Temple of Athena the Savior

So, yesterday I finally saw the Thor movie, which has been out for about a month. I enjoyed it. First of all I should say that I only have a passing knowledge of Asatru and Nordic mythology, and even less knowledge of the comic book the movie was based on. Although, I love comic book movies (I choose to see X-Men: First Class before seeing Thor). I dislike the aliens-as-Gods trope, but was willing to look past that since the movie is based off of comics very loosely based on the mythology. It was a fun movie, very engaging. I loved Anthony Hopkins as Odin. What I didn’t expect was the humor. I was giggling through much of it, especially the cultural dissonance that Thor goes through on Earth and the 3 characters who ran into him (literally – with a car) not quite knowing what to make of him. There was one particularly amusing scene where Thor marches into a petshop and declares “I need a horse!”. The flustered clerk tells him that they only carry dogs, cats and birds, and Thor responds “Then give me one of those big enough to ride.” (!)

My major quibble has more to do with the storytelling then mythological accuracy. Brash, impulsive Thor’s character changes completely after a full two days of exile on Earth. That’s quite the 180. Overall it was a fun romp, and even if its not great for educational value, I enjoy seeing Pagan Gods portrayed on film, and in the modern age, no less. On another note, looking forward to The Immortals coming out in November.

For more about Thor from a Pagan perspective, check out Jason Pitzl-Waters’ “Is Thor a Religious Experience?” and Eric Scott’s “the Trouble with Loki”.