Thor Love and Thunder Film Review

            

 

With Ragnarok, Taika Waititi captured lightning in a bottle (pun intended). He took an MCU solo series that was struggling after two lacklustre entries, and infused it with just enough of his own unique style, giving us one of the very best Marvel movies. Here we are 5 years later with a sequel that doubles down on everything Ragnarok did right, although maybe doubling down wasn’t the best idea.

How you approach Thor: Love and Thunder will make a big difference in how you feel leaving the theatre afterwards. Go in expecting an important chapter in the MCU’s Phase 4, and you may leave disappointed. Go in expecting a quirky, fun Taika Waititi movie, and you’ll likely have a great time. This entry is packed with Waititi’s recognizable brand of offbeat humour, but the plot doesn’t feel fully formed this time around. It’s not that the movie is uneventful, but considering the villain is called “The God Butcher”, the stakes never feel very high. It also leans heavily on comedy - more than any other Marvel movie, in fact.

Chris Hemsworth continues to prove there’s nobody worthy of playing The God of Thunder like he does. He’s made this character his own over the last decade, and he brings that same energy and charisma to the screen once again. Natalie Portman steps back into the role of Jane Foster, and her version of Mighty Thor is a welcome addition. As for Christian Bale - he’s unsurprisingly excellent, but his character is vastly under-utilized.

Just as the soundtrack plays like a GNR greatest hits album, this movie plays like a greatest hits for Thor. Filled with everything we love about the character, including the signature quirkiness that made Ragnarok such a hit. More of the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves us with an instalment destined to live in the shadow of its predecessor.

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Plot: 6/10

Theme: 7/10

Acting: 8/10

Script 6/10

Directing: 7/10

Score/Music: 8/10

Cinematography: 7/10

Editing and Effects: 7/10

Uniqueness: 7/10

Rewatchability: 6/10

Overall: 3.5 / 5