Thor: Love and Thunder Review
Thor: Love and Thunder brings back Chris Hemsworth as the titular character along with a few familiar faces for a new Thor adventure. The 29th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees Thor as a Space Viking who has teamed up with Guardians of the Galaxy.
For the most part, the film emphasises Thor living his life after the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019) while dealing with the losses he has experienced throughout his life. From losing his parents to watching his brother die, it seems that Thor ends up failing everyone he cares about.
Thor: Love and Thunder is the first fourth solo movie for any hero in the MCU, which meant expectations were a bit mixed. The film sees the return of director Taika Waititi (also the voice of Korg) who reinvigorated the Thor franchise in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Avengers: Endgame teased a new adventure of Thor with the Guardians of the Galaxy so it was disappointing that we didn’t get much of that. And while the Guardians do make an appearance, it felt more like a glorified cameo.
The film is a colourful adventure of Thor that emphasises comedy more than action. Since comedy is subjective, some people might find it less amusing than others. There are also several clever easter eggs in the film that would probably be understood only by longtime fans of the MCU.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor is as charming as ever and his comedic timing is impeccable. film. Oddly enough, while we didn’t appreciate Natalie Portman’s role as Jane Foster in the first two Thor films, she is nothing short of spectacular in this movie. Portman makes her first appearance since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World and steals the show as Mighty Thor while managing to compete with Hemsworth’s Thor.
The trailer makes it clear that Jane Foster can wield the Mjölnir (Thor’s ex-weapon), but the explanation of how that event came to be is a bit too convenient.
Speaking about the villain, when fans heard that Christain Bale was cast as God The Butcher, they were ecstatic. The actor is well revered for his dedication to accurately presenting the characters he portrays so fans were expecting a terrifying villain. After all, a good repertoire of villains is the most lacklustre factor in the MCU, with Thanos played by Josh Brolin being the major exception.
Christian Bale delivers an impressive performance and manages to secure a place as one of the most terrifying villains in the MCU – despite suffering from lack of screentime. However, we felt that Christain Bale as God The Butcher was heavily underutilised in the film. For a character who supposedly spreads fear among the Gods, we didn’t see him doing much of that in the film.
Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Zeus was surprisingly one of the strange highlights of the film – especially the little circus action with this bolt. Tessa Thompson reprises her role as Valkryie and becomes a fun addition to the team.
With a runtime of just under two hours, Thor: Love and Thunder is a fast-paced Marvel flick. The film heavily leans on comedy and less action which may not bode well with certain fans, but regardless, if you liked Ragnarok, you may enjoy this film too.
Final Verdict: 3.2 stars (out of 5)
