Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Review
“I want to choose my own path.”
Within the first three phases of the MCU – Disney crafted a formula to garner the attention of general audiences in a manner no franchise has ever done before. And though there may have been an illusion of diversity between each of the films, they never quite broke the mold in terms of their analogous narrative structures. Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok essentially reworked the character to fit alongside his vision, yet, the story beats still felt as if they were part of a “bigger picture”; leaving an impact to be desired from these seemingly “singular” films. So, after the critical and commercial success of Endgame, fans have been scattering to figure out what the goal is anymore within this franchise; what is this new “phase” eventually leading to? Personally – I couldn’t care less. Between Shang-Chi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder – this is the most fun I have had with this franchise in a really long time. Waititi’s latest in the 29-film franchise is a surprisingly small-scale outing that feels a little messy in design – while all the more feeling more human in approach. And for a franchise that feels like it’s been pumping out films using an algorithm for about a decade – I’ll take the one that feels like it’s having more fun instead.
The fourth entry of the Thor franchise finds our titular character slightly directionless post-Endgame; matching somewhat of the recent sentiments of the MCU itself. In his mopey journey into loneliness – he ends up back at Asgard, now relocated on Earth as a tourist attraction in a fishing town. As the town is attacked by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) – Thor also encounters his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who now possesses Mjolnir as well his own powers. Gorr kidnaps the Asgardian children and retreats; leading Thor, Jane, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Korg (Taika Waititi) on a journey to get them back. Though Gorr’s storyline is formally the main narrative within this story, the film chooses to hone in on the goofy cosmic rom-com between Jane and Thor; an aspect I ended up quite liking. Admittedly, Gorr is indefinitely underutilized but I rather enjoyed the airiness of the narrative direction here – feeling more focused on the characters and less-so just trying to hit every formal story beat.
Thor: Love and Thunder is, first and foremost, a comedy. Though Gorr and Jane’s arcs have much more weighty undertones, Waititi has always been known to drown at the tragedy with something much more bittersweet; this move ends no differently. Understandably, if you don’t enjoy Waititi’s humor, which is seemingly both at its most obnoxious and subdued here, this may not be the entry up your alley. Personally, I really enjoyed the numerous antics and gags in the film – from relocating to Asgard to treating Russell Crowe’s Zeus as an absolute joke. Overall, it’s a film that flows much differently than most of the MCU and concludes off in a manner that succeeds emotionally as well. The pacing near the finale undoubtedly feels rushed but, by the end, it’s a lighthearted wholesome journey that I was surprised I enjoyed as much as I did. Sure, there’s still some shoddy framing and rushed CGI work (I’m looking at you, green force-ghost kid) but, as far as the MCU goes, I genuinely believe this is one of the more entertaining entries. Hemsworth and Portman have charming chemistry that I was glad to see revisited properly eleven years later. Though some characters, Korg and Valkyrie especially, take a backseat in this journey – I think it works in the film’s favor; choosing to focus on the romance in the middle.
As someone who’s been having MCU fatigue as early as Captain America: Civil War – some of the Phase Four movies have surprisingly been reinvigorating my enjoyment for this franchise. Though I wouldn’t call any of them particularly “groundbreaking”, and I know I’m in the minority here, I would say they’ve felt refreshing enough from the formula that’s become so integrated from Phase 2 onwards. And, if Thor: Love and Thunder proves anything, I hope future Marvel movies spread out even moreso from their singular target demographic. There’s multiple universes of comic book lore to explore and I’d rather have numerous takes on these heroes than a plethora of films that feel hard enough to distinguish from one another. So though I can’t promise you’ll enjoy the latest entry within the MCU – I can say that maybe such a divisive movie this late into such an established franchise might just be for the best.
