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Thor: Love And Thunder is the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster to hit theaters this year. It makes MCU history as the first time Marvel has ever done a fourth solo film for any of their characters. Ironic, considering the intention of the third film, Thor: Ragnarok. It was meant to be a grand sendoff for the character after the critical failure of the first two films. But, thanks largely in part to director Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok was a massive hit. It made Thor into a character that audiences find much more enjoyable to watch.
So, naturally, Taika is back to do this fourth installment in the Thor franchise. Does he continue his directorial hot streak with Thor: Love And Thunder? Not quite.
Thor: Love And Thunder
Thor: Love And Thunder is receiving an uncharacteristic amount of backlash for an MCU film. It’s currently in the bottom 5 for MCU films with the lowest ratings at 67%. Is it truly one of the worst films in the MCU? Maybe not, but it veers dangerously close to that territory. The first half of this film is really what bogs it down. The movie finds itself unable to navigate its way to any meaningful moments through an assault of hit-or-miss jokes. And those seemingly endless attempts at witty moments exist in painful contrast to Christian Bale’s occasional scenes as Gorr. The energy he brings to the character is amazing, and he’s frankly the best part of this entire film. But the darkness he brings to his every scene almost makes it feel like you’re watching an entirely different movie.
In the second half, the film seems to realize the tone it should take and makes an adjustment in the right direction. It strikes a much better balance between moments for humor and moments for conflict. At the end of the day, this is a movie about coping with lost love. Whether it’s the God Butcher losing his daughter, or Thor losing the love of his life. Somehow, through all of the screaming goats and jokes about gay rock sex, the moments that focus on cancer, death, and relationships manage to have depth. It’s a surprisingly positive quality, but it comes too little too late.
Unseen Potential
Overall, this isn’t even close to the worst movie in the MCU. It has far too much personality to be put down at the level of generic drivel like Black Widow or Thor: The Dark World. Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth both clearly had a lot of fun playing both Thors in this film, and that adds a fun element to watching them riff. Even if Portman’s comedic talents don’t quite stack up with her plethora of other talents.
The score for Thor: Love And Thunder: 5 out of 10.