Here’s our review of Thor: Love and Thunder, starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Taika Waititi
TITLE: Thor: Love and Thunder. GENRE: action, comedy. COUNTRY: USA. DIRECTOR: Taika Waititi. CAST: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Christian Bale, Russel Crowe, Jamie Alexander. DURATION: 119 minutes. PRODUCTION: Marvel Studios. ITALIAN DISTRIBUTION: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. RELEASE: 6 July.
For the first time in the now established history of the MCU, a single superhero is dedicated a fourth feature film. At 3 films we see Iron Man, Captain America and Spider-Man still, while Ant-Man will join the group in 2023 with the already announced Quantumania. Thor: Love and Thunder for these alone it already represents something new in the Marvel macrocosm, which after the successes of the Infinity Saga has yet to return to the level it deserves. After the box office success of Thor: Ragnarokthe direction of the New Zealander is confirmed Taika Waititi, who for the occasion is also a co-writer as well as a director. How did he fare in his second superhero adventure? Find out in our Thor: Love and Thunder review!
The plot | Thor review: Love and Thunder
After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) joins the Guardians of the Galaxy to experience new adventures in space and to find new purpose after a lifetime of battling villains. Everything seems to be going well, until the God of Thunder learns of Gorr’s crimes (Christian Bale), called the Slayer of the gods and intent on wiping them all off the face of the universe. After parting with the Guardians, Thor recruits into his quest Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), who became ruler of New Asgard, faithful friend Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), which he is now able to wield FlourThor’s old hammer destroyed in Ragnarok, and possesses the powers of the Thunder God.
A new Ragnarok, or almost | Thor review: Love and Thunder
The Thor saga is one of the most controversial in the MCU. The first film of 2011 is marked by an almost Shakespearean approach to the character, with pompous tones and a very faithful representation of the mythological style of some comic books. The second chapter, The Dark World (2013), is instead considered one of Marvel’s worst flops, failing to convince either the viewers or Chris Hemsworth himself, close to abandoning the character. At Marvel Studios you then opt for one Revolution, bringing on board Taika Waititi and entrusting the fate of the God of Thunder to him and his irreverent style. The result is Thor: Ragnarok, who grosses over 800 million dollars in the world but it divides the fans: there are those who love it and those who hate it. This is a radical change for the character, from being serious and extremely distant from a human dimension to almost childish jokes and gags. Here comes Love and Thunder. The fourth film on Thor follows the line taken with the predecessor, but managing to stand out for a very simple reason: in important and profound moments, Love and Thunder takes itself seriously all the wayunlike Ragnarok, who often expired at comic moments where they weren’t needed.
Gorr and the mighty Thor, a breath of fresh air
Another big point in favor of Ragnarok is the management of secondary characters. With the exception of Valkyrie, who in this film is little more than an ornament, Jane Foster returns to the MCU bringing a lot of energy and a different plot than usual, managing to be one of the best sidekicks of all Marvel movies. Her character seems reborn from the days of the first two chapters of the saga (she was absent in Thor: Ragnarok) and she is given a lot of space and a true heroin arc within the film. Even the villain deserves a few words of respect. Christian Bale’s Gorr doesn’t appear too much on screen but, when he does, it turns out disturbing as perhaps no villain seen so far. The appearance of him, despite being slightly different from that of comics, terrifies and, combined with a voice of a true psychopath, creates a very recognizable enemy. Its evolution is very linear, it does not present particular twists, but at least he’s not a ‘why yes’ villain as many have seen in previous films (see Kaecilius from the first Doctor Strange or both of Ant-Man’s enemies).
Conclusions
Thor: Love and Thunder undoubtedly represents the best movie about the charactermanaging to be less caciarone than Ragnarok but infinitely more exciting than the first two chapters. The plot is very simple, almost childish at times, and for this reason Waititi did not exaggerate the duration: the film ends after less than two hours, credits included. Chris Hemsowrth’s Thor takes another step on his troubled path, while Natalie Portman’s Mighty Thor steals the show on more than one occasion, as well as Christian Bale’s Gorr. The special effects are confirmed as spectacular after their excellent use in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, giving us some aesthetically amazing scenes, such as the black and white clash between the protagonists and the villain. The similarity in style with Ragnarok will make many twist their noses and cheer with joy: it does not come out, the film will smash criticism again. Unfortunately I have to take sides and say: I liked Love and Thunder 100 times more than Ragnarok, despite the obvious similarity.
PS: As can be seen from the trailers, this film is full of Guns ‘N’ Roses. It could have been worse.
And what do you think of our review of Thor: Love and Thunder? Will you see it in the cinema? Did you like Thor: Ragnarok? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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