Thor: Love and Thunder – Review
Back when the previous Thor movie, Ragnarok, came out, I heard only good things and went in with super high expectations. I ended up being disappointed.
When Love and Thunder arrived in theatres, I heard mostly bad things. It had some of the worst reviews of any MCU and people were seeing this as a sign of the end for Marvel. I went in with low expectations and actually enjoyed it.
Yes, Love and Thunder continues the feel of Ragnarok, going for the humorous side of Thor. They go for the laughs and embraces the absurdity of a superhero world full of gods and aliens.
That is not to say that it is all a joke. There are some serious aspects. The bad guy is Gorr the God Butcher, who hates the gods because of the death of his daughter. And Jane Foster gets the powers of Thor because she has very serious cancer.
I will admit that it was a bit of a challenge to balance some of these serious issues with the humorous tone but it general it was done well.
I think the movie was able to wrestle with some of the big questions of life, including why bad things happen, and that the humour was effectively used to get us to face those questions. Did the movie answer those questions? Not exactly, it was more about making the best of the time we have and being willing to sacrifice for the sake of others. Not a bad message.
I liked how they handled Jane Foster in this movie. While Thor seems to have everything and yet lacks direction, Jane comes across as someone who has lost much but has focus. She really is the hero of the movie. I especially enjoyed her quest to find a really good catch phrase.
I am convinced that superhero movies are only as good as their villains. Gorr was an interesting villain. Christian Bale is a great actor and he was able to convey the simmering rage that Gorr had toward the gods. Visually, he portrayed Gorr as a fearsome opponent.
There were some great moments in the movie that I won’t spoil here. But I will say that the scene with the Asgardian children near the end was pretty amazing.
One of the aspects of the recent Thor movies that has been done well is the use of classic rock and heavy metal music. Dropping the right song on the right scene makes all the difference.
Love and Thunder was no End Game but I would say it was one of the better of the recent Marvel movies. Don’t go into it expecting a life-changing drama but embrace the joy of a movie that doesn’t;t take itself too seriously.
