have here is an aesthetic standoff between predictable elements and unexpected ones. 'Thor' has its strengths, but it is finally something of a mishmash..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 05/06/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: WEAK "Its very competence is dispiriting -- it gets the job done, I guess, but what job? Even a light popcorn entertainment can have a voice and a point of view..."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 05/05/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Saying that it is half-assed would be too mean to everybody involved; it's three-quarter-assed. It'll be a big hit and it's slightly disappointing."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,025 words, 05/04/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Richard Kuipers, Daily Variety: GOOD "...delivers the goods so long as butt is being kicked and family conflict is playing out... less thrilling during the Norse warrior god's rather brief banishment on Earth."(See all of Richard Kuipers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,049 words, 04/17/11
Megan Lehmann, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...skitters just this side of kitsch... a noisy, universe-rattling spectacle full of sound and fury with a suitably epic design and solid digital effects..."(See all of Megan Lehmann's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 957 words, 04/17/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...what we have here is an aesthetic standoff between predictable elements and unexpected ones. 'Thor' has its strengths, but it is finally something of a mishmash..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 788 words, 05/06/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...corny and cool, old-fashioned and modern, cheesy and classy, Shakespearean and banal, mythic and realistic, straightforward and loopy, serious and risible."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 05/05/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "Bodies hurtle, armor clanks, force fields spark, vortexes swirl, oceans roil, warriors freeze and defrost, and none of it conveys a scintilla of feeling."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/06/11
20.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Thor's reviews are separated by an average 20.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Coverage:Thor's reviews cover 81.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,656 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 646 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 3.7 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Thor's reviews on average broke 3.7 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Thor's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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