‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Review – “A Funky, Colorful, & Epic Ode To Space Rock Operas”

Synopsis: Thor embarks on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced — a quest for inner peace. However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.

Get ready for a space opera like you’ve never seen before. Thor is back and he’s embracing 1980’s Flash Gordon energy. Our space Viking epically headlines his fourth franchise film to the tune of Guns N’ Roses. Listen, any time a movie’s soundtrack primarily consists of Guns N’ Roses, I’m going to be happy. If you’re ready to go on a galactic adventure like you never have in the MCU, strap in. It’s time for Thor: Love and Thunder.

Gods Aplenty

Thor: Ragnarok was a turning point for Thor’s transformation in the MCU and essentially reset his personality as we know it. In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor has officially entered his “himbo” stage and I’m here for it. The film is all about 80s rock vibes, healing emotional wounds, and gods. I remember there was a time in the MCU when the universe tried to deny there were such things as gods. As we saw in Ragnarok and Moon Knight, the MCU is embracing gods. Get ready to see a whole lot of them in the fourth Thor film.

This One Goes to 11

Taika Waititi turns the dial up to 11 in Love and Thunder and I’m just saying, prepare yourself for quite the adventure. Waititi does what Waititi does best; he packs in some silliness and funkiness, which only highlights the emotional parts of his films even more. There’s a lot of jokes, a lot of funny situations, and some moments that may make you scratch your head at the randomness of it. Yet, the film is stylish, visually stunning, and lets the truly heartfelt/heartbreaking moments breathe naturally.

The Mighty Thor Makes a Mighty Impact

Now, I’m under strict instructions to not spoil anything, so I don’t want to say anything that might get me in trouble. From the trailers, I’m sure you’ve seen Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor. And I wish I could go more into her storyline and how I felt it worked better than I thought it would. I was very skeptical at first. But, I don’t want to risk saying too much, so just know that this was a good addition to this film and really added a nice arc to Thor’s story. Watching Thor, Mighty Thor, and Valkyrie work together were some of my favorite moments in the movie. It made me want to live on with these space warriors forever.

How Does Gorr Stand Up?

I would really love to watch the film again and really let it digest. I want to really think about Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr, the God Butcher. I know that the deviation from the comics may make some diehard fans mad, but I think Bale came in and gave one hell of a performance. And there’s a nice nod to something teased in a previous space-related MCU film that made me smile that it all came full circle.

Waititi definitely took chances in the film and I wonder if they’ll hold up upon a second viewing. In an honest manner, I will say that I did enjoy Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness better (at least in terms of seeing it in theater). And I’m not sure if I like Thor: Love and Thunder better than Thor: Ragnarok. But, I can say that it’s enjoyable and something completely different than things we’ve seen before, which I feel is something the fourth phase of the MCU is doing. The film just made me want to continue seeing Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, and Waititi as the director of the Thor franchise.

As I’m finishing up this review, now a week after seeing Thor: Love and Thunder, I’m smiling while thinking about some of my favorite parts of the film. And I think that’s a good thing. Go check out Thor: Love and Thunder and tell me what you think!

Thor: Love and Thunder opens everywhere on July 8, 2022

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go8nTmfrQd8]