Superhero Film Case Study Thor

1. Superhero Film Case StudyThor Joao Figueira

2. Thor • Year of production: 2011 • Director: Kenneth Branagh • Production companies: marvel studios • Distribution and exhibition: it was down by Paramount Pictures and it was first released in Australia on April 21, 2011. Then in America on May 6, 2011 released in Hollywood and California. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ • The budget was $150million the box office in return got $449.3 million with the success of the film. • Thor is a franchise because it leads into the avengers and all of them trying to stop Loki from wiping mankind.

3. Key characters • Chris Hemsworth as Thor:The hero he fits into this character because he wants to protect Asgard by attacking the frost giants but he does not understand that he is doing something wrong. • Tom Hiddleston as Loki:The villain/side swapper Loki fits in these categories because he has good intentions but then he discovers that he is a frost giant and decides to wipe out the frost giant and become ruler of Asgard. • Anthony Hopkins as Odin: Authority Figure/mentor Odin fits into these characteristics because he is the ruler of Asgard so he is in control and he is Thors father and through the film he tries to teach him that every life is important. • Natalie Portman as Jane Foster:The strong women Jane Foster she fits in to This categories by helping Thor in his hour of need when he has lost all his powers and has been turned into a normal human. • Idris Elba as Heimdall:Supporter he is a supporter because he helps Thor to get to Asgard when he is trapped on Middgard (earth). • frost giants: Bad guys ( being manipulated by Loki) they attack Asgard to try and steal the Casket of Ancient Winters which would help them conquer the 9 realms.

4. Plot and narrative theory • The Plot • The plot is that Thor is going to be the next king but the ceremony is interrupted because the frost giants attacked the armoury trying to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters but they got stopped. Thor gets angry and wants to go and destroy the frost giants but his father refuses then Thor and his friends go to the frost giants home world to kill them but they fail. Then Odin finds them stopped the battle and makes them go away banishes Thor to earth to repent but his brother wants to kill the giants as well. Then Thor gets his power back goes to Asgrad and stops Loki. • Narrative theory • The narrative theory that was used in Thor was circular they use this method in the begging to show a scene from the middle of the story. Then when the scene is done it show every thing that happed before in other words every thing that happened to Thor. Then when it got back to that scene it changed into a linear because it has no more flash backs.

5. Codes and conventions • The film you could clearly tell that it was superhero movie because the title Thor is the name of a super hero from the comics. The powers he has and the costume a similar to that of the comic. The costume used for the warriors of Asgard and Thor a very old like they kind of of remind you of the Vikings which really fits because Odin and Thor are northern gods so it fits in perfectly. The lighting is very dark in most battle scene e.g. When Thor and his friends go and attack the frost giant home world. The battles scene was dark as if was trying to show that the place was evil. The representation of the film was very unique because the Asgardians are very prideful and seek battle and they dominate the other realms usually hero would be one to avoid war but Thor seeks it. This makes the frost giants discriminated against because the are trapped in the world with out freedom because if they do something bad then they will be destroyed.

6. Iconography and Ideology • Iconography • Thors iconography is more represented with Vikings and the northern gods because his persona likes to gain glory in battles and he is very prideful just like Vikings. The iconic object for would have to be his hammer since it is the source of his power and his symbol because he is the only one able to lift it up and the only one able to summon it to him. • Ideology • Thors ideology is about Thor basically being a god watching over America because he is the god of thunder Thor and this fits in there motto of “God bless America”.

7. Key Themes • Thor themes is about Norse mythology this related to the movie because they are using Thor who in Norse mythology is earths protector and unrelentingly pursues his enemies. Then there is Odin the one-eyed, raven-flanked god Odin, who craftily pursues knowledge throughout the worlds and bestowed among mankind the runic alphabet. Then Loki the villain of the story and the half god who brings pain to the other gods by killing balder Frigg's beautiful son Balder and causing the death of many other deities. They use these characters in the movie to make it more interesting and make it sound as if it actually happened true. Thor Odin Loki

8. A Micro Analysis • Editing and Sound • In the beginning of the clip is the hammer on the stone and it is edited to the scene where Odin in a close up shot is whispering into the hammer and in the back ground you are able to hear a strange sound as if the hammer was awaking from some deep slumber. Then as it edited back towards the hammer on the work you could see the work beginning to crumble apart and the hammer beginning to wobble. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goVJkD5PZts