[Review] Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Thor: Love and Thunder is the sequel to Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Taika Waititi, who co-wrote the script with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor alongside Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Waititi, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman.

In the film, Thor attempts to find inner peace, but must return to action and recruit Valkyrie (Thompson), Korg (Waititi), and Jane Foster (Portman)—who is now the Mighty Thor—to stop Gorr the God Butcher (Bale) from eliminating all gods. This about sums up the pretty straightforward storyline.

Trailer:

Fans of Waititi’s cheeky and fast-paced direction will love this sequel to the Thor fan-favourite Ragnorak, also directed by Waititi. From start to end, Love and Thunder is packed with non-stop action; snazzy punchlines; Technicolour special effects, costumes; and a retro rock/metal soundtrack that all screams hipster trendy.

Maybe because of franchise fatigue, the critics have not reviewed the movie as well as earlier Marvel movies. I guess being the number 39 film in a long series spreading over 14 years did not work in its favour. At least for me to a certain extent, it is getting hard to catch some of the in-jokes and MCU references, given how massive the franchise has become.

Nonetheless, Love and Thunder delivers on entertainment value and gives bang for bucks if you are looking for a fun movie to sit through with barely a dull moment.

Critics aside, the movie has done pretty well at the box office, raking in US$303.3 million globally for its opening weekend.

Bale’s lead villain character has good depth to his backstory and draws sympathy compared to most one-dimensional bad guys. Hemsworth and Portman both deliver on all fronts, juggling between comedic moments and dramatic scenes.

For me, the highlight was seeing a fat Russell Crowe playing the role of an egoistic Zeus, drawing many laughter from the audience for his superb comic timing:

Thor: Love and Thunder is now showing in Singapore cinemas. Go catch it for a joy ride of non-stop fun and thrill!