Thor: Tales of Asgard

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011) is a Direct to Video animated film from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate featuring the adventures of a teenage Thor, his little brother Loki, and the Warriors Three as they try to retrieve the lost Sword of Surtur from Jotunheim. Long story short: nothing goes as planned.

Tropes used in Thor: Tales of Asgard include:
  • Action Girl: Sif and all of the Valkyries.
  • Adaptation Decay: Claims to be based on the Thor: Son of Asgard stories, but it turns Thor into a Jerkass, the Valkryies into man-hating Amazons instead of warriors of Odin, and the Warriors Three into lying braggarts instead of truth-telling adventurers among other minor changes.
  • Adaptation Dye Job: Small one, but Loki's hair in both the comic and movie is clearly a jet-black. It's not clear why it was changed to brown, but possibly it was due to the problems of shading and giving depth to entirely black hair in animation.
  • Adorkable: Little Loki getting soaked by his "water snake" starts out so cute.
  • An Ice Person: The Frost Giants. Loki also, given his Frost Giant heritage.
  • Almost Kiss: Thor interrupts one between Loki and Amora.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Between Thor and Sif.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Thor towards Loki, though Loki, being the smarter brother, also looks after Thor in his own way.
  • Bittersweet Ending: By the end Thor and Odin reconcile their family differences, but several Frost Giants have died, Asgard and the Valkyries have been attacked, and Loki had to kill a former family friend.
  • Blatant Lies: Loki: (after Thor loses his sword in a public training match) "You were victorious despite the trouble with your sword's grip... Plainly it was too slick. I'll reprimand the dwarfs."
  • Continuity Nod: Loki hands Thor a wooden hammer during the bar fight and it proves far more useful than his sword.
    • Also, Loki's Frost Giant heritage is hinted at when he handles the cold of a snowy Jotunheim better than his bundled and burly companions.
    • When Thor is preparing for his journey he stands in a armory with Mjolnir and the Axe of the Excecutioner on display.
  • Cooldown Hug: Thor gives Loki one after he uses the sword to kill Algrim.
  • Cry Cute: Loki cries when he finds Odin gravely injured in battle with Algrim.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Sif delivers one to Thor. With a broken farm tool.
  • Darker and Edgier: Than most adult films, as it features adult humor, on-screen deaths and graphic images like people bursting into flames and burning to ashes.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Sif, Loki, Fandral and even Hogan.
  • Face Heel Turn: Algrim.
  • Fan Service: The scene where Thor spies on the Valkyries and finds them all bathing naked in the springs. Cut to Sif in a robe with clearly nothing underneath, which is barely staying together.
  • Fantastic Racism: Between the Asgardians, Frost Giants and Dark Elves to varying degrees.
  • Foreshadowing: Loki's control over water (and ice and mist by extension), as well as his immunity to the cold in Jotenheim hints at his Frost Giant heritage.
    • Also, the ending, with Loki murdering Algrim in cold blood and then hiding in his temple to play with his (growing) magic, hints at his future Face Heel Turn.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: Tons of it. From Amora whispering seductively in Loki's ear (which triggers an obviously turned on expression on his face) to Sif shooting an arrow into the archery dummy's crotch to Fandral being asked how many of the Valkyries he's 'angered'.
  • Grey and Gray Morality: Nothing is absolutely "good" or "bad" in this story.
  • Hot for Teacher: Loki obviously has a thing for his (extremely sexy) magic teacher Amora, and she seems to reciprocate.
  • Jerkass: Thor, before his Character Development.
  • It Gets Worse: Said verbatim when the Warriors Three discover Thor and Loki stowed away.
  • Kill It with Fire: The Sword of Surtur does this.
  • MacGuffin: Sword of Surtur.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: Thor's reaction after he accidentally uses the Sword to kill two Frost Giants and trigger a war between Asgard and Jotenheim.
    • Also Loki, after he kills Algrim in a fit of fury.
  • No Pronunciation Guide: At least, they apparently didn't have one, since everyone pronounces "einherjar" incorrectly.
  • Papa Wolf: Odin, who even admits he goes a little too far shielding his sons from the world.
  • Royal Brat: Thor, at first.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: Thor and Loki, though they're not yet at the Cain and Abel stage.
  • Start of Darkness: For Loki, by the end of the film.
  • Straw Feminist: The Valkyries.
  • Sword Beam: The Sword of Surtur shoots fire.
  • Tragic Villain: Algrim. Given the fact that his family and whole people were slaughtered thanks in part to Odin it's no wonder he's pissed. Yes working with Surtur was stupid but again people can be stupid when desperate
  • Those Two Guys: Three guys, actually - the Warriors Three.
  • This Is Sparta: "CAN! YOU! FIGHT!!" -Sif
  • Troubled but Cute: Loki, by the end.
  • Unwilling Suspension: The Warriors 3 at one point.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Loki's a sweet, well-meaning kid who loves his father and brother and is definitely the more rational of Odin's sons..... But that's going to change later.
  • The Wise Prince: Thor, at the end of the movie.
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