Thor: God of Thunder is a 2022 mockbuster produced by The Asylum.
If you’re not familiar with the term, a mockbuster is when a small studio creates a film with a title similar to a major blockbuster to attract attention. In this case, Thor: God of Thunder is a mockbuster of Thor: Love and Thunder, the 2022 Marvel Studios film.
The Asylum is the king of mockbusters, though not the only studio that does this. In fact, this isn’t even their first Thor-based mockbuster—they also made Almighty Thor in 2011. However, Thor: God of Thunder is not a sequel to Almighty Thor. It has different actors, a completely unrelated plot, and no connection between the two.
Before diving into the film itself, it’s worth talking about The Asylum. You probably know them best for films like Sharknado, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies, or even the TV show Z Nation. Over the past 20 years, they’ve made well over 500 films—an absurdly high output, far more than most major studios. They produce so many movies that they even have a live stream running their films nonstop for months without repeating. Personally, I like The Asylum. I know they get a lot of criticism for making mockbusters, but the truth is, they often achieve the same thing as their big-budget counterparts for a tiny fraction of the cost. And sometimes, they’re even better.
So, how do I feel about Thor: God of Thunder? Well, after 20 years, The Asylum has gotten pretty good at what they do. I go into their films with a certain expectation—I don’t expect greatness. These movies are made on a few hundred thousand dollars and often shot in just 12 days. But given those constraints, Thor: God of Thunder does more than most filmmakers could with a similar budget. The special effects aren’t half-bad anymore. The cinematography is okay. The sound mixing is great. Even the acting is… decent.
Granted, the actors aren’t anyone famous. The guy who plays Thor, Myrom Kingery, has a few small roles in other movies, usually uncredited, but he does an okay job. He’s acting alongside Vernon Wells, a character actor you’d definitely recognize. He played Wez, the mohawked villain in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. Another notable name in the cast is Tyler Christopher, best known for General Hospital, in one of his last roles before he passed away. They all do fine—not exceptional, but fine.
Now, let’s talk about the plot. Or rather, the lack of one. It’s as basic as it gets: Thor has to stop Loki from resurrecting Fenrir, the giant wolf, which would trigger the apocalypse. That’s it. Thor teams up with some mortals, including a Norse archaeologist, and with Odin’s help, they take on Loki. If you’re expecting surprises, don’t. It plays out exactly as you’d imagine.
Technically, this is a better film than Almighty Thor. The acting is better, the effects are better, and it doesn’t feel quite as low-budget. It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s passable as a TV movie. The thing about early Asylum films is that they were so terrible they were fun—you’d get friends together, laugh at the absurd plots, and mock the sheer incompetence. That’s why a movie like Transmorphers ended up as a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode.
But you can’t really make fun of Thor: God of Thunder because it’s too competent. That might sound like praise, but in reality, it’s a problem. What’s left? If a movie isn’t exceptionally bad or exceptionally good, what do you have? Mediocrity. And mediocrity is boring.
Sure, the acting is serviceable, the cinematography is fine, the sound mixing is decent, and the effects are passable—but the story is utterly predictable. It doesn’t say anything, it doesn’t surprise you, and it doesn’t even have the ridiculous charm of classic Asylum films. This isn’t Meth Gator. This isn’t Nazis at the Center of the Earth. It’s just… there.
I’d only recommend this movie if you need background noise while doing something else—washing dishes, cleaning the house, whatever. Just don’t expect to be entertained.
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