THOR: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder, storms into cinemas this week. For those familiar with director Taika Waititi’s alternative approach to the Thor franchise following Ragnarok, this movie has different expectations compared to previous offerings. Waititi completely shifted the tone of the Thor series with his previous instalment, and it came as a surprise. Love and Thunder faces the challenge of delivering an equally funny, warped adventure while not diminishing or disrespecting the immense grandeur of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is pleasing to say, that (for the most part) it succeeds.
The movie picks up with a summary of Thor’s adventures alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy. Somewhat pleasingly, this includes a large portion of what was seen in trailers and is resolved within the first 30 minutes – meaning most of the movie is an unpredictable and unique plot.
Christian Bale stars as the leading antagonist, Gorr. His character’s backstory provides significant depth the physicality Bale brings to the role is fantastic. Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster also satisfies a story arch that had been left open for some time. At this stage it goes without saying, but Chris Hemsworth has cemented himself as a headline act, more than capable of holding the franchise on his own (impressive) shoulders.
This film is very funny, and there are numerous laugh-out-loud moments throughout. Russell Crowe’s role as Zeus is entertaining, as are other various A-list cameos throughout. There are times when the comedy risks taking away from the severity of the moment, hence reducing the stakes. Despite this, there are truly heartfelt, sombre moments that are treated with warmth. In particular, a very effective black-and-white sequence at the end of the second act effectively shifts the tone and highlights Waititi’s film-making ability.
At this stage, Marvel movies are as certain as death and taxes. Thor: Love and Thunder is not some ‘cookie-cutter’ super-hero movie – it is unique, entertaining and includes enough significant moments to cement its footing as one of the strongest Marvel movies in this latest phase of films. It offers something refreshingly different and is well worth your time at the cinema.