Thor: Love and Thunder
A sequel to 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder follows the titular god of thunder (as played by Chris Hemsworth) who, having lost many loved ones in his career as a superhero, embarks on a journey of self-discovery. This sabbatical is interrupted by the appearance of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who has Thor and the people of Asgard in his sights. Thor is joined on his quest to defeat Gorr by his friends, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi), but also an unexpected ally in his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who has similar powers to him as The Mighty Thor.
There are many moving parts in the premise of this film, which bring with them many interesting storytelling possibilities. Unfortunately, one of Love and Thunder’s biggest problems is that it’s trying too hard to be funny to give the story (or even its own jokes) any breathing room. The first act, for instance, repeats the joke of “Thor thinks he’s a big shot but keeps embarrassing himself” until it wears out its welcome. The screaming goats start by not being funny and do not get funnier.
This increased focus on comedy also makes the result feel oddly paced in places, dragging its feet to make room for more jokes. It’s not all bad though, and once the film gets past its own need for constant gags, there are some solid character moments, particularly between Thor and Jane. However, these stronger moments are fewer and further between than would have been ideal, and the production suffocates on its own pacing at the expense of its central cast and the compelling drama at the heart of their stories. The story comes together fairly well in the end, but the process of getting to the core of the narrative is longer and rougher than is ideal.
Thor: Love and Thunder is a movie that had a lot of potential, but fell tragically short of its lofty ambitions. It’s clear that Waititi wanted to capture the same cinematic lightning that Thor: Ragnarok had, but where its predecessor felt like a breath of fresh air with its tight story and strong comedic chops, Love And Thunder feels too unfocused, too awkward and too by-committee to have the same electrifying effect. It’s a standard Marvel offering: inoffensive but unexciting – which is a real shame as it could have been a lot more.
Umar Ali
Thor: Love and Thunder is released nationwide on 7th July 2022.
Watch the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder here:
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