Mark Reviews Movies: THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Studios

Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Become a Patron

Review by Mark Dujsik | July 6, 2022

Thor, the superhero who's also a god of Norse mythology, has always been funny, from the first film that made him a fish-out-of-water on Earth, and among the more well-rounded characters in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe. When Taiki Waititi took over directing duties for the hero's third outing Thor: Ragnarok, the humor of the character and the possibilities of his world took center stage, which made for a surprisingly pleasant change—although not quite enough of one—in the bigger franchise's self-serious ways and reliance on formula.

Waititi returns, this time to both direct and write, with Thor: Love and Thunder, which continues the comedic tone of its predecessor, while also finding a way to remind us that its eponymous superhero is one of the few surviving characters of merit in this expanded series. To be sure, the filmmaker's inability to take anything too seriously does certainly put a bit of a damper on what Chris Hemsworth's Thor must confront within himself, in his relationships with others, and about his view of life and the world. It is refreshing, though, to see such character-based elements become a central focus here, instead of relying on a generic villain or some franchise-pushing exposition to move the plot forward.

To be fair, there is a villain here, although he's far from generic. That helps this installment, too. We meet him first, in a prologue of such physical, emotional, and existential anguish—relatively speaking, of course, because this is still a superhero tale filled with magic—that one might not expect the proceeding film to be as light on its feet as it soon becomes.

The villain this time is a mere mortal named Gorr (Christian Bale). He and his young daughter are the sole survivors of their people, who have died of hunger and thirst in a desert. After the daughter dies, Gorr is transported to the realm of his culture's golden god (played by Simon Russell Beale), who informs the sufferer that there is no eternal reward for mortals. In response, Gorr smites the god with a magical god-killing sword and vows to do the same to every god in the universe.

That, of course, will eventually include Thor, who has gotten back into shape from when we last saw him. He is also trying to get past his own, many losses through meditation and adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy. When an old friend is attacked and New Asgard is threatened by some unknown enemy, Thor leaves the ragtag team—although not before delaying the farewell with some uncomfortable, clingy, and slightly pathetic tactics—and sets out with his rock friend Korg (voiced by Waititi), some large goats that constantly scream, and his battle axe to save the day.

The threat, obviously, is Gorr, now nicknamed "the God Butcher," and Thor's allies in the ensuing, world-hopping fight include Korg, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and his old flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), whose doomed affair with the god of thunder gets a romantic-comedy-like recap via an amusing and then gloomily mundane montage. Jane receives her own re-introduction, as she now has cancer and, after medical treatments fail, is lured to New Asgard by Thor's old hammer.

The hammer grants her superpowers, transforming her into her own version of Mighty Thor—not "Lady Thor," as she's quick to point out to anyone who dares utter the phrase. Thor is awestruck by, a bit envious of, and undeniably still in love with this new Jane (There's also a funny running gag about his jealousy over his old hammer and his new axe's jealousy of Thor's obvious affection for his previous weapon).

Waititi's plotting is commendably simple, especially within the realm of this expanded universe, in which every installment seems to be required to include characters from other series (The Guardians are good for a laugh and an encouraging speech from Chris Pratt's Star-Lord, and that's it) and point toward some future developments in the overall narrative of the franchise. In this self-contained tale, Thor and his team have to track down Gorr, who has abducted the children of New Asgard, and figure out a way to defeat him.

That second part leads to an equally imaginative and amusing stop at a world where the gods—led by Zeus (Russell Crowe, hamming it up with a thin Greek accent, a tiny skirt, and just the right level of pomp), naturally—convene. There, they sit on their thrones and admire—and, if Zeus' only item of business for a meeting is any indication, do other randy things among—themselves.

The plot's narrow and mostly undistracted focus allows for Waititi to have this kind of freedom—of both imagination, with that realm of the gods and another world that has been drained of color, and humor. He takes advantage of it, to be sure, since the film rarely lowers its ironic tone (Even Gorr's attempt to intimidate the kidnapped children is played as a dark gag), and maybe it is a bit too much, especially since the major focal point of Thor and Jane's re-formed relationship is entirely based upon losses both old and inevitable. The jokes in those scenes land with a thud, but Hemsworth and Portman lend sincerity to their characters and this bond that they establish just enough for the third act, which is both a battle with the grief-stricken villain and a chance for the two superheroes to find meaning in loss.

Thor: Love and Thunder finds the title character yet again learning and evolving. In a franchise that seems to go out of its way to ignore or overshadow its own characters, that's something worth celebrating.

Back to Home

Buy Related Products