Thor: Love and Thunder

 

Score:  A-

Directed by Taika Waititi

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson

Running time: 119 minutes

Rate PG-13

Long Story Short:  Thor: Love and Thunder shows the continued adventures of the last of the three original Marvel superheroes, Thor.  Despite an OK plot and reliance on CGI, this Thor has one of the strongest character showcases in the franchise, which was already a highly underrated feature of these movies.  Mix in plenty of humor, needle drops, and some genuinely neat action, and we have another triumph for the MCU.

**as usual, SPOILERS below!**

Thor (Hemsworth) continues his journey across the galaxy with Star-Lord (Pratt) and the other Guardians, but for all his victories he is restless.  Time and battles, both violent and domestic, have taken much from him, from his parents and adopted brother, to his weapon, Mjolnir, to his relationship with Dr. Jane Foster (Portman).  A threat to not just himself but to all Gods brings Thor new purpose, however.  He soon finds himself back on Earth where the remnants of his people live in New Asgard.  Strong as he is, Thor will need all the help he can get, from loyal friend Korg (Waititi) to the fierce and brave Valkyrie (Thompson) and more to prevail.

Thor: Love and Thunder keeps this sub-franchise within the Marvel Cinematic Universe surprisingly fresh with compelling character work and stakes, even if the style is not as well-honed as Ragnarok's.  The beginning of the movie sees Thor still chumming around with the Guardians of the Galaxy characters, which is where we last saw him at the end of Avengers: Endgame.  A good place to start, but that other series seems to infect this whole movie a little too much: GoG's signature silliness and ubiquitous pop soundtrack are in abundance.  I do love the GoG, but I would have preferred that Waititi stick more to his own eccentrically irreverent style that he introduced in Ragnarok.  The main plot in which a scary new villain wants to destroy all the Gods, and seeks a mystical source to do so, is also a little ho-hum, but I get that it's difficult to bring it, well, down to Earth when your main character is a God himself.

Where Love and Thunder truly shines, however, is in its characters.  Dr. Jane Foster takes center stage here, a bit like Wanda Maximoff stealing the thunder (sorry) from Doctor Strange in this summer's Multiverse of Madness.  It's just as effective, if not more so, here.  Foster's cancer diagnosis presents something rare in the MCU: a threat that can't be defeated through sheer strength of arms or courage.  It immediately gives the film much more humanity and vulnerability.  Jane's ultimate fate also provides more lasting consequence and impact than usual.  But the film doesn't dwell on the illness; Foster's reappearance (absent in Ragnarok) allows a reconnection with Thor and deeper exploration of the relationship; there's a brief but excellent realistic montage of memories.  And, last but not least, it's really cool to see her as a superhero (with a nifty explanation for it, to boot)!  Thor and Gorr, the villain, are also great.  Thor begins adrift, looking inward after all his personal losses; it's powerful to see him reinvigorated by a focus on others, from Jane to the kidnapped children to Love.  Gorr is one of the strongest villains in the MCU.  Having Christian Bale in the role is obviously a huge advantage, but his origins are also both creative and tragic, and make his final redemption both meaningful and earned.  Valkyrie and Korg don't get a lot to do - there's just not enough room - but their presences are very welcome, too.

Finally, the action and humor - essential aspects of any Marvel movie - are both well done, with some highlights as well as weaker points.  I tend to prefer the more grounded, practical stunts and action scenes, but Thor at least brings effective, imaginative CGI for an entertaining theater experience.  Some sets devolve into somewhat "generic fantasy", as in the Omnipotence City battle and any shadow monsters, but anything with Gorr against Thor and/or Jane and Valkyrie is great (related: I liked that they didn't make Mjolnir "brand new", instead using its shattering as a new ability).  Love and Thunder isn't quite as funny as Ragnarok - which is a high bar to clear - but it still has plenty of laughs, whether it's Thor's awkward (but relatable) goodbye to the Guardians, the great cameos, or the tourist-trap New Asgard.

***

Thor: Love and Thunder is a great return to thrilling summer blockbuster entertainment at the movie theater, following the disappointment of the final Jurassic World.  It would certainly be healthy for the industry if Hollywood didn't have to rely so much on the clockwork excellence and success of Marvel, but it seems to be moving that way more and more.  Critics seem to be tiring of Marvel, with the newest Thor getting a 67% Rotten Tomatoes score; not bad, but significantly down from most Marvel movies despite (in my opinion) little to no actual dip in quality.  Oh, well - their loss.  Looking ahead, the remaining summer schedule looks a bit sparse, but hopefully there will be at least one or two nice surprises ahead.  In the mean time, check this out if you haven't already!

* By https://twitter.com/thorofficial/status/1528915481758797825, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7056633