Movie Review: Thor: Love and Thunder

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

Personally my favorite of the four Thor solo films so far. 

Like director Taika Waititi's previous Thor film, this movie contains a lot of his trademark humor. It is just as funny here (and maybe even funnier) than in Ragnarok. The humor comes fast in this film and ranges from slapstick to satire to just plain silliness. Coming with the humor are some of the finest comedic set pieces yet in Stage Four of the MCU. The early scenes with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the scene with Russell Crowe as a delightfully over the top Zeus are true standouts here and certainly made me laugh out loud. Yet here, the over-the-top humor is met with a better storyline and villain than in Ragnarok. The romance with Jane Foster was easily the heart and soul of the first two Thor films yet it has never been as well handled as it is here. There is a real sweetness to the two whenever they share the screen and there is there are stronger emotional stakes here. The scenes that center around their relationship are some of the most touching, I have seen in an MCU movie in a long time. All this leads to an ending that is especially touching and beautiful. This movie also brings us the best villain of Phase Four of the MCU thus far. Gorr the God-Butcher is a wonder villain all around. He is also one of the darkest and creepiest MCU villains so far. Many scenes with him feel as if they could have come out of a legitimate horror movie. Yet he is also one of the most relatable Marvel movie villains. His motivation is one we all can understand and relate to and we can easily see how it has clouded his moral judgement. This movie also benefits from a wonderful soundtrack. While at first Guns and Roses and Thor might seem like an odd fit, the two go together perfectly and every time one of their songs is used, it enhances the action on screen. Yet what is the best thing about this film is that every one of these elements work together and complement each other perfectly. This a movie that truly knows how to balance the comedy, the action and the drama in a way that works perfectly. 

This is just a true delight of a movie.