- Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder tries and fails to capture the magic of the quirky, funny Thor: Ragnarok by being merely quirky. Whether because of deceased children, endangered children, or the constant threat of a cancer death, this one just wasn't as enjoyable for some reason. The essential cast members (Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Natalie Portman) are back, as are some inessential ones (Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper). Tom Hiddleston is sadly missed, while Christian Bale and Russell Crowe find themselves struggling to elevate the material.
- The story is probably best summarized by the fact that the film's antagonist is named "The God Butcher" (Bale). While the comic version of this story got a lot of mileage from jumping between past, present, and future, this one awkwardly deploys flashbacks that tend not to land. Naturally, the film's main attraction is Jane Foster's (Portman) debut as Thor, which easily represents the film's strongest performance and Portman's best work in the MCU. The rest of the proceedings are a dull slog through situations that should be much more enjoyable (Zeus! Screaming Goats!!). The film's funniest moment is accidental, when it is revealed that Jane's mother died when she was young, which is increasingly a prerequisite for becoming a superhero. Let me conclude with the following analogy: Ragnarok is to Love and Thunder as Led Zeppelin is to Guns 'n Roses.
- Also featuring brief appearances by Kat Dennings and a Zoom-calling Stellan Skarsgård. Also, Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth, and Melissa McCarthy play Asgardian actors in a joke that isn't as funny the second time.
