Thor: Love and Thunder
Any film directed by Taika Waititi is worth seeing. This one is no exception.
If Marvel Films are not your cinematic cup of tea, I encourage all of you to see Mr. Waititi’s director gems What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and Jojo Rabbit (2019). These are 3 of my favorite films and they will stoke your curiosity about this Thor release.
Furthermore, as he displayed with Thor: Ragnarok (2017), he adds some emotional suspense and humor missing from films like this year’s box office hits Jurassic World: Dominion and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Action packed silliness morphs into heartbreak that will leave you astounded as you wipe a tear from your eye.
Then again, the film’s beginning is predictable without question as Thor (Chris Hemsworth) whips himself back into shape to pursue some peace and solitude. The world is confronted with Christian Bale’s demonic Gorr the God Butcher. Following the death of his young daughter, Gorr is on a mission to destroy every god in the universe. That includes Thor.
Thor joins up with his pal Korg (Mr. Waititi), his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) to eliminate Gorr, but that proves to be a difficult mission. Let me just describe Gorr as Waititi’s recreation of the devil from the 9th rung of hell.
The film’s enjoyably goofy moments are best represented by Thor’s encounter with Zeus. Played by an unrecognizable Russell Crowe, wait for the moment where he strips a chained Thor of his clothes resulting in the fainting of his female supporters. One of those wretched scenes that you hate yourself for remembering.
But romance saves this film in the same fashion that it did in Dr. Strange. Without saying more, Ms. Portman’s Jane is suffering from an advanced state of cancer. She has to choose between staying bedridden to enhance recovery and grabbing Thor’s old hammer Mjolnir to save Thor. In the process it enhances her cancer and takes her closer to death.
Like Dr. Strange, the most powerful moment of this film is when Thor has to say goodbye to the woman he loved. Yet does Ms. Portman die? Bring some tissue and see this magical little film. And don’t worry, it lasts just under 2 hours. Thank you, Mr. Waititi.
