Teodora’s Movie Reviews: “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022)

*Spoilers will be discussed (spoilers for this movie and other films belonging to Phase 4 of the MCU)*

The fourth instalment. Of Thor. The latest addition. In Phase 4. Given the massive success of Thor: Ragnarok back in 2017 (for the movie did ensure some comic relief within the Marvel universe and provided us with a fresh perspective of Thor himself), plenty were eager to know where Love and Thunder would be heading to and whether it would preserve a similar tone. This time around, the director, Taika Waititi, was also in charge of the script, amping up the entire atmosphere – and it showed. His visions, somewhat clashing with Marvel’s trademarks, definitely sparked some heated opinions from comic / MCU-savvy fans (in opposition to Waititi’s separate devoted audience). Some belong to both of these categories – and they might just notice how Love and Thunder manages to equally be a Marvel production and a Waititi film, blending characteristics from each side in a curious, but captivating manner.

In some ways, it may actually be unfair to compare Ragnarok with its sequel. The two movies belong to different Phases, with major events taking place along the way (those including the infamous wipe-out of half of the universe’s population – caused by a random purple bloke). Nevertheless, although Thanos’s actions had been undone, people put up with multiple crises, be they global or personal. For once, ordinary and power-ridden individuals were united through their ordeals and weakened beliefs – and this notion has been conveyed throughout Phase 4 (more or less in association with the Blip). Spider-Man (Tom Holland) no longer has his mentor (and father figure) in No Way Home (2021) and finds solace in the disheartening possibility that his real identity could be erased from everyone’s memory (counting his close friends, as well). Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) assumes dark abilities as the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), as a way of coping with grief, following the deaths of many loved ones. The newly-introduced Eternals (in their 2021 film) live by a truth which is completely shattered one day, as they uncover their meagre objectives and the actual intentions of their god (or Celestial), Arishem. These are a few examples, all interestingly reverberating in Thor: Love and Thunder, in the end. Over here, the story deals with apostasy, fatherhood and forms of sacrifice and love; it is, undoubtedly, a continuation of the preceding Thor movies, but it inevitably rises to a distinct level. If Ragnarok presented itself as a striking lightning bolt (drawing more attention to Thor himself, in the first place), 5 years later, the newest picture comes thorth forth as a thunderous follow-up, establishing the essence of Chris Hemsworth’s character.

The film starts off with the introduction of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) into the cinematic universe, who is a chilling figure once he possesses the Necrosword (the one weapon which can kill gods, for it turns out they can be perishable, too). Gorr can be juxtaposed with Thor; the former is a mortal granted with godlike powers (not used for the greater good), due to his hatred for divine entities, while the latter is a god who gets accustomed to human experiences through his love for a mortal, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). What exactly pushes Gorr over the edge? Besides the Necrosword’s influence (which feeds off his disillusionment), Bale’s character has a change of heart when his god, Rapu, mockingly tells him there’s no such thing as an eternal reward. Everything collapses within Gorr, as he puts the pieces together and grasps the idea that his starving daughter’s death in the barrens is reduced to nothing. From this point on, an entire religion is obliterated, as soon as Rapu is killed by his last disciple, Gorr himself. It’s not merely renunciation, but the beginning of a massacre of gods. This is where a part of the general criticism pours in; thanks to Bale’s impeccable performance, Gorr reveals abundant potential as a villain, but he is never fully exploited. Even his killings occur off-screen and the audience is left to picture grander terrifying schemes. What if Gorr had burst into Omnipotence City with his shadow creatures and assassinated countless gods in their very own sanctuary? What if he had messed around more with the children kidnapped from Asgard? After a bunch of disturbing scenes in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel could have easily accepted the insertion of more torture and gore from… Gorr. But what people seem to lose sight of is that Waititi never intended to follow a MCU formula, only to fail afterwards. He has his own approach, both light-hearted and weighty; beyond sarcasm, slapstick and innocent remarks, there lies a collection of agitated souls, individuals who choose to react differently in front of pain.

We need to take into account that pain arises from various sources: heartbreaks and losses of family members, friends or partners (hence Thor’s seclusion and Gorr’s revenge-driven decisions), diseases (Jane’s cancer), mistreatment and injustices from one’s own role models… The film exhibits time and again how plenty of gods, if not all, are slackers, gathering for petty matters and expecting offerings from their followers, if they ever wish to at least catch their attention during their cries for help. Rapu himself tells Gorr that “suffering for [their] gods is [mortals’] only purpose”, thus sketching what a meaningless life would sound like. People are not to be blamed if they start relying on more available superheroes or, better yet, on themselves. This is best represented by Jane, the epitome of hard work and self-sacrifice. Sacrifice here does not allude to insignificant rituals that cause people to get side-tracked from what is essential. It refers to one’s willingness to act accordingly, virtuously, regardless of the circumstances. Viewers have known earlier on that Jane was to return to the franchise as the Mighty Thor, graciously wielding the once-broken hammer, Mjölnir. The weapon is functional in the hands of a worthy being like Jane, who dedicates her last days to mending connections and saving lives. Some may recall Odin’s harsh outlook in Thor: The Dark World (2013), where he believes that Thor’s partner “does not belong in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table”. Taika Waititi overturns everything by not only bringing goats (that we can feast our eyes on and scream with laughter at), but also certifying that Jane is a hero (her own, too), deserving of a place among gods. It is important to note how she doesn’t even totally lean on her new title of Mighty Thor, but rather takes pride in her lifelong work as Doctor Jane Foster, one of the world’s foremost astrophysicists. Despite their high positions, gods ought to pick up on this exemplary behaviour and put in more effort. They have become the joke, as Zeus (Russell Crowe) – the biggest laughing stock among his peers – acknowledges in the first post-credits scene of the film – and God knows what their next course of action might be.

Dismissing Love and Thunder, as if it never happened, would be absolutely unwise. As mentioned earlier in the post, this is the one movie that captures Thor’s peak moment in his evolution. He had always been comedic, without any hesitation, long before Taika Waititi stepped in (and once he did, he polished the hero’s portrayal, allowing him to appear at ease and more charismatic). But what the God of Thunder required was full maturation, with Jane as a tender driving force throughout the film. The plot reminds us that Thor has become more humane after being banished to Earth in his first movie from 2011 (he sort of resembles the Christian God incarnate, with the exception that Thor had to undergo punishment instead). He overtly recognizes how Jane has helped him be worthy not just of Mjölnir, but also of (her) love. In The Dark World, his mother’s passing launched a gruelling chain of deaths (the ones of Odin, Loki – thrice; for that’s the punchline –, Heimdall, even Hela, as wicked as she was) which made Thor retreat into his shell increasingly. From Avengers: Infinity War (2018) onwards, he’s also had to endure the fact that he didn’t kill Thanos on time, right then and there, when he had him in a vulnerable position – and the audience is surely familiar with his subsequent depressive, alcoholic state from Avengers: Endgame (2019). Things have sorted out in time, though, and Thor is seen back to his shenanigans, answering distress calls (which are nothing more than electronic prayers, to a certain extent) and embarking on his “classic adventures” (with hiccups here and there). While meditating may not suit him, a short conversation with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) opens his eyes ever so slightly (but do cue some clumsy, amusing eye lock attempts between them two): “You ever feel lost, just look into the eyes of the people you love. They’ll tell you exactly who you are.” Peter also admits that the “shitty feeling [caused by heartaches] is better than feeling empty”, pushing Thor to reconsider his relationship with Jane, after they meet for the first time in eight years. Seven months. And six days. (And five hours. And thor four minutes. And you get the drill.)

The film may look like the legend of the Space Viking (as Korg, voiced by Waititi himself, puts it), but it becomes the story of Thor and Jane – the one that Gorr has to tune into. Until then, the God Butcher will abduct Asgardian children, so that he can lure Thor into a trap. This is an interesting, perhaps slightly overlooked element; in a brief scene, Gorr detects Thor’s strong close friends and battle partners, Jane and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and seems to sense that the entire situation is particular. The so-called villain understands what most can forget on the spot: Thor is not like the other gods, indeed, for he is kind enough to have trustworthy allies and is caring enough to go to extreme lengths just to protect his people. Gorr does make use of this, hence the kidnapping and the patient waiting for Thor to fight tooth and nail, and arrive in the Shadow Realm, where he is bound to be cornered. At this point, the God Butcher wants to steal Thor’s axe, Stormbreaker, which activates the Bifrost and leads to Eternity, an abstract cosmic entity that can grant a wish to the first person that discovers it. All goes to plan slowly and a dying Gorr, consumed by his cursed sword, is prepared to ask Eternity to terminate all gods. Thor could still bring him down, but treads another road that he wouldn’t have ventured on earlier in life: he highlights Gorr’s pain and prompts him to resurrect his daughter, instead, and spend his last moments with her –

just like Thor does with a waning Jane.

Once more, Love and Thunder fits into Phase 4 quite perfectly, since heroes don’t confront their adversaries brutally anymore, but rather have them face their wrongdoings or give them a helping hand. After all, in No Way Home, Spider-Man’s path has him fixing the villains’ shortcomings with compassion. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff is freely offered the space where she can execute her evil plans, only to end up conscious and frightened of the magnitude of her impulses and delusions. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), the eponymous character holds onto his hope that his conflict with his father can be settled in peaceful terms rather than in punches and blows. Ergo, when Gorr symbolically tells Thor “How dare you turn your back on me?”, he is no longer forced to contend with an inconsiderate god; he is enlightened by Thor’s simple, but effective indication that love is what he has always sought after the death of his daughter, but has disguised it as revenge and malice because of his pain.

Admittedly, there are many things going on in the movie. The characters are onto a lot – but this implies some hard work from them, some tenacity that can be rewarded, in fact, as the second post-credits scene demonstrates, with Jane arriving in Valhalla, the plains of the Asgardian afterlife. This comforting revelation invalidates both Rapu’s affirmation about eternal reward and the Asgardians’ curiously erroneous belief that one can reach Valhalla only if they die honourably in battle. Taika Waititi does not necessarily come up with an anti-religion movie; it’s likely that he already goes beyond this and hints at a probable solution even for atheists or agnostics: one can be on the right track if they opt for what is moral, purposeful and under love’s guidance.

If people are still not buying what Waititi is selling through his antics and deem this movie a trainwreck in the context of Marvel, there’s an alternative: perceive the story as one coming from a child who fashions it while looking at their toys, envisioning vibrant, colourful environments and jumping from one event to another impatiently (while also having tons of fun). Or maybe the story is told by an adult to a bunch of children who ask for the most outrageous string of events (storytelling is significant in the film, after all). The adult respects their wishes, but is also careful to sneak in some pearls of wisdom – and what is to be appreciated is that Love and Thunder showcases children as heroes. In what way? First off, we can see Gorr somewhat indirectly echoing a famous statement belonging to Jesus, “Let the little children come to me”, when he sits in front of the kidnapped Asgardian kids. The children may fear Gorr initially, but they do “show up” eventually. Temporarily imbued with Thor’s powers at one point, the youngsters are not left in the shadow (or in the dark), but are given the opportunity to come to light and stand up to Gorr’s shadow creatures – in other words, get properly familiar with the evil that exists out there and learn how to tackle it. It’s an important incentive for young generations, alongside building a substantial connection with adults. This has heavily resonated in Taika Waititi’s entire work so far (if not in Marvel productions) and keeps on being pleasantly illustrated in Thor: Love and Thunder, with Thor and Gorr’s daughter (played by Chris Hemsworth’s own daughter, India Rose!!) bonding towards the end. “The Space Viking and his girl, born from Eternity, with the powers of a god”. Invincible, for she does go by the name of Love. And as she is reborn, bearing the same reflection as Eternity in the water, one thing must be certain for many viewers, deep in their hearts: Love does prevail for Eternity.