Everybody loves Loki and it’s pretty easy to see why. From his iconic look to his devilish charm, the power-hungry Prince of Asgard has won over many hearts and minds over the years, even if his behavior hasn’t exactly made him worthy of that praise. He’s one of the most notorious villains in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe; or at least he was until becoming so popular and beloved that he was redeemed and made a hero. That’s the power of Tom Hiddleston for you.
But Loki’s never been one to settle so he didn’t just get a redemption arc, he got his own Disney+ series that was so well-received in and of itself that it’s the first of the narrative-driven MCU shows to receive a second season, which is set to premiere very soon. With Loki Season 2 on the horizon, I figured now would be as good a time as any to look back on the character’s first appearance in the MCU: the original Thor film from way back in 2011. Does this Phase 1 entry still hold up and do our beloved God of Mischief justice? Let’s find out.
Also Read: Loki Season 2 Review – The MCU Needs Loki
The Plot
For those of you who need a refresher, the first Thor centers on the titular hero’s origin story. After Thor accidentally incites war with the Frost Giants due to his arrogance, Odin denies him the title of king, exiles him from Asgard, banishes him to Earth, and strips him of his godly powers; containing them within his enchanted hammer Mjolnir.
As Odin falls into his mythical self-titled sleep pattern, Loki assumes control of Asgard and almost immediately begins to abuse his power, manipulating the Frost Giants into a coup attempt in order to commit genocide against them and over-enforcing his brother’s banishment by prohibiting travel between realms and eventually sending the Destroyer to kill Thor.
Thor befriends Dr. Jane Foster and her scientist colleagues as he’s humbled by day-to-day life in a small town in New Mexico before finally becoming worthy of his power again, Loki’s attempted takeover and Frost Giant genocide is thwarted by Thor willingly destroying the rainbow bridge, cut to credits and a post-credits scene where Loki mind-controls one of said scientist colleagues to lead us into The Avengers.
So, How’s Loki?
Revisiting Loki’s first appearance here was surreal to say the least. For one, his trademark horns don’t appear until the very end of the film and his hair is weirdly short. In my opinion, Loki hair is only Loki hair if it’s at least neck-length. More importantly though, much of the nuance and complexity that makes Loki work as a character simply isn’t here yet.
He hasn’t gone through any redemption and as a villain, he doesn’t have a particularly layered motivation beyond vengeance and a lust for power. However, that simplicity doesn’t make his character bad, far from it. The primal nature of the emotions at play allow Tom Hiddleston to really play with the role and make it his own, injecting Loki with both a rakish charm and an intimidating rage.
And it’s not as though Loki is lacking all complexity here. One of the best scenes in the film is when he confronts Odin about his Frost Giant lineage and he’s begging the man who raised him to simply tell him the truth; only to be utterly heartbroken and betrayed by the answer. It’s a powerful moment only further enhanced by Tom Hiddleston’s performance; with the tragedy of it all no doubt feeling right at home to the Shakespeare adaptation master that is the film’s director, Kenneth Branagh.
And The Rest Of The Movie?
I’ll be honest, the original Thor has never been particularly high on my personal MCU ranking. While Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have been perfect as Thor and Loki from the beginning, the movies themselves didn’t really find their groove for me until Taika Waititi took things in a more bombastic and comedic direction for Ragnarok and Love & Thunder, still two of the best MCU films as far as I’m concerned.
But does that make Thor (2011) bad? No, not at all. While it does feel overly subdued for what it is and contains such a ridiculous amount of Dutch angles that you start to wonder if one of the camera operators was working with a broken tripod, the film is still fairly charming with solid performances, good action scenes, and some terrific set design when it lets itself indulge in the fantastical.
And in a precursor to the Waititi era, the film isn’t afraid to be funny. Moments like Thor trying to buy a steed at the pet shop or breaking the mug just to try and get another drink are legitimately hilarious and showcase Chris Hemsworth’s often under-appreciated comedic chops. And while our favorite trickster Loki doesn’t really get much in the way of laughs, this movie is where the “Tell Me!” GIF came from, so that has to count for something.
Thor (2011) is far from a perfect movie, but it’s nevertheless a very fun watch. A breezy if sometimes too afraid of its own ideas action film with great set pieces and surprisingly strong main leads; though the supporting cast feels rather underdeveloped. And when you look at Loki’s role in the story, you can really see why he became so popular after this. He’s fun, he’s menacing, he’s got compelling motivation, he’s just a great villain. It’s no wonder why audiences wanted to see him again. And if the trailers for Loki Season 2 are anything to go by, he’s not going away any time soon.
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