The second collaboration between Chris Hemsworth and director Taika Waititi recaptures the inventiveness, visual spectacle and outlandish humour of Thor: Ragnarok, but this time adds a lot more heart and emotion too.

Premise: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been travelling with the Guardians of the Galaxy as a hero for hire, battling armies and freeing civilisations from oppression – but none of it has filled the emptiness in his heart or given him the sense of purpose that he’s searching for. Meanwhile, after the prayers of devout believer Gorr (Christian Bale) are ignored at a terrible cost, he vows to rid the universe of all deities, becoming The God Butcher. Back on Earth, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) are both coming to terms with the realities of their new situations.

Review:

There’s a lot going on in Thor: Love and Thunder (everything mentioned in the above synopsis happens in the opening 20 minutes), but it never feels over-stuffed or rushed thanks to Taika Waititi’s smart direction. The opening scene efficiently introduces us to Gorr, showing how he becomes The God Butcher, and while he’s perhaps not quite as sympathetic a villain as, say, Killmonger in Black Panther, Christian Bale’s heart-breaking performance during this short opening scene instantly establishes Gorr’s character, motivations and goals.

From there we’re reintroduced to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and we see what he’s been up to since he left with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. Chris Hemsworth’s deadpan comic deliveries work well playing off Chris Pratt’s barely contained exasperation as Star-Lord, and despite some impressive action moments, this reintroduction is played primarily for laughs (even the action itself is intentionally ridiculous and over-the-top). However, this movie is certainly not a “team-up” movie, and the Guardians of the Galaxy are effectively there for an extended cameo before the “real” story starts.

“…manages to balance the humour and the pathos perfectly…”

From there, I don’t want to say too much, as there were some genuine surprises even in the early stages of the film (assuming that you aren’t already familiar with the relevant comic book storylines). But cleverly used voiceovers from Thor’s new best friend Korg (played by Taika Waititi) help bring viewers up to speed not only on Thor’s personal history, but also on the rise and fall of his great romance with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), whose name Korg keeps forgetting to genuinely amusing effect. We also finally get to see what led up to the (previously off-screen) breakup between Thor and Jane, which manages to balance the humour and the pathos perfectly.

One of the criticisms some people had about Thor: Ragnarok was that they felt it lacked emotional impact and weight when it came to certain key moments. And as much as I do love Thor: Ragnarok, it’s hard to disagree with the argument that the casual way in which the Warriors Three were unceremoniously dispatched did a disservice to their characters. It seems that the filmmakers took on board those criticisms, because Thor: Love and Thunder has plenty of emotionally impactful moments, even just in the opening few scenes, alongside the absurdist and sometimes silly (in a good way) humour.

“…beautifully shot, visually inventive, with frames that are almost works of art themselves…”

Tonally, the film attempts a difficult juggling act, but for me, it just about managed to pull it off. At times the film can be a goofy, even silly, comedy (there’s even a running gag about Thor’s new relationship with his axe, Stormbreaker, after the loss of his original hammer, Mjolnir) – but then a few moments later it can be dealing with real issues and emotions. Meanwhile, Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr The God Butcher can be truly terrifying at times (given his Nosferatu-like appearance and his ability to manipulate shadows), but also darkly comic in some moments.

The film itself is clearly, given its Guns N’ Roses fuelled soundtrack and its metal/rock aesthetics, striving for a bombastic 80s adventure vibe, and in that respect, it certainly succeeds. And just as with Thor: Ragnarok, the film is beautifully shot, visually inventive, and includes frames that are almost works of art themselves (although, weirdly, given how great the rest of the film looks, I did find it trickly to see what was going on in parts of an early night-scene in New Asgard).

“…it’s great to see Natalie Portman not only back, but also taking her character in a completely new direction…”

As ever, Chris Hemsworth is great as Thor, bringing the necessary weight to the emotional scenes and the psychological scars that hide just beneath his comedic surface. Making her first proper appearance in the MCU since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, Natalie Portman unquestionably gets a lot more to do in this film than in either of her previous appearances, and it’s great to see her not only back as Jane Foster, but also taking the character in a completely new direction. It’s also great to see Tessa Thompson back as Valkyrie, given that she was arguably the surprise MVP of Thor: Ragnarok. Here, she gets to play a different side to her character, as she balances her new responsibilities as the King of New Asgard with her thirst for adventure and battle.

The main new cast member (aside from Christian Bale) is Russell Crowe, who’s clearly having fun in another extended cameo (although his accent may be a little dodgy, even for a comedic character). Alongside the main cast, there are a number of existing characters (major and minor) that get to make cameo appearances, although I won’t spoil any of them here.

“…combine epic thrills & joyful comedy with more emotional & soulful moments…”

Ultimately, this film manages to combine the epic thrills and joyful comedy of Thor: Ragnarok, with the more emotional and soulful elements of Thor’s journey in Avengers: Endgame. There were, quite literally, moments that made me laugh-out-loud, and other moments that brought a tear to my eye, and when the true meaning of the film’s title is eventually revealed, it’s an emotionally satisfying conclusion to a very enjoyable rollercoaster ride.