Thor: Love and Thunder - RATE AND REVIEW THREAD(TAG SPOILERS!)

[Another_Fool]

Spoiler

It's interesting that outside the Avengers franchise, it would be Thor that hits the 4th solo film milestone first. Thor didn't seem like many people's favorite Avenger, until Thor: Ragnarok happened. That film did for Thor what Captain America: The Winter Soldier did for Steve Roger's. Taika has come back for another whacky Thor adventure, and I was curious to see this given the 70ish Rotten Tomatoes score it was receiving, not so far from Thor: The Dark World territory. Upon seeing the film, I don't get the hate at all. This film is great.

What seems to be the point of division is Taika's style of comedy. This film takes the comedy further than even Thor: Ragnarok did, which seems to be what most people who disliked the movie key on. Taika going full Taika may not be for everyone, and there are gags in the film i dont think work or overstay their welcome. The Goats come to mind. But whatever jokes fall flat ultimately dont matter cause Taika brings the feels when he has to. Taika has a talent for working in tragedy amongst the yucks. Jane's story in particular has a ton of emotional weight, and Jane Foster is a major stand out in this film. Several scenes around her struggle with cancer got me misty. Gorr is also treated with seriousness whenever he is around, and as a character he is very complex. To just write this movie off for maybe a few bad jokes is just not seeing the forest from the trees IMO.

The performances are all on point here as well. Hemsworth and Portman are major standouts, as is Christian Bale. But I also loved watching Russell Crowe chew scenery as Zeus. Give that man a one man show. I also really enjoyed the various characters from past movies who were not in this a lot, but were worked into the story well when they were there.

Visually this movie is very striking. The way they play with colors when confronting Gorr gives this movie some visual flair the MCU often lacks with the flat green screen we see accustomed too. There is also an intentional use of bold colors all around, and everything just works. Between this and the recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, please keep up the interesting visuals Marvel! Maybe adopt some of this flair to the Disney+ shows as well.

When I watched Eternals, I can see where that may not be everyone's favorite movie. But with this one, I don't see it. Yeah, some jokes didnt work and Taika makes bold choices, but this story has a lot of meat on the bones. It has a wonderful message of love, great emotional weight, great character driven drama and arcs, and it does all that without being an overstuffed film. It also manages to work in great use of the Marvel cosmology for fans of the MCU to nergasm over. In short, this is either the best or 2nd best Thor film and maybe Phase 4's standout to date.

5 out of 5 - I just dont see the hate here guys

I think that's also why I enjoy this more than Ragnarok, because this felt even more committed to Taika's identity warts and all. But the emotional core is handled here better than Ragnarok. This movie took greater swings imo and I tend to appreciate that more even if some of those swings miss.

 

[kguillou]

I give it a 7/10. its a fun film. i definitely see why some are not amused and this is getting graded much harsher than Ragnarok. Ragnarok had wacky Waititi antics but the comedy was buoyed by a tight script with high stakes. This script (like most of the MCU phase 4 movies oddly) feels disjointed and messy. Stuff happens so quick and without proper beats to breathe that it feels awkward. Thor's a bit of an oaf now but...Hemsworth still injects just enough charisma for him to be likable. Portman was great and a total badass but not enough of her. Bale was good with what he was given but not really a memorable villain tbh. Crowe as Zeus was...well he was something

Its silly, its goofy, its disjointed, its weird, but its fun overall. Its a breezy film whose sole goal is to entertain you, nothing more and nothing less.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

8/10

The movie definitely felt like 15-20 mins worth of film was cut out of it though.

 

[JtheDreamer]

On a whim decided to catch the 7:30pm PST show rather than wait for IMAX this weekend. I'm glad I didn't wait to spend money on that.

Everything started alright with the opening Gorr intro sequence and the battle he fought alongside GOTG. Thor's power set is firmly on display there. Then as the movie progressed I could only sit there asking myself what the hell am I watching? This is NOT what I had hoped the Thor franchise would develop into - MY FAVORITE FRANCHISE and I was someone who actually liked Ragnarok a lot. This film is a combination of Taika unleashed and Disney studio notes all wadded up into a floppy wet pile of sheer meandering, tonally inconsistent nonsense.

I couldn't even find myself able to plug into what was supposed to be some of the films more redeeming qualities or stakes because it was basted in lame humor, convenient verbal exposition, randomly inserted plot devices, playing by absolutely no rules whatsoever, and Thor being an absolute buffoon. These weren't even what I'd call creative liberties. It's like the film was mocking itself.

Btw at one point I'm sitting here thinking to myself "I'm watching a Saturday morning cartoon played by adults. Oh look at that - jokes about orgies. Now they're talking about two men making babies and another one trots out in a skirt!" I'm a socially liberal guy, but .......... I'm just gonna stop there.

The soundtrack that everyone couldn't wait to hear is used ineffectively. The whole Zeus / Omnipotence City, and Council of Gods angle was a total waste (much like the multiverse in DS2) other than to do the thing where they reveal a certain character in the credits scene. Bale did what he could, but Gorr is a one-dimensional we barely knew ye ultra hammy villain. Then of course Jane Foster gets to outshine Odinson in the end in his own film. They even made her jokey jokey too. Ugggggh.

Thor:L&T is just more of a reminder that the build up to something really special is long over now and the scent has worn off. I wanna know what was left on the cutting room floor because this movie moves at a frenetic place and doesn't like to stop, breathe, and flesh out a lot of what needed it. Literally the Necrosword is ushered in with basically just a throwaway line of "Oh that's the thing that kills Gods!"

I guess I should part with a couple of compliments though - that Thor/Jane reunion with us getting to see what their life looked like prior to splitting was long overdue and I absolutely loved Thunderstrike Thor. I still can't but help love the lengths Hemsworth will go to physically embody the character.

3 of 10. It doesn't move the needle at all. Felt like quickly thrown together one-off to pad Disney's bottom line.

 

[Superhero 101]

7/10

good movie! I enjoyed it more than Strange, I just feel like it was too short an extra 10 or 15 minutes would have been great to have fleshed out the story a bit more. The humor didn’t bother me personally that much. The acting was top notch Bale does give a good performance but so little screen time imo, story could have been fleshed out a bit, I liked the action scenes except the final battle thought it was a bit to cheesy. It will be interesting to see how Thors journey go in the future.

 

[JtheDreamer]

7/10

good movie! I enjoyed it more than Strange, I just feel like it was too short an extra 10 or 15 minutes would have been great to have fleshed out the story a bit more. The humor didn’t bother me personally that much. The acting was top notch Bale does give a good performance but so little screen time imo, story could have been fleshed out a bit, I liked the action scenes except the final battle thought it was a bit to cheesy. It will be interesting to see how Thors journey go in the future.

We already know where his journey leads if they do a fifth movie .....

Spoiler

Asgard vs. Olympus

 

[Stark Bauer]

Taika’s brand of humour is such a natural fit with the MCU..i love his humour its like he’s on the same vibe as me.

i dont think Hemsworth gets the credit he deserves as Thor. We take it for granted that he plays Thor so naturally and effortlessly now. Hate to break it to you but cherish this performance because he probably has a contract ending with Marvel just as RDj and evans did. Im sticking with my score of 8/10 it might even go up on repeat viewings with the right people who laugh at the same jokes i do

 

[flickchick85]

Hate to break it to you but cherish this performance because he probably has a contract ending with Marvel just as RDj and evans did.

Nah he already renewed where they didn't, which is how we got this movie. And he's on record saying he wants to keep playing Thor for as long as they'll let him. So, to Marvel I say, Let Him. Based on how dedicated he is to fitness in general, I'd say he's probably got another 10 years left in him for this role easily. Hell, let him play Old King Thor eventually too, far as I'm concerned.

 

[MarvelFan]

9.5 / 10

I lost for words here...this is the Thor movie that I always have been wanting to see.

This movie is the first in the franchise that I felt like I am watching a pure Thor adventure myth that I always love from the comics. Which is reminded me why Thor is and always be my favorite Avenger.

Even more so than Ragnarok...and unlike Ragnarok where the humor sometimes too much and often undermines serious moments but in this movie...the humor lands more naturally without feeling forced.

Thor feel a lot less goofy than in Ragnarok and especially Endgame. He truly feels more natural in this.

Even the parody theatre performance was less cringey than the ones in Ragnarok. Melissa McCarthy was hilarious as "Hela". Lol.

The thing that makes me happy is that Taika did honor the Jane storyline from Jason Aaron's run in the comics. If you are a fan of Jason Aaron's run, I am sure you all will be pleased and happy to see how the best aspect of that run has been handled here. I dare even say that Taika did bring his own conclusion to Jane storyline better than in the comics. I hope she will come back for future movie, but if not, I already more than satisfied with how Jane's arc has concluded here.

And I have no complaint to Gorr's screentime as much as the others. I mean...the movie literally starts with him, and he appeared throughout the movie after that and also at the end.
He served his screentime very well in my opinion.

If there is one or two characters that I felt need more screen presence..it is Sif and Valkyrie. But considering this is movie about Thor and The Mighty Thor...I kinda understand the decision to bring more focus to the two Thors.

Overall. This is truly one of the best MCU experience for me...and in phase 4...I think this movie surpassed MoM and also NwH.
As Thor fan myself...nothing makes me more happy than that.

 

[MarvelFan]

Oh I forgot to add...

The scene stealer for me is Russell Crowe's Zeus.
Hahaha. I mean...hearing him talk in that accent and how he walked down the stairs really made me laugh.

Spoiler

Considering how things ended up between him and Thor...

I cannot wait for Thor 5.

 

[MarvelFan]

Oh... that God councils scene really reminded of anime "Record of Ragnarok" where all the gods of all cultures has gathered in one place and coincidentally also...Zeus is also the leader in there. Haha.

 

[legendkillin]

Taika’s brand of humour is such a natural fit with the MCU..i love his humour its like he’s on the same vibe as me.

i dont think Hemsworth gets the credit he deserves as Thor. We take it for granted that he plays Thor so naturally and effortlessly now. Hate to break it to you but cherish this performance because he probably has a contract ending with Marvel just as RDj and evans did. Im sticking with my score of 8/10 it might even go up on repeat viewings with the right people who laugh at the same jokes i do

Nah he already renewed where they didn't, which is how we got this movie. And he's on record saying he wants to keep playing Thor for as long as they'll let him. So, to Marvel I say, Let Him. Based on how dedicated he is to fitness in general, I'd say he's probably got another 10 years left in him for this role easily. Hell, let him play Old King Thor eventually too, far as I'm concerned.

He can easily continue to play Thor. Most of his movies outside of Thor don't seem to do well in the BO or get praised for awards and things like that. Playing Thor keeps him relevant and the money flowing. Thor is going to get a bunch of solo standalone adventures it seems as they barely touched his gallery. They have not done Enchantress yet, trolls, Beta Ray Bill can be an adversary and then they work together in a movie.

 

[MarvelFan]

Nah he already renewed where they didn't, which is how we got this movie. And he's on record saying he wants to keep playing Thor for as long as they'll let him. So, to Marvel I say, Let Him. Based on how dedicated he is to fitness in general, I'd say he's probably got another 10 years left in him for this role easily. Hell, let him play Old King Thor eventually too, far as I'm concerned.

Yeah...and also the end credit literally says "Thor will Return"
So he definitely will return for more.

I also want Taika to complete his trilogy.

 

[HammerDown]

I understand some people not enjoying this film, specially those that weren’t as high in Ragnarok to begin with… While Ragnarok is easily defensible, TLT is much more flawed but is also a film that has a lot of things going for it that people can easily attach to in order to have a good/great viewing experience.

It’s a very peculiar film in many respects. I think once some people get over that initial barrier of not knowing how to feel and even fully understand what they’re watching, that it will become better and more of its odd qualities will surface.

Even for many us that have seen it, there’s a lingering feeling of wanting to see it again and experience it with a different outlook.

 

[Charzhin0]

I liked it better than Ragnarok, mainly because Thor isnt played as a total goof as he was in that movie. Theres no crying like a little girl as hes about to get his hair cut, theres no bumbling furniture off the shelves or any of that self deprecating humour. Thor also has his classic look in L&T, long hair and ripped body, which is great. It's more emotional than Ragnarok and doesnt spoil the heavy handed scenes with any cringey jokes. Gorr is also better than Hela. There is silly comedy throughout the movie which seems to be the biggest criticism from what I read. It does get a little excessive at times but its not in your face every minute.

The script was the biggest issue for me. Theres not much original here, no twists or turns - its fairly predictable. I also have a problem with Thors character. He doesnt seem to go through any story arc to progress his character. In Thor 1, 2 and 3, he learns and develops by recognizing mistakes and becoming better at the end. Whether its understanding that Asgard is not just a physical place, its a collective thats not material whilst not needing a hammer to be powerful in Ragnarok. Or that his arrogance in Thor 1 was leading him down a reckless path so he changed his outlook through the help of Jane. Or in The Dark World he learned that when desiring Odins throne and becoming King Of Asgard, he was not pursuing it for the right reasons and relinquished his chance to be King after seeing how it corrupted Odin. In this movie, he just flying from 1 location to the other and doing Thor things. There is no lesson hes learned or realization hes arrived at which is underwhelming to me.

 

[BoredGuy]

Oh... that God councils scene really reminded of anime "Record of Ragnarok" where all the gods of all cultures has gathered in one place and coincidentally also...Zeus is also the leader in there. Haha.

oh god I hope not
A friend showed me that anime once and I wanted to slap him, it was so bad lol

 

[JtheDreamer]

oh god I hope not
A friend showed me that anime once and I wanted to slap him, it was so bad lol

The Council of the Gods and Omnipotence City is not what you think it's going to be.

It's mostly layered in obscurity and things Taika made up for a laugh.

 

[JtheDreamer]

I liked it better than Ragnarok, mainly because Thor isnt played as a total goof as he was in that movie. Theres no crying like a little girl as hes about to get his hair cut, theres no bumbling furniture off the shelves or any of that self deprecating humour. Thor also has his classic look in L&T, long hair and ripped body, which is great. It's more emotional than Ragnarok and doesnt spoil the heavy handed scenes with any cringey jokes. Gorr is also better than Hela. There is silly comedy throughout the movie which seems to be the biggest criticism from what I read. It does get a little excessive at times but its not in your face every minute.

The script was the biggest issue for me. Theres not much original here, no twists or turns - its fairly predictable. I also have a problem with Thors character. He doesnt seem to go through any story arc to progress his character. In Thor 1, 2 and 3, he learns and develops by recognizing mistakes and becoming better at the end. Whether its understanding that Asgard is not just a physical place, its a collective thats not material whilst not needing a hammer to be powerful in Ragnarok. Or that his arrogance in Thor 1 was leading him down a reckless path so he changed his outlook through the help of Jane. Or in The Dark World he learned that when desiring Odins throne and becoming King Of Asgard, he was not pursuing it for the right reasons and relinquished his chance to be King after seeing how it corrupted Odin. In this movie, he just flying from 1 location to the other and doing Thor things. There is no lesson hes learned or realization hes arrived at which is underwhelming to me.

Giving it some further thought - I think maybe he's badly in need of his own REAL trilogy that's leading up to something. T&L felt like a one-shot, "we just need to make a movie real quick for Disney's bottom line."

 

[Kane52630]

My review.

At the Movies with Kane and BN
2.5/5

tldr version: Loved the Natalie Portman and Christian Bale scenes but there's a whole lot of nothing in the middle.

You know how some people skip some MCU movies in their marathon because it pertains to nothing? this is one of them.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

We already know where his journey leads if they do a fifth movie .....

Spoiler

Asgard vs. Olympus

Now that would be awesome.

 

[Tony Stark]

There's some pacing problems at the beginning of the film,but the heart of this film is about Jane and Thor. It really makes up for what was a somewhat weak love story between the two in the first two films. The first movie he leaves Earth and then strands her there promising to come back but never fulfilling that promise. Then the whole of the Dark World was pretty weak with Jane as more of a damsel in distress. This movie gets back to more of the character of Jane and what she means to Thor. This story has a lot of heart in that regard. Love what they did with Gorr and Christian Bale was perfect, and a good choice. Truely one of the great character actors of this generation. The movie does have some pacing issues, which is strange to say in a two hour film. It's not as tightly put together as Ragnarok which remains the crown jewel in the Thor saga, but this film is maybe a close second, out side it's the only Thor film to date not to have Tom Hiddleston, where I kept hoping for a cameo or something. It's enjoyable and a great popcorn film with plenty of heart.

8/10

 

[The Batman]

Love and Thunder had parts I wasn't quite invested in, and overall isn't the slam dunk Ragnarok was, but it was frequently funny and an entertaining enough film.

Christian Bale was impressive with what little screentime he got.

Natalie Portman was great. I liked Thor and Jane in Thor 1, and their relationship here has the kind of development I wish we saw in TDW.

Probably the second best Phase 4 movie.

7.5/10

 

[Steyin]

This film was ok. Nothing more, nothing less. What I've come to expect from a Thor film sadly. What the hell was Russell Crowe doing with that accent? Just ridiculous. Some good laughs, but overall just middle of the road. The goats were the highlight.

5/10

 

[glrush]

I have not posted for a really long time but wanted to give my $0.02 on the movie. It definitely has some issues, and some things I didn't like but overall, I really enjoyed it. The move has real heart and that came thru for me.

I think one of the things that made me less stoked about the movie was the fact after Ragnarök, I knew the next time I would see Thor was gonna be in IW. Now, what is gonna be the path foreword for Thor ?

I look foreword to seeing it again Monday

 

[Gothamsknight]

Sorry to burst the enjoyment bubble but yeah this is one of the worst MCU movies yet that is somewhat saved by Christian Bales creepy and menacing portrayal of Gorr. If only the movie kept the tone of when he was on screen and matched the quality he was giving, this could've been great. Unfortunately, aside from Gorr, everything else is just unfunny joke after unfunny joke with questionable CGI. I see people give MoM **** for killing the Illuminati, but that scene was actually super badass and that movie as a whole was entertaining from start to finish with memorable visuals and camera work. This felt like it was mocking Thor as a character on purpose and I don't get why people are okay with that, but to each their own.

5/10