Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Thor: Ragnarok is, to many, including this critic, one of the best MCU movies of all time! What the first two Thors couldn't do, Taika Waititi's directorial finesse did, which is to make God of Thunder likable and funny. Now, we have Chris Hemsworth returning for the fourth installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, with old allies and new enemies. With exorbitant expectations, second-time allure for the Hemsworth-Waitty's eccentric combo? let's find out!

In Thor: Love and Thunder, we see Thor facing a mid-life crisis, losing practically all of his loved ones what with dear brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston, who is very much alive in another timeline! ) However, God of Thunder's dad-bod soon turns into a god-bod when trouble strikes a dangerous avatar of Gor the God Butcher (Christian Bale). Gore is on a killing spree, intent on killing all the gods to avenge the unfortunate death of his young daughter. When Gore cleverly kidnaps the Asgardian children as Bet, Thor enlists the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi) to save the day for the ninth time. However, to Thor's shock, his ex-love Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is a surprising counterpart on her space adventure with sudden powers to retrieve Thor's beloved Mjolnir. You can call him Mighty Thor!

 One can't help comparing Thor: Love and Thunder to Thor: Ragnarok, as Taika Waititi pulled off all the 'unorthodox' stops in the former. This time too, Taika (screenplay co-written with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson) tries to combine her trademark wit with Marvel's comedic motifs, but falls short in the end. While there are plenty of laughs, it's not enough, and god forbid, even forced. However, what Thor: Love and Thunder gets right is the emotional quotient, especially when it comes to Jane's cancer diagnosis and how it affects her mentally, eroding her body with every hit of the hammer. Is. As Thor sadly mentions about "8 years, 7 months and 6 days" since they last saw each other, it took time for Thor and Jane's love story to boil down before it really began. looks like. Ultimately, you're more invested in the individual victories of these two characters than in a couple.

When it comes to performances in Thor: Love and Thunder, Chris Hemsworth doesn't miss a step as Thor, bringing back the infectious magic of the OG6 Avengers that I totally missed in MCU Phase 4. Even the childishness of jokes. (and there are many!) is given a zany edge, thanks to Chris's understated comic timing. Natalie Portman, on the other hand, receives him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Oscar winner's portrayal works in more serious scenes, while Natalie takes immense pleasure in being Mighty Thor (as she is strangely enamored of her muscular superhero side). tries to embrace) ) which is exciting to watch on the big screen. The back-and-forth between the two Thors, especially when it comes to the jealous aspects with both of their hammers - Mjolnir and Stormbreaker are exhilaratingly delightful.

Speaking of Oscar winners, Christian Bale delivers another physically ambitious performance as Gore the God Butcher, where he makes a fractured backstory work like a charm. Bale is actually terrible in parts, although the deli-ending ending doesn't justify the means. Especially when it's dark clouds amidst a rainbow-envy bag of happy characters. Tessa Thompson was the scene-stealer in Thor: Ragnarok, but in Thor: Love and Thunder, she was painfully overpowered, so much so that Korg has more screentime than her, which is unfortunate. Don't be more mistaken; Joe doesn't love Korg, but we love him very little.

Thor: Love and Thunder is jam-packed with A-list celebrity cameos (an epic one for Ted Lasso fans in the mid-credits!) and the one who takes the cake and eats it too is Russell Crowe's as Zeus. Has a great performance, with an outdoor accent that's over the top, Times Waititi! It is when Thor and company encounter Zeus where all stomachs laugh. Including Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Clementieff, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel), it's a delectable appetizer before the real Flash fun begins.

The action sequences in Thor: Love and Thunder proceed with a somewhat kaleidoscope of colors, orchestrated by Nigel Phelps' aesthetic production design, while Barry Baz Aidoin's elite cinematography takes the time to witness the wonders of open-CGI takeover. enables. This is especially seen in the second half in a black and white set piece that praises Gore's chilling dominance over Thor and his squad of misfit superheroes. As it lingers with metallic vigor, like the kids in the climax sequence. Music played a very important aspect in Thor: Ragnarok (who could forget the entry moment of Thor's epic battle with Led Zeppelin's immigrant song as the theme tune?!) and in Thor: Love and Thunder, Guns N Rose's greatest hits playlist is an excellent one. Also there is an electrifying score by Michael Giacchino and Nam Melumad.

Finally, Thor: Love and Thunder finds itself in the loopholes of recent Phase 4 outings, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Magic, where the MCU tries to break out of its status quo, for which it has been widely criticized. and is 'used' for this. story structure. The Chris Hemsworth-starring film doesn't hold a candle to Thor: Ragnarok because of its overly ambitious, wayward direction, but for MCU fans (this writer has seen all 29 movies, mind you!), Thor: Love and Thunder is great. In a way, there could be a home run because of its dependable cast. Except for the screaming goats, who were funny for a minute!