It's an adaptation of a comic which is based on Nordic myths. Is he black in the comics (or Hogun an Asian)? In the mythology, is it likely the Norse would create a black god and then give him the name "white god"? Would you want a blond, blue-eyed caucasian playing an Egyptian or Indian god with no make-up to make him look like the ethnicity of the character he's playing? It's stupid and pandering casting. There are several characters created for the movie that could have been black. That said, I like the scenes with Hiemdell in them, especially the interplay between him and Loki considering that come Ragnarok, they are fated to slay each other.
I think it was a good movie, that could've been great. The acting, especially of Thor and Loki were superb. I liked the guy playing Fandral, several quick scenes managed to capture his swashbuckling attitude.
Quibbles:
- Frost Giants. Seemed to change sizes. Some were no larger than the humans, others around eight or ten feet tall, but no explanation on discrepancies.
- Warriors Three: Not really enough effort to give them distinctive looks beyond their faces. Fandral should be in green and leathers, Volstagg in loud and brash colors, Hogun all dark and regal. Kirby was great at giving totally creative designs for his characters, here most characters look like they are all wearing the same basic armor. Even Loki. He has the helmet but otherwise looks much like the others.
-Climactic Battles: Not so climactic. After all the build-up, Thor takes out the Destroyer rather easily and quickly (and they managed to evacuate the town very quickly). Loki vs Thor in final battle doesn't seem much like a match-up. Maybe if we saw him use other powers other than illusion and the spear. After all, Loki was a shape-changer and god of fire as well. What were the Warriors Three and Sif doing once they got back to Asgard. Should have been a full on Frost Giant invasion and seen gods right and left fighting with Thor and Loki in the middle of it all.
-Romance with Jane Foster: Just seemed to come from nowhere. It ends with them pining for each other, but really the story doesn't develop an actual romance between them or even a relationship beyond an alliance due to overlapping goals. Are we supposed to just simply accept that since they are the leads, they are supposed to be a couple?
-Loki's story is contradictory to the time period of the rest of the movie. A lot of effort is made to call attention to the fact these beings are who the myths are based on, though some details are not the same, that the myths are simply tall tales. However, some of the myths describe Loki as being of the giants and not Asgardian. The myths tell us that Loki starts off as a god of mischief, but grows increasingly dangerous and evil and will in the future betray Asgard. The myths cannot simply be stories then, since they are accurately foretelling Loki's nature (unknown to everyone but Odin and Frigga) and his path to evil hundreds of years before the events occur or it's a huge coincidence that he just happens to follow the same path told about him in the stories. On the other hand, there would be no contradiction if that part of the story occurred during the times of the vikings and thus became the basis of the myths, and in the present day he's a known villain to the Asgardians.
