So far, Thor: Love and Thunder has received positive reviews from both audiences and critics. Many people took to Twitter to express how ‘blown away’ they were by the film. Some described it as ‘amazing, “mind-blowing,’ and mind-blowing,’ while others said they would watch it again. Many praised Christian Bale’s performance and described the character as “so sexy.”
Thor Love And Thunder, the long-awaited film from Marvel Studios starring Chris Hemsworth and Christian Bale, has finally arrived in theatres. The plot revolves around Thor, who gets back in shape and assembles a formidable team to fight Gorr, the God Butcher.
Except for one, Love and Thunder have no big Thor-ic ambitions. When an enraged Zeus rips the clothes off that blond, biceped screen god is known as Chris Hemsworth, what’s underneath makes viewers gasp, swoon, and collapse.
Thor: Ragnarok is regarded by many, including this reviewer, as one of the best MCU films of all time! What the first two Thor films couldn’t do, the Taika Waititi-directed film did with finesse: it made the God of Thunder likable and witty.
Chris Hemsworth is back for the fourth installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, with old friends and new foes. Is the second time the charm for Hemsworth-eccentric Waititi’s pairing, despite exceeding expectations? Let us investigate!
Thor faces a mid-life crisis in Thor: Love and Thunder, having lost nearly all of his loved ones, including his beloved brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston, who is very much alive in another timeline!). When trouble comes knocking in the menacing avatar of Gorr the God Butcher, the God of Thunder’s dad-bod quickly transforms into a God-bod (Christian Bale).
Gorr is on a killing spree, determined to murder all Gods in retaliation for the untimely death of his young daughter.
Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi) to save the day for the nth time after Gorr cleverly kidnaps Asgardian children as bate.
Also Read: Broker: An Amazing Plot-driven, Suspenseful film that you must see
To Thor’s surprise, his ex-love Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is a surprising counterpart on his intergalactic adventure, possessing unexpected powers capable of wielding Thor’s beloved Mjölnir. You can refer to her as Mighty Thor!
One can’t help but compare Thor: Love and Thunder to Thor: Ragnarok, because Taika Waititi went all out in the former. This time, Taika (screenplay co-written with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson) attempts to combine his trademark wit with Marvel’s humor motif, but falls short in the end. While there are a few laughs, they are insufficient and, God forbid, forced.
What Thor: Love and Thunder do well is the emotional quotient, particularly when it comes to Jane’s cancer diagnosis and how it affects her mentally, dwindling her body with each strike of the hammer. Thor mentioned melancholy that it had been “8 years, 7 months, and 6 days” since they last saw each other.
When it comes to performances in Thor: Love and Thunder, Chris Hemsworth as Thor don’t miss a beat, bringing back the infectious magic of the OG 6 Avengers that I’ve missed in MCU Phase 4. Chris’ underrated comic timing gives even the most childish jokes (and there are many!) a zany edge.
Natalie Portman, on the other hand, gets her due in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the Oscar winner’s acting chops come in handy in the more serious sequences, while Natalie exudes sheer joy in being Mighty Thor (as she awkwardly embraces her muscly superhero side), which is thrilling to watch on the big screen.
The back-and-forth between the two Thors is effervescently delightful, especially when it comes to the jealousy aspects with both their hammers – Mjölnir and Stormbreaker.
Speaking of Oscar winners, Christian Bale gives yet another physically challenging performance as Gorr the God Butcher, where he makes a jumbled backstory work like a charm. Bale is truly terrifying in parts, but the dilatory ending does not justify the means.
Also, Read: Pixar’s Lightyear: Thrills and laughs abound in this animated space film.
Especially when he’s the dark clouds amid a rainbow-envy bag of cheerful characters. Tessa Thompson was the scene-stealer in Thor: Ragnarok, but she’s been relegated to the sidelines in Thor: Love and Thunder, so much so that Korg has more screentime than her, which is unfortunate. Don’t get us wrong: who doesn’t like Korg? But we’d like him a lot more if he was a lot less.
The action sequences in Thor: Love and Thunder raise the ante with a kaleidoscope of colors, orchestrated by Nigel Phelps’ aesthetic production design, while Barry Baz Idoine’s elite cinematography allows time to marvel at even the overtly-CGI takeover.
This is particularly evident in a black and white set piece in the second half, which complements Gorr’s chilling dominance over Thor and his motley crew of misfit superheroes. It lingers with kid-like, metallic vigor in the climax sequence.
Music was a big part of Thor: Ragnarok (who can forget Thor’s epic battle entrance with Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song as the theme song?!) The Guns N’ Roses greatest hits playlist is a masterful addition to Thor: Love and Thunder, as is Michael Giacchino and Nam Melumad’s electrifying score.
In conclusion, Thor: Love and Thunder falls into the loophole of recent Phase 4 outings, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Magic, in which the MCU tries to branch out from its critically panned status quo and ‘experiment’ with its narrative structure.
The Chris Hemsworth-led film can’t compete with Thor: Ragnarok due to its overly ambitious, misguided direction, but for MCU fans (this writer has seen all 29 films! ), Thor: Love and Thunder could be a home run thanks to its dependable cast. Except for the screeching goats, who were hilarious for about a minute!
