Thor: Love and Thunder review: Selling Thor(s) out for a joke

Taika Waititi’s Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has two very interesting things Thor: Love and Thunder.. The first is intentional and the second is unintentional.

The first is a goat. Early in the film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) got a giant mythical pair of goats, the Tooth Grinder and the Tooth Gunasher. Goats are scary: aggressive, messy, and wild.Like a real goat, they can Screams terribly like a human.. They always do this throughout the movie, which means they are cheerful. If you’re like me, you’ll laugh every time they scream. I’m sorry if you’re not like me.

Unintentionally interesting is the villain Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale). As a movie villain, Gore was introduced in the movie’s opening sequence and given a clear motive. He wants to kill all the gods. His desire is attracting the attention of Necrosword (laughs). Necrosword is a magical black blade that gives all kinds of power, such as manipulating shadows to turn them into monsters. Gorr — roughly inspired by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s Thor comics — isn’t. meaning Interesting thing. In fact, he’s pretty scary, often in the shadows, pretending to be a grim reaper. Up close, Veil enjoys the opportunity to play Boogeyman and easily and happily grins the children. It feels like a notorious and enthusiastic actor might have approached his role without the strength of his signature, and it’s all better for it.

But his most interesting thing is that Thor: Love and Thunder Gore’s “Kill the Gods” quest seems to be quite committed to the idea that it is somehow misguided. The script takes it for granted that Gore’s goal is evil, so almost every character in the movie doesn’t pause to figure out how to make sure the gods are terrible. All the victims he is chasing make his claim better than ever.

[Ed. note: Setup spoilers ahead for Thor: Love and Thunder.]

Screenplay by Taika Waititi, director Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, creator of the excellent short-lived series Sweet / malicious), Thor: Love and Thunder Catch up with Thor following the event Avengers: Endgame.. He traveled through space with the Guardians of the Galaxy and spent time frankly returning his body to a crazy muscular shape, but making his mind as healthy as his body. I also neglected to do it.Thor helped save the universe, but couldn’t fully understand how to get over former Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who broke up with him during the ambiguous period from 2013. Thor: Dark World Waititi’s first MCU film, Thor: Ragnarok..

When Gore turns to the Asgards who settled on Earth after Hella destroyed his home world, this is something Thor needs to quickly understand. Ragnarok, Thor is back to find out that his once shattered magical hammer Mjolnir has reconstructed himself, and Jane is now acting as a hero and Thor.Unfortunately, the two Thor aren’t enough to stop Gore’s rampage, and Love and thunder Soon it will turn into a space expedition between two Thor and his companions, the rock aliens Korg (Voice of Waititi) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), who have a nasty past. ..

Unfortunately, what could have been a great road trip movie is undercut by characters who somehow lost their full personality after the Thanos snap. Thor is strangely inconsistent throughout the movie. Thor at the beginning of the movie is different from Thor, which appears 20 minutes later. It’s also different from Thor, who says goodbye again when the credit is rolled back. Jane Foster has barely participated in the franchise for most of the decade, and while enjoying her new divine powers is a lot of fun, her newly discovered superhuman life And there is tension between her miserable normal life and the movie is too naive and unsustainable tones whiplash between the two.

Photo: Jasin Boland / Marvel Studios

That’s the most obvious reason Thor: Love and Thunder Above all, it is built as a joke distribution system. Taika Waititi has become known for certain brands of moody deadpan humor. There, a moody man fights a talented but disfellowshipped woman, and the scene stretches a little longer than most people run, turning dramatic moments into laughter.The pivot of this tone from the first two Thor movies was a big part of the reason Ragnarok It is one of the best MCU films. But the movie also softened the big comedy with other equally big emotions: the wrath of the villain, the frustration of loving his brother who never stopped his deceptive way, and the house. A simple and powerful idea of ​​people, not places.

Love and thunder Nothing offers something as compelling or carefully crafted as a joke. The character seems to be designed to be interesting rather than true. It cannot be fully emphasized how correct Gore is. The MCU gods are the worst. They arrogantly fire him at the beginning of the movie when Gore’s daughter dies and his god doesn’t care. Thor sought help from various folklore other gods in an attempt to stop Gore, but when he got nothing, they inhaled in the middle of the movie.And they smoke at the end of the movie, because only one person likes it at the end. Love and thunderThe two-hour execution time of is Thor himself.Given how cheerful and brave oak he is, it’s For real Press it.

Given the reality that the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to exist: the almost exclusive position Disney enjoys in Hollywood as a multi-billion dollar franchise corporate owner, a cynical removal of the new MCU You can easily receive your outing.If modern fandom is like team sport, tackle the nuances and flaws of MCU film seriously or in good faith Thor: Love and Thunder It can feel like a fool’s errand, especially if you want to know if you agree or disagree with your favorite team. This isn’t a great situation, but it’s a situation we have.

Photo: Jasin Boland / Marvel Studios

But one of the little miracle of the MCU is that the latest shows and movies are rare, even on all of the corporate machines that often show other things. feel It’s cynical while you actually look at it. Whether it’s a better and more authentic expression effort, there’s usually something real to grab firmly ( Moon knight Also Ms Marvel), Shot to expand the genre palette of the mega franchise (She-Hulk: Lawyer Also Shang Chi), Or an experiment that puts a Marvel character in the hands of a director far enough away from the blockbuster fare (Eternals). These attempts are not always successful. In fact, it often emphasizes the limits of what is possible with an MCU’s shared narrative playground. It feels like a bucket of ice water in the magnificent vision of Marvel Studios president Kevin Fage. Infinite blockbuster frontier.

Thor: Love and Thunder it’s different. In a regular standalone blockbuster, sticking to the script to undermine all emotional beats with jokes, poorly serviced characters, and lack of honest betting is safe to kill it for hours. Just make it a fun way intermittently. But the world of cinema not only increases the strengths of cinema, but also the weaknesses of it. As the next chapter in a story about characters that the audience has known for over a decade, the film was intended to present a new world of possibilities about what these films are, Thor: Love and Thunder It’s not just a misfire, it’s a scam. The character advances only in the most artificial way. Their status at the end of the movie isn’t as intriguing as it was at the beginning. It’s trivial that a movie in this mode can be the worst.

Filmmakers working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe must face the extraordinary burden of Hollywood production that has already exceeded extreme expectations.As the creators of the latest incredible money-making machines, they have to work hard to make a movie that doesn’t look like it. Alone I’m interested in promoting that machine. And even if the roster has some solid jokes and a few more talented performers, Thor: Love and Thunder It’s glib in a way that chokes all its strengths, not just the audience who see it. Surprisingly, it’s a cynical movie that is just as worthless as its noble hero lifting a magical weapon or the general public lifting a purse to buy a ticket.

Thor: Love and Thunder Debut at the theater on July 8th.