Thor: Love and Thunder

It has been nearly five years since Thor: Ragnarok was released and three years since Thor joined up with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers: Endgame. MCU fans might be wondering what Thor has been up to for all these years. Thor: Love and Thunder catches up the story, but is it an update worth watching?

I once read an article that argued MCU’s Thor had replaced “the man of steel” as the movie superhero who embodies the human spirit, confidence, fun, and connection with common people. I found the argument compelling, especially given that other superhero’s somber and grim presence in his latest movies. Thor definitely has a way of making audiences cheer, laugh, and even swoon. While Thor: Love and Thunder delivers more of the same, there are some notable differences.

First, we see a depressed “Fat Thor” taking action to move forward in life. However, Thor misses the mark and ends up finding healing where he might not have expected. Thor is not the only character facing life-changing circumstances, so there are scenes of sadness and despair. There were moments where I felt Thor: Love and Thunder was out of sync with the spirit of past Thor movies. However, the Asgardian spirit returned by film’s end (even with no big, impressive Thor fight scene).

Despite the sadder elements of the storyline, Thor: Love and Thunder has the comedic relief you expect from a Thor movie. However, I found some of the comedy cheesy, which matched the backdrop of several scenes. Some jokes went on for too long (do not even get me started on the goats).

I saw Thor: Love and Thunder in Imax which is usually amazing. However, I found this movie to be a little too colorful and visually complicated. In fact, there is a black and white scene that was particularly beautiful, and I could not decide if it was visually stunning because it was a break from all the color, or due to its own artistry.

Here is the movie’s official synopsis:

Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds the God of Thunder on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a search for self-discovery. But Thor’s retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

This is a Marvel movie that I will likely not watch again, and there are several I have seen many times. It just felt like too much story, garishness, and gimmickry stuffed into two hours.

Family-Friendliness

Thor: Love and Thunder includes roughly 10-11 uses of the s-word, along with a handful of other profanities. There are also some scary elements such as kidnappings of children and a character with stage four cancer. If children have dealt with cancer in their family, this may be difficult for them to watch.

Christian Bale plays a very convincing and scary villain known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks revenge against all gods. The gods are portrayed as distant, selfish, hedonistic, and shallow, much along the lines of the gods of Greek mythology. If you are a family of faith, be prepared to talk about the differences between your God and these gods.

For families wishing to avoid non-traditional or sexual content, we see Thor naked from behind, Valkyrie’s bisexual status is no longer under wraps, Korg discusses his two dads, and Zeus repeatedly mentions a planned orgy.

Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity

Scene after the credits? Yes, two. Be sure to stay for the second extra scene.

Disclaimer: I attended a media screening of this movie to facilitate the review. All opinions are mine.

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