Film Review - Thor: Love and Thunder

Images courtesy of The Walt Disney Company.

28 films deep and halfway through the MCU’s Phase Four, Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in the midst of a superhero slump. After 14 years of dominating the box office, and with no clear big event film on the horizon, there’s a sense that we’re back to just going through the motions. That’s not to say that people aren’t hyped for the newest instalments, I mean did you see No Way Home’s box office? Rather, we’re lacking the sense that this is all leading towards something; the blockbuster powerhouse feels somewhat bereft of narrative momentum in the wake of Endgame. Regardless, there’s no sign of the release schedule slowing any time soon, so all one can do is assess each film as they come.

Thor 4 follows the titular Norse god as he finds himself trying to save the children of Asgard from the clutches of Gorr, The God Butcher (played by a show-stealing Christian Bale), all while grappling with the revelation that his former love interest Jane now wields his hammer Mjolnir and is going by the title of Mighty Thor. Those looking forward to seeing his escapades with the Guardians of the Galaxy may seek to check their expectations as those interactions are relegated to a brief stint in the beginning; likewise, audience members who are holding out for cameos or new character introductions will also find there’s not much of that either. I find myself falling into the former category, as my issues with the previous entry, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, were more to do with the writing than a lack of fanservice.

While I understand and very much appreciated Waititi’s more comedic approach to Thor as a standalone character in Ragnarok, here it resulted in the entire first half of the runtime feeling rather exhausting, as the quip-per-minute score is pushed to its absolute limits. Entire plots of the previous films are put through a blender of bland and cringy self-aware humour, and that humour ends up taking the weight out of any attempts at emotion or rousing action. Usually the Marvel brand of comedy doesn’t bother me, but here it really does wind up being kind of a drag, at least up until a particularly spectacular black-and-white action scene refocuses the film, reinvigorating it with a sense of stakes. From there on, Love and Thunder does finally stick the landing in being solid blockbuster fun, though the awkwardness of what came before still leaves a sour taste.

For Marvel diehards, the latest Thor shouldn’t ruffle too many feathers. It doesn’t dare to be quite as bold as Raimi’s Multiverse, nor does it spin a web of fanservice like the latest Spider-Man entry. Thor: Love and Thunder offers a colourful, lively enough diversion that should sate appetites until the next offering arrives, even if it doesn't necessarily accelerate the hype train.

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Thor: Love and Thunder is screening in cinemas from Wednesday, 6th of July. For tickets and more info, click here.