Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? Also no.
Taika Waititi’s second Marvel film definitely pales in comparison to the filmmakers first, Thor: Ragnarok. Love and Thunder had almost all the right pieces in place, except for that emotional pull. Was it just me or did you also feel little to nothing about Thor and Dr. Jane Foster? Because I was incredibly underwhelmed and didn’t quite buy it. We haven’t seen her since Thor: The Dark World. A lot has happened since then. It just all felt forced.
Speaking of being underwhelmed, although I enjoyed every minute of screen time that Tessa Thompson had as King Valkyrie, she was criminally underused. And, as soon as she got her weapon, she gave it away. Which
was a complete bummer. Hemsworth and Portman did well, of course, but the real star of the show was Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. I was genuinely frightened every single time he was on screen. Bale become lost in the role, that’s for certain. Also worth noting: it was clear that Russell Crowe had an absolute ball while being a part of this film and I loved every second of it.
Honestly, I don’t really have much else to say about the film. I thought it was funny, but it didn’t have the same gravitas as the previous Thor film. I would have loved to spend more time with Jane Foster and see how she came to be in New Asgaard. Because the brief little line we get as an explanation wasn’t enough. I do think that Marvel is treading on thin ice as they introduce more and more of the metaphysical aspects of the comics. If a viewer isn’t necessarily expecting to see a god from Greek mythology or a bodiless cosmic entity, then they might now feel a little lost and confused. And the more work the casual viewer has to do to understand what is going on, the less likely they’ll be to continue watching the films or anything connected. People are already saying that between the television shows and the films, it’s all too much. And, I can’t necessarily say that I disagree.