Thor returns to his god-bod status and, with his loyal friends’ help, delivers another quirky and fun film that introduces a new villain from Taika Waititi.
Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor Odinson and brings the thunder in the latest installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he faces yet another heartbreaking challenge. We are introduced to Gorr the God Butcher(Christian Bale) and his path of vengeance. Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), returns and assists Thor, Korg (Waititi), and King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) from Gorr’s shadow creatures.
Taika Waititi brought Thor’s character to life in Ragnarok after he was a drag in the first two Thor films. This transformation also paved the way for Chris Hemsworth to keep the momentum going during Avengers Infinity War and Endgame. Love and Thunder builds on Thor’s grasp on life and the things that have affected his path. Marvel continues to make villains that we can sympathize with that lead them down the wrong path. Thor has lost a lot, and despite the series of unfortunate events and losses in his life, he hasn’t turned away from being a worthy god. He does, however, get to share the title with others now. That is one of the highlights of the Thor comics, the aspect that Thor Odinson is not the only person who can have Thor’s power. Just like Asgard is a people, not a place, so are Thor’s powers.
The relationship (and break-up) between Thor and Jane is explored in more detail that we didn’t get in previous films. It was something that many fans were curious about. While the topic is glazed over pretty quickly, it opens the door for Jane to return to Thor’s life in an unexpected way. Mjölnir is tasked with protecting Jane, which gives her the power to become the Mighty Thor.
King Valkyrie supports Jane in this new chapter in her life as a space Viking in true girl power. Valkyrie has grown tired of the politics of New Asgard and is eager to return to battle when Gorr threatens New Asgard. Tessa Thompson continues to entertain in this role, and I’m anxious to see if we will get more of her in the future outside of the Thor franchise.
Waititi creates a wonderful visual for the Shadow realm where Gorr stays with the Necrosword and his shadow creatures. The whole scene gives the appearance of the old black and white monster movies with the silhouettes of the creatures moving in an almost stop motion fashion toward our heroes. The lack of color just shifts the feel of the movie, which happens in stages. Waititi wanted to cram as much emotion into this film, and he succeeded in making audiences laugh, cheer, cry, and get excited.
The film left me laughing and excited to see what comes next for all the characters. The introduction of Singularity was a bold choice that I hope opens a path to the A-Force, the all-female team that includes members like She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, and others. Kevin Feige has been known to pull in and change characters from the comics to fit the overall story building. Singularity is one of those characters that didn’t play a significant role in the comics but continues to appear in runs of Captain Marvel. Even if the members of A-Force are changed up to fit the current list of badass women in the MCU(Shuri, Selvie as Lady Loki, Valkyrie, Black Widow Yelena Belova, Carol Danvers Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau’s Spectrum, Jennifer Water She-Hulk to name a few highlights), fans made it clear in Avengers Infinity War and Endgame that they are ready for an all-female cast.
Thor: Love and Thunder is in theaters now. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, suggestive material, and partial nudity with a runtime of 119 minutes.
Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – one of self-discovery. But his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. Directed by Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok,” “Jojo Rabbit”) and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, “Thor: Love and Thunder” opens in U.S. theaters July 8, 2022.
