Thor: Love and Thunder
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Director: Taika Waititi
Based on the Thor Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jason Aaron
Teaming up with the Guardians, Thor (Hemsworth) keeps himself busy saving civilizations across the galaxy. After they decide to venture out on their own without him, Thor returns to New Asgard as Gorr the God Butcher (Bale) begins a rampage, leaving a trail of dead gods in his path. After Gorr invades New Asgard and kidnaps several Asgardian children, Thor is surprised to find that Jane (Portman) has repaired Mjolnir and is now harnessing its power. As Thor processes this new side of Jane, the duo must put their past behind them and team up with Valkyrie (Thompson) and Korg (Waititi) to stop Gorr and save the children.
In the wake of the resounding success of Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, expectations were high for Waititi's follow up. One of the main selling points was the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, who famously left the MCU after Thor: The Dark World due to her being upset with Marvel being unable to keep director Patty Jenkins. So with the anticipation so high, how did the film actually turn out?
Although I was ultimately disappointed with this sequel, there are a lot of really cool things Waititi is able to achieve. One of the big things Waititi has brought to the franchise is his sense of humor, with Feige and Marvel wisely letting Waititi's personality keep Thor and his adventures fresh and entertaining. People weren't quite ready for funny Thor and that pivot in genre and tone was one of the main selling points of Ragnarok. That humor is very much present here as well but the jokes don't land as well here. For example, although I found them hilarious, some people may find their patience tested by the inclusion of two screaming goats (who are part of the comics).
Both of Waititi's entries in the MCU are visually vibrant. Waititi gives us one of the most jaw dropping visuals in the MCU here when our heroes make it to the Shadow Realm to rescue the children. The fight that takes place here is incredibly creative. As they take on shadow monsters, the scene is in black and white except for certain moments when select objects would feature a splash of color. It's very hard to describe and I definitely didn't do it justice but this sequence left me in awe.
While there are still things to admire, there is a strong sense of deja vu, especilly when it comes to some of the jokes. The Asgardian acting troupe returns here and doesn't work nearly as well. Also, while funny Thor keeps things entertaining, Waititi relies too heavily on undercutting a serious moment with a joke. We didn't necessarily have to go back to the deadly serious Thor of the first two films but a good bit of the jokes feel misplaced. Also, how many times can we watch Thor come of age on screen before it gets old? I think he always starts each movie lost and looking for purpose.
The movie also feels all over the place and rushed. Much has already been made about the short run time and almost 2 hours of cut material Waititi was forced to cut. I doubt we will ever get to see these cut scenes but they might have helped the somewhat erratic tone the finished film ultimately has. You'll never be bored but you'll wish that the story was more cohesive.
Hemsworth, who has literally never been more jacked in his life, commands the screen once again. He understands Thor so well at this point he literally could phone it in at this point. The fact that he doesn't is a testament to his commitment. While it is great to see Portman return, she is saddled with a backstory here that will probably catch a lot of viewers off guard. It is revealed very early but adds a much more serious note to the movie that Waititi doesn't quite know how to bring home. Those excited to see Bale return to the comic book realm will be disappointed by how little he is actually in the movie. Bale is great and keeps Gorr menacing but the movie definitely could have gotten him more involved. Also sidelined is Tessa Thompson, who honestly could have gotten cut and Valkyrie would have still had the same impact on the story. It's not a knock on her performance (she's great) but the disservice the script gives her character.
I feel like I am being too hard on this movie because let's be honest, Ragnarok is a classic and this one has such big shoes to fill. Like many of the films and to a lesser extent the Disney+ shows, this one just doesn't feel like it connects to a larger plan and feels disjointed and erratic.
Grade: B-
Comments