Film 8 - Thor

After going behind his father's back, Thor is cast out of Asgard, doomed to live a mortal life on Earth forever more. However his brother Loki finds out he was adopted and causes great destruction back on Asgard. Thor realises what he has done, and with the help of this friends, he defeats on Ice Giant on Earth before going back to Asgard to help out.

Thor has an extraordinary power of being super strong and he can wield his hammer which he can send lightning bolts out of. Thor has his own moral code which at first is to protect Asgard which he thinks will be achieved by killing all of the Ice Giants but then is cast out to Earth so then he feels it's his duty to protect it and it's people as well. Thor has a lot of supporting characters such as his friends in Asgard and his new companions on Earth. Thor doesn't have a motif but his symbol is his hammer which he carries about with him everywhere. Thor's backstory is of him growing up in Asgard with his brother Loki, in which he thought he could rely on him. However when Loki finds out he is adopted, he turns against everyone, including Thor, which breaks his heart. The rogues gallery is the Ice Giants which Thor has to fight both on Earth and Asgard while the real villain is Loki. Also Thor doesn't have the traditional tight fighting costume which normal superheros wear. Instead he wears a medieval costume and cape.

The film is aimed at teenagers and above because although there is a lack of sex and nudity (the only time you see this is briefly when Thor is getting changed, you can see his buttocks). As  for violence and gore, Thor fights several Ice Giants but they don't bleed, only crack and crumble. Also several of the character receive a frostbite from the giants. The time when you do see the blood is when Thor flies through the head of a monster but this blood is black. Also another time is near the end of the film where you see Thor violently backhanded by the Destroyer leaving bloody contusions and wounds on face and chest. Young children might also get scared at the scenes of fighting with the Ice Giants.

The first binary opposition present in this film is the hot/cold. The warm colours of Asgard, such as the red, gold and amber reflect the hot and how they are always full of life there in Asgard. Thor himself dons a red cape whereas Loki represents the cold as he wears a green cape. Also the Ice Giants physically represent the cold (hence the name) and it is dark and the colours reflect this as is dark blues and browns. The second binary opposition is the God/Human. Asgard represents the 'Godly' world that Thor lives in and they all refer to the people on Earth as Mortals. However the people on Earth think that Thor and his people are Gods as they have an unearthly power which they cannont match (such as Thor's strength).

This film does reinforce gender stereotypes. However firstly the women on Asgard are seen as strong and independent, they hardly appear and the only main characters in Asgard are Thor's friends and his mother but even at the end of the film, his mother continues to stay at Thor's beside while his friends are elsewhere. On Earth, Thor meets his love interest, Jane, but during the fight scene with the Destroyer, she is told to stay out of the fight and on the sidelines.

In conclusion, this film seeks to entertain it's audience by firstly taking a different approach to the Superhero film genre. It's not about a person on Earth being extraordinary, but a person from another different planet entirely. Also there is the complex relationship with Loki and Thor, as Loki finds out he is adopted and suddenly takes on an entirely different stance on their relationship, feeling very jealous of Thor. Finally we get to see Thor grow, from a naive man who think he can kill of of the Ice Giants, to a man who wants nothing more than peace between his people. The opposite can be said for Loki as he at first, is a peaceful person but as soon as he realises who he is, he then wants to wreak havoc on everyone.