Minute Twenty-Seven: From Laufey’s Attack to Laufey’s Declaration
It’s a special week with a new guest each day! Today’s guest is Steve Sarmento from TruStory FM’s Trailer Rewind podcast. He joins us to talk about the arrival of Odin on Sleipnir and Odin’s discussion with Laufey.
In the twenty-seventh minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor…
- We wonder what’s going through Sif’s and Loki’s heads as we see those closeups of them looking at the Frost Giants.
- Branagh uses yet another god’s eye view shot to great effect as he shows the Frost Giant army start moving in on the six Asgardians. But we see them stop when a light comes down from the sky.
- So how does Odin know that this is the right moment to arrive? Is Heimdall watching and telling him the right moment to go? And why does he get to bring his horse Sleipnir but Thor and his friends couldn’t?
Odin arrives on the back of Sleipnir, and there’s plenty to talk about with this horse.
- Speaking of Sleipnir, we talk about the complexities of an eight-legged horse and try to figure out how it would move. We also laugh about his crazy origin stories, one of which includes Loki and a horse… you know…
- As for Odin’s arrival on the Bifrost, we’ve decided that Heimdall leaves the Bifrost on just a few extra seconds because Odin loves the backlit rainbow look it gives him. Such a dramatic entrance and we’re here for it 100%.
- So Thor – with his back to the Frost Giants – shouts to his father that they’ll finish them together. Does anybody else thinks this perhaps isn’t the best strategy? Especially because Odin’s arrival is the moment that finally spurs the Frost Giants to start forming their ice weapons.
- Odin clearly has had some parenting issues with Thor, but his “Silence” he whispers to Thor is such a great moment that truly shuts Thor up and starts the doubt and confusion in his mind. Plus, he’s way up on Sleipnir on a bluff, so he really towers over Thor.
- This moment gives us a surprising opportunity to reference The Godfather as Odin silences Thor.
- Odin also carries such a great angry shot on his face, while Loki again does a great job of being stone-faced.
Laufey uses his ice magic to get up to Odin’s level on the back of Sleipnir, and the kings debate.
- Laufey uses a surprising Iceman-ish move as he makes an ice riser for himself to get up to Odin’s level. Perhaps this technique of theirs is how they got down here to the cliff so quickly from Utgardhall?
- This is a great moment to really get a sense of perspective of the Frost Giants and the Asgardians. They actually look so much bigger here, which often doesn’t work quite as well. Seriously, he’s taller than Odin on Sleipnir!
- It’s great seeing Laufey and Odin together. Laufey may be emaciated but he still looks strong. Odin does look weary as Laufey points out.
- Laufey calls Odin ‘Allfather.’ Is that just as a sign of respect? He certainly has a lot to be upset about at this moment.
Odin’s like the dad trying to make up for his son who crashed their car into the neighbor’s house.
- Odin acts like his son’s just a little rapscallion and tries to get him out of trouble, but it doesn’t work. Laufey’s been pushed too far. I mean, he essentially started war here.
- It does seem like if there’s a time for Laufey to take action, this is it. His planet is dying, after all.
- Is there anything Odin could have said to prevent war? What would’ve happened if he hadn’t arrived? It seems to us that war is the inevitable conclusion here. That being said, it’s a bit odd that later in the film, Laufey doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
- With all of that, we’ve decided that we want Marvel to make a movie about the battle between Odin and Laufey. They’re just so incredibly compelling.
- “Don’t let the Bifrost hit you on your way out!”
It’s a great minute with eight-legged Sleipnir and the start of some intense family drama, not to mention the brink of war. Tune in!
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