Disney+ Day Review — Thor: Love and Thunder
Do you have a friend whom you find funny, albeit in an offbeat way?
I’m talking about the person who makes you laugh, but several of your exes never wanted to hang out with them…
That’s pretty much Thor: Love and Thunder as a movie. The people who adore it will obsess over it for years.
Everyone else will feel like that ex who dumps you because of your questionable taste in friends.
What Is Thor: Love and Thunder?
You may think of the fourth film as the direct sequel to Thor: Ragnarok, although it’s perhaps better viewed as the fallout from Avengers: Endgame.
Everyone remembers the brutal series of events that unfolded around Thor.
His entire family has died, some of them multiple times. Meanwhile, Thor failed to save humanity from Thanos, at least at first.
Source: newyorktimes.com
This defeat put him in a tailspin that caused him to turn into Fat Gamer Thor.
Eventually, Thanos died at the hands of The Avengers, resetting the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to its previous state.
Still, Thor carries that psychological trauma with him. I wouldn’t say that he’s spiraling at the start of Thor 4, but he’s definitely not the Thor we know.
Other characters from recent Thor movies like Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Waititi’s Korg return. However, there’s one significant personnel change…
What’s the Story of Thor: Love and Thunder?
Notably, director Taika Waititi has made a one-for-one trade from Thor: Ragnarok.
We’ve lost Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in favor of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. Of course, they’re both superstar talents. Still, this move changes the dynamic.
Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock
Thor has previously referred to Hulk as a friend from work. Conversely, Foster is the love of an immortal’s life. It’s a decidedly different tone.
The story of Thor: Love and Thunder involves the previously destroyed Mjolnir, which empowers its possessor with the strength of Thor.
On Earth, Jane Foster has apparently suffered the same fate as her mother. She’s received a cancer diagnosis…and it’s stage four. She’s dying soon.
For a reason we won’t understand until later in the film – and it’s lovely! – Foster gains control of Mjolnir. In the process, she turns into the Mighty Thor.
Meanwhile, an enemy arises named Gorr the God Butcher. You can imagine how he feels about the residents of New Asgard and especially Thor.
Gorr wields a weapon capable of slaying even Thor, which admittedly seems less impressive in the wake of Avengers: Endgame.
A surprise occurs when Gorr realizes there are two different Thors now. Still, he never wavers from his plan to kill all deities on the way to [redacted].
What Works in the Film?
Let me be blunt. If you like Taika Waititi’s sense of humor, you’ll at least enjoy Thor: Love and Thunder. You may revere it.
Source: pinkvilla.com
Conversely, if you find Waititi a bit much, you may actively despise him by the end of Thor 4.
You can really taste the Waititi in this story. The humor is super-strange, even for the guy responsible for What We Do in Shadows.
Personally, I like but don’t love Waititi’s sense of humor. My wife and I argue about this occasionally, as I feel he could use more self-editing. She’s a superfan.
With Thor 4, Waititi unleashes screaming goats, shadow realms, and a love quadrangle involving a hammer and an ax.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
By this point, we kinda take for granted how weird the Thor franchise has gotten, but this one could reach a breaking point for many fans.
You’ll notice I’m saying this in the “what works…” section because that’s what I believe here.
The humor in this movie absolutely lands for me…mostly. Yes, some jokes misfire badly, while others gain too many callbacks.
Still, I laughed a lot during the movie, which is what I want to do in a Thor film.
Before the MCU existed, this character’s only identifying traits were a hammer and his love of mead.
Marvel has fleshed out Thor as an engaging, wounded character with a kind heart and a dull blade of a brain.
The contrast of him with the totally brilliant Foster pays dividends here as the idiot and the super-genius keep circling back to their hearts.
Also, some returning faces from previous MCU movies feel like visits from long-absent friends. And there’s a scene in a…pantheon that should bring everyone joy.
What Doesn’t Work in the Film?
I should confess that I wrote this part first, which tells you that I definitely noticed the flaws.
For starters, some of the acting felt off. We’re talking about a film with Natalie Portman and Christian Bale as leads. They’re Academy Award-winning actors.
Why, then, did I cringe at some of their dialogue?
I suspect the answer lies within the pandemic. Given the strange atmosphere on set, a “Get ‘er done” philosophy drove the filming.
A few sequences needed reshoots, but it would have caused too much trouble and money to film more takes.
Similarly, MANY of the jokes in the film just don’t land. Meanwhile, some that do land at first get beaten into the ground.
Also, Thor 4 suffers from some tone issues. For example, it starts with an extremely dark scene rather than an introduction to characters we love.
Waititi saves that for second, and I think it’s a miscalculation. Watching someone suffer and die doesn’t establish the best vibe for an upbeat action movie.
Then, there’s the inconsistent treatment of deities in this film. So many of them come across as useless buffoons, including the first one and the cameo star.
Hollywood Reporter
Isn’t that what Thor is supposed to be instead? Yet, somehow, he comes across as too noble compared to the rest of the various pantheons.
Perhaps that’s by design as a way of showing the positive impact of humanity on Thor. But, if so, it’s not underscored enough in the story.
Also, Marvel is facing something of an existential crisis with its action scenes. Each one must outdo the last, and it’s gotten exhausting.
Going back to basics could help Marvel avoid the unwelcome fate of the DC Universe, a place where skyscraper buildings explode by the dozens.
Marvel’s trending wrong on this front.
Final Thoughts
After merely a few days, Thor: Love and Thunder has already proven divisive. I’m not surprised in the least.
When Marvel hires directors to make movies, leader Kevin Feige accepts that the projects will take on the identities of their storytellers.
In the case of Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi was something of an unknown to most movie fans. So, his quirky style proved a breath of fresh air.
Now, he’s starred as a villain in a popular film, Free Guy, anchored a well-regarded TV series (Our Flag Means Death), and turned into a staple of the MCU.
Unfortunately for Waititi, he’s entered that phase where people start to question whether he deserves all the attention he’s gained.
Source: screenrant.com
With Thor 4, the director has leaned into his absurdist sense of humor, thereby alienating those who were hoping he might rein in the story a bit.
How you feel about the movie will depend entirely on whether you laugh at Waititi’s jokes enough to overlook the story’s shortcomings.
Personally, I did and give Thor: Love and Thunder an A-. It’s no Thor: Ragnarok, but it’s a welcome addition to the MCU.
