Review: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ – An unworthy follow-up

In his 8th appearance as the Norse God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth returns to the role that made him into a superstar. After saving the earth, the heavenly realm of Asgard, and half the universe, one wonders what more the character will have to endure. While he’s earned his retirement, a vicious villain vows to vanquish all the gods of the universe.

After the success of Thor Ragnarok, director Taika Waiti returns for a victory lap. Regrettably, his sophomore effort with the character of Thor leaves much to be desired. While Ragnarok was deservedly praised for its balanced tone, engaging story, and strong characters, Love and Thunder feels like a misfire follow-up, complete with forced humour, and the shoddiest visual effects in a Marvel film to date.

For a film that costs about a quarter of a billion dollars, Love and Thunder looks appallingly cheap. The film is far from a visual disaster, but the moments that it falls short are staggering. That would be a little easier to swallow if the film itself had more going for it, but as is, the story feels just as slapdash as the visuals.

The film begins with a feature from the Guardians of the Galaxy, whose awkward exit makes their very presence feel obligatory. From there Thor is joined by his former Ragnarok co-stars Korg and Valkyrie, who feel woefully underdeveloped this time around, followed quickly by ex-girlfriend and renowned astrophysicist Jane Foster, who’s now in possession of his iconic hammer. As the title suggests, the film is both romantic comedy and action adventure, but struggles to find focus amid its genre hopping.

The hows and the whys of the plot come secondary to the feelings of its cast. That’s inclusive of the villain whose tragic backstory, combined with an A+ performance from Christian Bale, makes him the most endearing character of the film. The devotion to devotion gives way to one of the film’s best sequences. A classic flashback shows the breakdown of a relationship between a mortal woman and a powerful interstellar being. At the core of it, the film seeks to establish its sentiment over its logistics.

For a movie that’s under two hours, Thor: Love and Thunder isn’t a demanding watch. It’s humour is awkward and its story is a nonsensical head scratcher, but I must admire the film’s commitment to absurdity. Unfortunately, its failings are glaring and hold back the film’s potential.

Rating: Catch It On Cable

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.