I just watched Thor again (for the eleventeenth time) and every time I see this scene, I have to pause it.
Even though Thor was banished, Heimdall...who sees and hears all...watches him. He sees Thor at his lowest point, when he realizes that Asgard is indeed lost to him. Heimdall's eye slightly closes, unusually showing emotion. You can see the reflection of the SHIELD structure in his eye.
Every movie review I have seen so far about Thor 2 has said the same thing, and while I haven't talked to a lot of the regular ol' fans, I get the feeling most of them will say the same thing. Especially since Tumblr is comprised of like 87% Tom Hiddleston fans. What everyone has been saying is that Loki was the only reason that Thor 2 was any good. That Tom Hiddleston owned the role and had all the best scenes and was a bright spot in a hum-drum world, etc.
I just can't agree with that.
I thought Thor himself was incredibly interesting in this movie, and there was so much nuance to his character that's being overlooked.
Everyone's been saying that Thor is a “generic” good guy, and that's what makes him boring. But it's just not true at all, at least not in my eyes. Thor is far from generic, and I don't mean because he's an alien. I mean because of his motivations.
He wants to protect the Earth, yes, but it's for some extremely interesting and complicated reasons, not just because “it's the right thing to do.” Number one, it's his job. As the heir apparent to Asgard, it is literally his job to oversee what happens on planet Earth and defend them from threats. His attempts to do so are a mark of his journey, throughout the series, from spoiled child to mature man. He's taking up the duties that he plans to commit his life to. Wow? And then take into account Jane, and his interest in her. I know that there are a lot of complaints that she is also generic and boring (which I have a lot more sympathy for, actually, the movies have done a completely terrible job of showing her as a well-rounded and emotionally nuanced character) but I think what Thor feels about her is also really interesting. He loves her for her intelligence, curiosity and bravery, not just because she's pretty. She's one of the most brilliant minds in astrophysics, and her intense desire for knowledge leads her into truly dangerous territory, but she's very level-headed in dangerous situations and still even in danger trying to learn from them. Am I the only one who thinks he might love her because she reminds him a lot of Loki? Not in every aspect, obviously, but in that deep intellect and the fearlessness that comes with it, and that social awkwardness and feeling of isolation. Maybe in the way they both need him, and he needs to be needed? Ooooooo, what did I just say. Right out loud. On the internet. OOPS.
Okay, so then let's talk about Thor and Loki. I thought Loki was incredible in Thor 2, okay. His pain and rage and confusion were so raw, and Hiddleston turned in a great performance. But I am just continually astonished by Thor. Loki has stopped growing as a person, as a character. He's stagnated in his bitterness. (This is not to say I didn't openly cry right there in the theatre when he found out about Frigga's death... I mean, was it so much to fucking LET HIM GO TO THE FUNERAL?) But are you watching Thor grow and change? Am I the only one seeing him emotionally develop?
He's spent the past... however long, couple of years, since the end of the Avengers, doing what? Cleaning up Loki's mess. He thinks it's his duty to do so. You see it over and over again throughout The Avengers and especially now in Thor 2. He genuinely believes that Loki's actions are his fault. His and Odin's. He has accepted in his heart that they failed Loki, failed to meet his emotional needs and failed to show him that he was important to them, and it is THEIR FAULT that he turned out the way he did. Whether it's true or not is irrelevant, a meta discussion amongst fans to be taken up another day. But it's what Thor believes. He genuinely believes he needs to take responsibility for fixing the things that Loki has broken. And then, toward the end, you see the hope come into his eyes, hope that maybe-just-maybe if he tries hard enough, he can even fix Loki and fix the break between the two of them. He loves Loki unconditionally. He doesn't trust him anymore and he's angry, but he still loves him so much. His utter joy when they finally start speaking again broke my heart, you guys.
That's why the end hurt me so much. It hurt my poor little Loki fangirl heart because I heard Loki admit out loud (in the guise of Odin, of course) that he wants this throne too much, like he's finally aware that it's not just mayhem he's causing, but real pain. But I also hurt because I saw Thor's emotional journey finally come to completion, when I saw him really understand that he'd rather protect people than rule them, that he doesn't want to be a king. It was really beautiful, because you have to compare it to the moment in the first movie at the beginning when he thought he DESERVED to be a king. Now he knows that he doesn't, and furthermore that he'd rather not be one anyway.
Thor finally became a superhero at the end of this movie, or at least what I think a superhero ought to be. And what hurt the most is having seen all that proof that he's a wonderful, if still flawed, man (and far from a generically good one) and that he loved Loki and is shattered by his death (he's had to go through believing Loki to be dead TWICE NOW fuck) . . . Loki lets him walk away. I genuinely wanted to believe that if Thor could somehow prove himself to Loki, they'd be able to make things better, but now I'm just left questioning if even Loki knows what he actually wants. Loki was fascinating in this movie, but I'm submitting here that Thor finally gives him a run for his money in this one.
Loki fangirls are loading their weapons. I can feel it.
