Jon Mikl Thor was a bodybuilding, steel bending, brick smashing rock star in the 70's and 80's whose theatrical band, Thor, never quite made it big. Years later he attempts a comeback that nearly kills him.
1980s rock god Jon Mikl Thor attempts a comeback in I Am Thor. Beginning his career as a Canadian bodybuilder in the 1970s, Jon Mikl Thor formed the heavy metal band Thor and released over a dozen albums and appeared in 1980s horror films, such as Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare and Zombie Nightmare. Thor decided to retire from show business in 1987, but decided a decade later to make a comeback. Over the next many years, Thor struggles to regain the level of acclaim he had during his heyday.
Probably the most interesting thing about the documentary I Am Thor, is that director Ryan Wise continued to follow Jon Mikl Thor over the course of at least 15 years, as the musician attempted to make a comeback in the 2000s. While undoubtedly having a cult following, Thor was a bit of an over-the-top novelty act, with his muscled physique and water-bottle popping stunts being a main draw at shows. As a much older and less built man, Thor’s comeback consists mostly of self-booked shows and a reliance on his cult following.
I Am Thor can probably be compared a bit to the 2008 documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil, in how it deals with a heavy metal act that the average person might not be too familiar with. Even though he might not be a household name, Jon Mikl Thor still works very hard to keep his music career active, even as various band members come and go and he has to deal with the challenges of getting older. I Am Thor is an OK enough biography about Jon Mikl Thor, even though I kind of wish there was a bit more about his 1980s heyday. That said, fans of rock and heavy metal should dig the film.
★ ★ ★ 1/2 | FAIR