Canon Editor said:
I watched the 2nd draft of Malthus' Thor: Odinson fan edit last night, and was positively impressed.
Let me say this before, though: I only watched Thor once in my life, wasn't fond of it and never watched it again. I generally do not like MCU movies and did not remember most of the original going on.
I have to say, I rather enjoyed the movie this time around. The first time, I remember finding myself rather neutral throughout. The restructuring really brings out the strengths of the movie. Thor isn't the only character to benefit, but Loki's dark side is shown later and this adds further depth to his persona.
One very small narrative hiccup I had while watching was the fact that it was Odin's voice narrating the Frost Giants' backstory. It feels a bit strange since at this point in the movie you have no idea whose that voice is, but once the flashback was over, I put the narration in context as Odin narrating the story to his children and this made it work, to my surprise. Besides, you couldn't do much with this anyways since you have no other footage and the backstory is necessary to understand the rest of the movie.
I truly think this could establish itself as the definitive Thor edit.
Overall, I'm still not too fond of the movie, but if I decide to revisit the movie again, I will watch your version as it most definitely adds some mystery and fun to the first act, as well as developing the characters in a much more enticing way.
Well done!
I too really loved the new narrative, and agree the flip really suits the film. However, the narrative hiccup is slightly more than that - I think the flashback is misplaced, and had a few issues with it:
1) It is part flashback and part flash-parallel, and that complicates your narrative.
2) Its connection to the preceding scene is unclear - why would Thor remember a battle of which he was not part? Or scenes that happened after he was banished?
3) When the Warrior Four get to Earth, it seems as if you rewound the film too much, and it is not clear why.
3) There is a weird editing glitch at the 42:51 mark - both audio and video.
All in all, I suggest rearranging the scenes by splitting the flashback into two parts:
a) After Thor talks about Yggdrasil, and before he covers her with a blanket, you should incorporate the scenes that tell us about Thor's fall from grace. The scene in Norway (965 AD) should be cut and slightly forward (see part b).
b) After that blanket scene, show us what happened on Asgard after Thor was banished. Insert the Norway scene and the childhood flashback when Loki touches the Casket of Ancient Winters, before Odin shouts STOP. This will make the narration by Odin feel more natural, and seem like Loki's race's memory. Then continue with the edit*.
* I would trim the battle against the Destroyer armor - the Warriors Three and Sif should know it is indestructible, fight accordingly, and not seem to think they won. The trims should focus on them stalling while the town evacuates.
