Kenneth Branagh took the helm of the very first Thor movie, released 15 years ago, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just beginning. You’ll likely recall that Branagh gave Thor a distinctive visual style, as the film is absolutely packed with canted angles (aka Dutch angles). Some people hated that choice, and it seems that Marvel Studios wasn’t entirely sure whether it was the right call either.
While speaking on the On Film…With Kevin McCarthy podcast, Branagh revealed that Marvel Studios had discussed what it would take to “horizontalize” Thor, but at the end of the day, it was deemed too expensive.
“I know there was a conversation at some point in some part of the Marvel universe where they had a conversation about, ‘What would it cost to horizontalize this movie?’” Branagh said. “And I am glad to say that the cash price for that process was so prohibitive.“
Branagh defended the Dutch angles. “I could never understand why people were so baffled by that choice. Go back to any run of the comics, the classic ones, the Kirby ones, and look at the framing,” he said. “It was just more about visual impact. It was just what would hit you in a world, in a story about gods. I felt as though there was a reason for everything, and it was also the way you could put yourself behind it.“
I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of the canted angles back in the day, but they’ve grown on me over time. What about you?
Branagh stars alongside Ryan Reynolds in Mayday, an action comedy which is now streaming on Apple TV, but should have been released in theaters.
“Mayday is easily the best movie not hitting the big screen this year and one of the best streaming-only releases I can think of. Ryan Reynolds has proven he can partner with virtually anyone and make it into movie magic, but his chemistry with Kenneth Branagh ranks up there alongside his work with Hugh Jackman,” wrote our own Alex Maidy in his review. “Mayday is a wasted opportunity for Apple Studios and Skydance to have closed out the summer at the multiplex with an ideal action blockbuster that proves why old-school action-comedies are still worth watching when they are done well.“