Marvel's 'Thor: Love and Thunder' leaves you wanting more
What's the story
Thor: Ragnarok was excellent, both in terms of the titular God's character development as well as filmmaking. Director Taika Waititi's whimsical humor, thunderous music, and marvelous cast produced a near-perfect movie. All these elements come together in Ragnarok's successor, Thor: Love and Thunder, yet it feels like a stop-gap before some yet-to-come "main event." But did an OG Avenger deserve this? Here's our review.
Plot
With new threat on the loose, Thor returns back home
Taking place after the events in Avengers: Endgame, Thor 4 shows us how Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has shut his emotions off following numerous heartbreaks and personal losses. Joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, he now lives just to win inter-galactical battles (yep, not-so-healthy coping mechanism). But the emergence of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) gives him a purpose again, ushering him back home.
Do you know?
First, know who is Gorr the God Butcher
To brief you about the chilling antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher is, as the name suggests, on a path to annihilate all Gods. He does this with the help of a weapon called the Necrosword. Waititi swiftly but effectively introduces the character and his motive.
Characters
Jane Foster is heart of the narration; Valkyrie deserved better
Although the titular "hero" is Thor, Dr. Jane Foster/Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Thor's stony-but-friendly sidekick Korg (voiced by Waititi) get a lot of screentime. While Portman has a meaningful arc (which she nails big-time), the other two aren't that lucky. Korg is a comic relief character but it's disappointing how Valkyrie is just tagging along to help build/support other characters.
Personal
Hemsworth comes off as effortless; computer graphics on-point
Playing the character for over a decade now, Hemsworth is effortless as Thor. He imbibes every complexity and vulnerability in the imperfect God. Separately, the graphics are top-notch with Satellite Lab excelling with the CGI lightning. There's so much of it and it's all spectacular.
Problem
Film loses its value in campy storytelling, jokes, glitters
To clarify, Thor: Love and Thunder isn't a bad movie, it's probably the funniest movie Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced. But comedy should not take away the value of the end product. Despite a God-butchering villain loitering across the universe—a terrifying performance brilliantly delivered by Bale—the stakes are never too high. It's all sparkles, campy storytelling, and jokes, never a life-threatening urgency.
Verdict
Not great but certainly enjoyable venture, give it a try
Thor 4 is a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging, and romantic film. But the reason for the writer's dissatisfaction is perhaps the journey the protagonist is on. Film after film, Marvel has been putting Thor through innumerable self-discovery paths with no conclusion in sight. And, the latest attempt is a passable film of a great character. Are we just milking a profitable figure dry? Verdict: 3/5.