Movie Breakdown: Thor: Love And Thunder
Pre-Screening Stance:
Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Thor: Ragnarok is very near the top of the list for me. So, it pretty much goes without saying that I’m excited to see Taika Waititi back for another go with the titular character.
Post-Screening Ramble:
Thor: Love and Thunder isn’t bad, but it is a surprisingly hollow film. Here’s the fairly bare bones story – an angry fella named Gorr (Christian Bale) has acquired a God-slaying weapon called the Necrosword and he’s been using it to knock off any God he can find. Meanwhile, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is still hanging with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but once he gets wind of Gorr, they go their separate ways. This leads him back to New Asgard, where he reunites with King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and – much to his surprise – discovers that Mjolnir has deemed his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, (Natalie Portman), worthy and transformed her into the Mighty Thor. The trio then team up to try and save the day.
Where Thor: Ragnarok had a good balance of humor, drama, and action, Thor: Love and Thunder is pretty much just all jokes and fighting. Thor is a very goofy, boisterous character in this, and it’s so over the top that whenever he says anything even remotely serious, you actually have to take a beat to see if it’s legit. Hemsworth, to his credit, holds his own in what’s a very silly movie, as does Thompson, but Portman struggles to exude any charm or comedic timing. On the flip side of this, Bale is creepy and intimidating as Gorr, but he’s so underutilized that the performance feels a bit like a waste. I’ll give writer/director Taika Waititi this though, Love and Thunder does not drag – this is a very fast paced, two hour ride that wants to make you laugh and dazzle you. And sure, it’s an uneven effort with big moments that often feel unearned and – as I mentioned – the always-a-joke approach undercuts both its villain and the film’s rare serious moments, but at least it’s off to the next bit and/or action scene before you can blink.
Thor: Love and Thunder is generally entertaining, but you’ll forget most of it by the time you get from the theater to your car. If you’re good with that, then get out there for it this Friday, July 8.
One Last Thought:
I’m guessing (or maybe it’s just me hoping?) there’s eventually going to be some sort of “oh, I see” moment, but as of right now, phase four of the MCU couldn’t feel more janky and directionless. What overall story is trying to be told? Are all of these shows and movies really just operating in a quantity over quality state now?
