Thor: Love and Thunder

Taika Waititi, after the success of Thor: Ragnarok, is back to direct this latest standalone Thor adventure. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) feels a little lost in life. Cut off from love after his painful breakup with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), he lives simply, contemplating what his purpose is and travelling the universe to help wherever God like help is needed. This changes when he finds out that God’s are being hunted and killed by Gorr (Christian Bale) and Asgard is next. When Gorr arrives in new Asgard, Thor realises he needs to put an end to it. Aided by Valkyrie (Tessa Thomson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and Jane, he heads off to build an army and bring Gorr’s reign to an end.

Of all the MCU characters, Thor is amongst the most fun, especially in the hands of Waititi. That is the case here, in this whirlwind of fun, laughs, silly action, colour all witt a great soundtrack. While not quite up to the standard of Ragnarok, there is a lot to enjoy with Love and Thunder.

It is at its best when it is at its most crazy, when it’s fast paced with rapid fire gags, all helped by Hemsworth wonderful comedic delivery of a God who doesn’t still quite get mere mortals. The cast around him are equally good and there is a fair number of cameos to keep you on your toes.

The film works brilliantly for 2/3rds but it can’t quite stick the pace, with a final act that feels a little laboured. There is also the waste of Bale’s Gorr, with his God Killer story only really a plot device to get us from one end of the film to the other. You’d assume however, that Waititi didn’t want to explore the darkness of Gorr’s revenge mission and preferred to stick with, what is basically, a Marvel romcom.

Love and Thunder doesn’t reach the heights of Ragnarok but it is 2/3rds a fantastic romp and even if it does tail off at the end, there is enough fun and humour all with a great soundtrack, to keep you entertained.