The review embargo for “Thor: Love and Thunder” has lifted. I far prefered ‘Ragnarok.’ This sequel is flat, unfocused and messy.
The villain, Gorr the God Butcher, is played by Christian Bale, a man on a mission to destroy every god in the universe. The Welsh actor is fine here, it’s still a paycheck gig for him, even if he’s quite invested in the role.
There’s the occasional offbeat wit to Taika Waititi’s film, the filmmaker brought much of that same self-effacing humor to “Thor: Ragnarok,” but here there are more serious-minded scenes, especially in the second half, which turns out to be a detriment to the first hour’s wackadoodle fun. The CGI overload is a bit too much.
There are some fun cameos throughout, including an amusing Matt Damon and Russell Crowe, hilariously playing a fat version of Zeus. It’s aided by a hard rock soundtrack that gets your feet tapping. If Zeppelin was a part of the “Ragnarok” soundtrack, Waititi ups the ante in “Love and Thunder,” using a whopping five songs by Guns n’ Roses.
The main issue I have with “Thor: Love and Thunder” is the inconsistent tone Waititi uses. Unlike “Ragnarok,” Waititi doesn’t fully embrace the silliness of an MCU movie, but, at times, takes it too seriously, at face value. This renders the film messy and, by the end, disposable.
Gorr kidnaps the children of a small town as bait. Dark stuff, right? It’s pedantic drama, but then we have Thor and the gang going to the Golden Temple, which has an assortment of gods presided over by Crowe’s hilarious Zeus. This segment works in contrast due to Waititi’s insistence on making the Gods act like they belong inside a Monthy Python skit.
This witty allure carries your attention, but then the sense of been there and done starts to creep in. The romance between Thor and Jane feels convoluted. She’s dying of cancer (oh geez) and he’s still madcap in love with her. Again, much like Thor’s battle against Gorr, you’re just not that invested in the stakes between them to truly care.
There’s dry wit throughout this movie, but also a sense of familiarity. The romance between Thor and Jane feels convoluted. She’s dying of cancer (oh geez) and he’s still madcap in love with her. Again, much like Thor’s battle against Gorr, you’re just not that invested in the stakes to truly care.
The truth is that there has been a clear Marvel fatigue going on with these post “Endgame” releases. Marvel is now 0 for 6 when it comes to their phase four movies. It’s been quite disastrous, but they all still make loads of cash and will continue to be released for the next decade, or at least until the demand for them stops. [C+]
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