Released: 8th July 2022 (UK)
Length: 119 Minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Taika Watiti
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Taika Watiti and Christian Bale
As a key piece of Marvel’s Avengers, Thor is the only member of the original team to continue on the big screen; in 2022 he returns for a fourth entry, once again directed by Taika Watiti. While it maintains the director’s zany, over-the-top style, the core components have taken a tumble.
Following on from both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) has teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy for more heroics across the universe. When Gor the God Butcher (Christian Bale) shows up to slaughter the galactic pantheon, Thor heads out with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Watiti) and the returning Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to rescue a group of kidnapped Asgardian children. The strongest aspect of the story comes through the Gods themselves; portraying them as rich, spoilt and unwilling to help makes for an interesting conflict. Outside of this thread, much of the film is plagued by underwhelming sequences; the banter between the characters lacks a spark, very few of the jokes land and the film doesn’t do much beyond what you’ve come to expect. Love and Thunder looks backwards too much instead of moving forward, damaging its flow and pacing.
Chris Hemsworth is perfectly serviceable once again, but without any defined arcs to follow, it’s a very standard and unexciting portrayal. This same static approach applies to most of the returning characters. Korg is capably entertaining, but using him as an exposition dump is a real headscratcher. Bringing Natalie Portman back as Jane Foster was a big selling point for Love and Thunder and it ends up feeling rather hollow. Jane proves worthy to wield Mjolnir without much build-up and because the duo’s romance was weak in previous films, their connection doesn’t have time to grow. As for Valkyrie, she’s just “there”, not having many interesting things to say or do. Most of the characters are either stagnant or unimportant to the story; Thor’s team is dropped for the climax and the same is true for the Guardians, who could have added more personality if they hadn’t left the scene after ten minutes. Christian Bale always does a good job and while he looks mean as Gor, his motivations and overall depth are lacking; why does he want the children of New Asgard? What kind of plan does he have when the Gods are dead? These lingering questions keep the villain from feeling like a serious threat.
Like Ragnarok before it, Love And Thunder pops with colour and vibrant sights. With screaming goats and flashy celestials, the production remains committed to a light-hearted cosmic adventure. The big highlight this time is the hall of the Greek Gods, a lavishly designed setting that fully highlights their decadence. Some of the action scenes are really enjoyable too; one battle on a dusty moon uses a saturated palette to emphasise the life-draining powers of the antagonist while the climatic showdown in a temple gets the children involved in the battle. Even with these strengths, Thor 4 often stands as a lesser version of the previous film; it brings back the eighties soundtrack with tracks like Sweet Child of Mine, but they’re used to bookend scene transitions rather than complement the story. The grand space odyssey looks just as good as other MCU films, but it lacks the substance to pull you into the journey.
Thor: Love and Thunder is an unfortunate step backwards; a tepid sequel unable to reach the heights of its predecessor. Both Chris Hemsworth and the action scenes are mildly entertaining while the story and characters surrounding them are insufficient. Unless you’re a mega fan of the character or his universe, the film won’t leave a strong impression.
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars (Mediocre)
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