บท 517: Bad start
Even in the face of the astounding premiere weekend of "Fast 5", even in the midst of the unexpected praise showered upon "Fast 5", "Thor" still exuded unwavering confidence. Its grand and magnificent premiere ceremoniously unveiled the summer of 2011, undoubtedly becoming the hottest topic in the next twenty-four hours.
People speculated about Marvel Studios' next big moves. There were rumors that Iron Man would join forces with Thor and Captain America for a film. People paid close attention to Captain America's promotional campaign, where Chris Evans stole some of the limelight from Chris Hemsworth that night. People were also eagerly anticipating Natalie's first public appearance after giving birth, showcasing her remarkable post-pregnancy figure, the envy of countless women...
Of course, there was the real star, the true focal point, Chris Hemsworth.
When Robert Downey Jr. took on "Iron Man", he had been in Hollywood for nearly twenty years, with many notable works under his belt. Before Chris Evans was cast as Captain America, his outstanding performance in "Fantastic Four" had already earned him a place in Hollywood. In simple terms, these two were not newcomers.
But Chris Hemsworth was different.
He seemed to have sprung out of nowhere, leaping into the leading role of a major blockbuster. He starred alongside Natalie and Anthony, seasoned actors, portraying the highly anticipated superhero. Just like Hayden Christensen back in the day, when the spotlight shone, all the curious, inquisitive, scrutinizing, anticipatory, and critical gazes converged on him.
What's more, the controversies surrounding him in the past few weeks only added to the mystery. Even the onlookers couldn't contain their curiosity, let alone the media reporters.
During Chris's first official appearance, he genuinely experienced what it meant to be "the center of the world". The scorching and overwhelming attention from all over the globe made heads spin. All the reporters' questions centered on him, all the guests' responses circled back to him, and all the camera lenses couldn't divert from him...
More importantly, Robert praised him, Natalie praised him, Anthony praised him, Daniel and Rachel praised him, Jon praised him, Gwyneth praised him, the other Chris praised him, even the reporters' questions were filled with praises.
No one mentioned the "scriptgate", and the few who asked about "Fast 5" did so with a sense of humor. The atmosphere was harmonious, and in that moment, it felt as if all the recent negative news had never existed. Everything was so beautiful, and all things were progressing in the right, positive, and bright direction.
Chris also performed admirably, with his handsome face, deep voice, strong physique, humble demeanor, and occasional humor. His charming charisma successfully won the support of the journalists and the audience. The premiere ended in a grand fashion amid a whirlwind of excitement.
Focus, focus, and more focus. Marvel Studios demonstrated a powerful star-studded effect, providing robust support to "Thor". At the premiere, nearly every character and every event became a hot topic, continuously stimulating the enthusiasm of reporters and igniting the passion of the audience.
On the internet, discussions about "Thor" had already gone viral, swiftly becoming the new darling of netizens. "Fast 5", which had just set a record for April premieres, now seemed like yesterday's news. However, this fervor lasted for less than twelve hours. With the blazing reviews from media outlets and feedback from premiere audiences, the escalating momentum came to an abrupt halt, and then things started to become uncertain.
It hadn't even reached its peak before facing obstacles.
Over six hundred viewers secured tickets to the premiere, allowing them to be the first to witness this ambitious Marvel superhero project. Unlike the premiere of "Fast 5", the premiere of "Thor" received enthusiastic adoration from Marvel fans. Eight hours before the official ticket sale began, people had already started lining up outside the Chinese Theater. Eventually, the line stretched along Starlight Avenue. This group of fervent fans was brimming with expectations for the film.
This was both a good and a bad thing; it was motivation, but also pressure. Extremely high expectations - what kind of result would they lead to? No one could predict, but judging by the interviews conducted after the premiere, the situation didn't seem optimistic.
"I heard that Stan Lee had read this story, but even my child's storybooks have more excitement than this. I don't know what happened."
"The visual effects are good, indeed, but the action scenes are just boring, really disappointing."
"Can someone explain to me why Natalie Portman's character exists? She really lacks any presence, not even as much personality as the intern."
"I think Thor's brother outshone him, but it was still an enjoyable watch."
"It falls far short of expectations. Forget comparing it to "Iron Man", it doesn't even measure up to "Fast & Furious". I was looking forward to some thrilling action scenes, but now it seems like I'd be better off watching a car race. I heard the fight scenes there are impressive."
"I've been thinking... haha, thinking about the accent issue. Haha, Thor's accent is really funny."
"The story feels disjointed. The Earth and outer space stories don't connect at all. I'm completely confused. It seems like the story's setting is grand, but why does it feel so small and domestic?"
"The visual effects are really splendid... yes, that's about it."
"Loki! I love Loki! Loki really stole the show!"
"Regardless of what others say, I quite liked it. But it didn't meet the expectations set by "Iron Man". Let's see how "Captain America" turns out."
"To be honest, I don't like the actor playing Thor. I mean, he's very handsome and fits the comic book image perfectly, but... his performance is really terrible. His facial expressions are stiff, his Australian accent in the lines is too heavy, and his physical movements are awkward, as if he doesn't belong in this film. I don't know if that's the reason, but Natalie and Anthony's performances didn't resonate with me either."
...
Devoted comic book fans possessed a level of enthusiasm that others couldn't match, but at the same time, they had an unparalleled level of discernment. This time, it was clear that negative feedback was prevailing. However, people couldn't discern how much of it was genuine, how much was emotional outbursts driven by impulse, how much was the result of disappointment after excessively high expectations, and how much was the margin of error in the media's sampled interviews.
Following that, the media reviews were released, solidifying this grim news.
A total of forty media outlets participated in reviewing "Thor", with eighteen giving it positive reviews, six negative reviews, and sixteen moderate reviews, resulting in a combined media rating of fifty-six points.
At first glance, it seemed like positive reviews were still dominant, and such a result should not have occurred. However, in reality, among the positive reviews, only seven ratings were above eighty points, while the rest ranged between sixty and seventy-five points. All sixteen moderate reviews scored below sixty points, and the negative reviews were the most alarming, with all six of them scoring below forty points.
It was evident that even in the positive reviews, the overall quality of the movie fell below the reviewers' expectations.
Among the negative reviews, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the highest score, a mere thirty-eight points.
In his Pulitzer Prize-winning critic's review, he believed that "this is an utter disaster" and went on to make comparisons, stating, "In the realm of comic book adaptations, "Superman", "The Dark Knight", "Spider-Man 2", and "Iron Man" all impressed, while "Thor" appears so clumsy and awkward. And where does Loki, one of the classic antagonists, fit in? Will anyone remember Loki six months from now?"
Without resorting to outright negativity, he couldn't conceal his disappointment. Giving it just one star out of four alongside a score of thirty-eight points, Roger made it clear that he was far from satisfied with "Thor" and effectively banished the film to the depths of hell.
Examining the overall trend of media reviews, authoritative outlets such as Empire, Entertainment Weekly, and USA Today gave positive reviews. Notably, the first two gave "Fast 5" the most scathing reviews. Clearly, in this showdown, they had higher hopes for the superhero genre.
On the other hand, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and The Wall Street Journal, among other authoritative sources, gave negative reviews. Among them, Roger Ebert's review undeniably held the most weight.
Furthermore, Variety provided a mixed review, giving it a mediocre fifty points. "This is a tragedy. Despite the visual effects of the Rainbow Bridge and the Asgard planet still displaying the industry's highest standards, Chris Hemsworth's terrible accent prevents immersion. Even Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins seem lost in the chaotic storyline," their critic Stephen Holden lamented between the lines. After the complete disappointment of their pre-release expectations, Stephen expressed a pessimistic outlook on the future box office performance of "Thor".
"Thor" received a media rating of just fifty-six points. Not only did it fail to rival the spectacular debut of "Iron Man", but it even fell short of the much-criticized "Iron Man 2". What's more vexing is that it received ratings from fewer media outlets than "Fast 5", with forty media outlets participating against the latter's forty-three. What could be the reason? Was it unworthy, or was it a lack of attention, or perhaps a disdain for it?
If it were just this, it wouldn't be a time for panic. "Commercial films receiving low media ratings" was hardly news, and professional film critics disliking popcorn flicks was a longstanding tradition in North America. Having unfavorable media reviews yet achieving impressive box office results was already the norm for summer blockbusters.
However, the worst was yet to come.
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