Marvel Studios presents Thor: Love and Thunder in cinemas everywhere NOW
Synopsis
Thor embarks on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced — a quest for inner peace. However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who — to his surprise — inexplicably wields his magical hammer. Together, they set out on a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance.
Review
WOW! I feel like I have just come out of Download Festival with my best mates! Quick caveat that I went into this movie without seeing ANY trailers.
The opening is very poignant as we learn the origin and motivations of Christian Bale’s Gorr. The mood dramatically shifts as Taika Waititi’s Korg hilariously recounts Thor (or the Space Viking) and The Guardians of the Galaxy’s adventures since Avengers: Endgame. The contrast of drama and comedy plays throughout the film, adding to each theme as it does. While the movie is connected to the MCU, it is a standalone movie with no real impact on the wider MCU, apart from introducing a few new characters. This disconnect from the MCU is refreshing and allows Taika and co. to run wild and free, like kids in a the biggest and best toy store in the world. Its one you can watch again and again and again!
The film excels in its ability mix humour, action, emotion, and threat – something director Taika Waititi is no stranger to. Taika pulls this off by assembling a great cast with excellent chemistry which quite literally shines on the screen. The biggest surprise for me was Natalie Portman as The Mighty Thor. She is thunderous in the role and looks awesome while doing it! In truth, this film is her story as hers is the best character arc. Her relationships with Thor and Valkyrie are touching, and her story tragic. Hemsworth is, as always, terrific as Thor. It is a big change from the source material and the first 2 MCU Thor films, but one I am all for. Bale throws everything into his role as Gorr as you’d expect, and Tessa Thompson is exceptional once again as Valkyrie. I do however wish we got a bit more of the Guardians!
The soundtrack is epic and adds to the chaos of the action. From Guns ‘n’ Roses to ABBA, they all work much in the way the 90’s soundtrack of Captain Marvel did. The score is also well crafted, supplying tension and emotion when needed. There are some great gags, including Thor doing splits, Infinity Conez Ice-cream Parlour, Thor flying on Stormbreaker like its witch’s broom, the list honestly goes on and on. There are also some great cameos – the greatest cheer of the night came during the mid-credit scene – and new characters are introduces which I hope to see in future MCU movies. There are some epic visuals that will stick with me forever, such a Thor imbuing his powers to the children of Asgard, and both Thor’s jumping into battle, hammer and axe drawn.
I feel that Gorr, although menacing and superbly acted by Christina Bale, never really posed a major threat. That being said, having a villain which isn’t just another version of the hero was refreshing! There were also some iffy CGI moments, such as the Shadow Monsters, but these were few and far between. The shift between comedy and drama can sometimes be unsettling, and there is quite a bit of swearing which was jarring, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience. Although it is paced really well, I feel it could have done with an extra 10-15 minutes focussing more on Gorr and building him up as a more credible threat.
The ending leaves it open for Thor (and someone else) to return, and I can’t wait to hear Korgs recounting of their adventures! We’ve lost pretty much all of the original Phase 1 heroes, but we’ve possibly still got the best! At its core, this is a film about love. How love can hurt and how it can destroy you. But also, how love is what unites us all, how it can save you, and how it can redeem you – lets not lose sight of that.
Verdict
Thor: Love and Thunder is Thor: Ragnarok turned up to 11! My ears and eyes are bleeding and my heart is pounding – It is a visual and audio feast! I enjoyed every moment, it is hilarious, chaotic, camp, charming and METAL AF!!
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