Synopsis
Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster to fight Gorr the God Butcher, who intends to make the gods extinct.
Directed by Taika Waititi
Written by Taika Waititi and Jennifer Jaytin Robinson
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman & Christian Bale
Released in UK cinemas
Review
When I came out of Endgame, I was disappointed. But on a second (sixth) viewing, I had come around. There was still disappointment there I'll admit, but it wasn't as big as I'd felt after that midnight screening. Where's this going you ask... As the credits began rolling, I turned to my friend and proclaimed - "Well that was a pile of s**t." Unlike Endgame, I'm not going to change my mind.
Thor is getting his life back on track. The Guardians have helped him get some perspective and it's time to go back to New Asgard and see his people. In his absence, however, there's a new superhero on the block... and she's kind of cramping his style.
One of my difficulties with this one is that it's hard to tell what the film is wanting to do. A redemption arc for Thor, introducing new characters, setting up for the next big finale? That all doesn't seem like a problem initially, but just wait.
I loved Thor: Ragnarok. It's my favourite MCU film. It mixed the underlying humour with the nuttiness of Guardians and it worked. But, something about Love and Thunder makes me feel like they said "Just go for it, anything you want"...
The last we saw of Thor he was flying off into the great unknown with a plucky band of heroes... and it's almost like they completely forgot that had happened, and at the last minute had to write the beginning of the movie again. The whole opening was so badly acted (and dull) that I was genuinely convinced that not all of the actors were back for these cameos. And not just GotG, every recalled character was wasted.
Christian Bale was Christian Bale, I expected nothing less, I imagine him being entirely terrifying on set. This is where the film does a real disservice. With a strong, dark performance and character, Gorr the God Butcher is surrounded by bright tomfoolery. Yes, I said tomfoolery. Gorr deserved a better film.
Possibly my least favourite bit that felt entirely at odds with Gorr's story, is all the gods being so over the top. They do try to explain this away at one point, but this and the fact you don't see Gorr on his godly murder spree led to more and more frustration.
Seemingly that and other cameos were left on the cutting room floor in order to keep the running time under 2 hours. Cutting that spree almost certainly had a negative impact on the film.
If it wasn't clear from everything above... I did not enjoy this film. (I saw it in a double bill, little did I know that Minions: The Rise of Gru would be the best film I saw that day.) I could go on and on about Love and Thunder. Don't get me wrong, there are things about it that I enjoyed, but those things definitely constitute spoilers.
Note: For those of you that stay through the credits, there are two scenes. Both of which give possibilities for the future of the next MCU phase. One I'm excited for, the other... not so much.
What you should do
As always, if you watch Marvel films, you're going to watch this one regardless of my thought. If you haven't already paid to see it, rest assured. you can wait to see it on Disney+.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
The bunny. If you know, you know.
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