you hated Thor. Ragnarok by Taika Waititi? Pass your turn for Thor. love and thunder (VF of Thor: Love and Thunder) simmered by the same team. Because’love and thunderit is Ragnarok cubed and on acid. It’s crazy, psychedelic, irreverent, subversive, sometimes childish (some would say too often).
Of course, Christian Bale’s presence in the credits points in the direction of dramatic intensity and there’s that too. A little. But on most of the course (we are not talking about Chris Hemsworth here, since his Thor displays here his Olympian silhouette from before Avengers: Endgame), forget political correctness and think silly humor. These goats, for example (say no more). Or Russell Crowe playing Zeus as a caricature Gladiator.
In other words, the team of Thor. love and thunder does not take itself seriously and asks the same of the spectators. In very clear terms, this 29e Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, which is also the fourth epistle chronicling the fate of the god of thunder, will divide the faithful.
It is true that objectively, behind the lightness of the tone hides a relatively thin scenario whose stakes will not make anyone tremble (except, perhaps, if you are a god). In fact, now that the MCU has gotten rid of Thanos, it lacks a big, formidable villain to rock superheroes on their pedestal.
And this super-villain is not Gorr, even if Christian Bale works wonders with a terrifying character, but which lacks a “galactico-catalyst” scale. Bald, haggard, skin scarred and marked with tattoos, this pious man lost his loved ones in tragedies that left the gods indifferent. After getting his hands on a weapon made of pure darkness, he decided to put an end to the revered immortals who look down on their flock. Criticism of religions and deities that “allow” the worst horrors? One can feel this, far away in the subtext of Adeath and thunder.
Two Fire Duos
In short, Gorr’s quest leads, among other things, to Thor who, to lead the fight against the Godslayer, turns his back on the Guardians of the Galaxy with whom he flew away at the end ofEndgame. Alongside the God of Thunder, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson, Solid); Korg, the hilarious stone humanoid voiced and motion-captured by Taika Waititi; and Dr. Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman whose highly anticipated return to MCU does not disappoint.
The love of the title is a bit there. But not only. Because if the embers of love at first sight between the scientist and the god still smolder, Jane has other, very intimate fish to fry (the drama and the emotions that Gorr does not carry are here). Which does not prevent her from going to the front, especially since she has the means to do so: Mjöllnir, the all-powerful hammer of Thor destroyed in Ragnarok, answered her call and made her Mighty Thor. The tandem that this other Thor forms with Valkyrie is irresistible, thanks to the complicity of the two actresses who carry the characters on screen. Special request: see them together again, even in another context.
Another fiery duo: Mjöllnir and StromBreaker, the ax used by Thor since the destruction of the hammer that resurrected to snuggle up in Jane’s hand. An unfaithful hammer (yes!) and a jealous ax (yes, yes!) with, between the two, a Chris Hemsworth who is not afraid of anything, especially not of the absurd humor that he endorses with such ease just a cape and with contagious pleasure. His Thor is no longer the solemn character of the beginning, but he is, in another way, divinely cute.
Finally, who says UCM says fights, destruction and special effects. All this, when you add Taika Waititi, wrapped in a soundtrack as exploded as the visual (Guns N’Roses fans, open your ears). Flat cons on some effects: most are amazing (we do not expect less), but the all-out use of the technology that was used for the series The Mandalorian is not the best idea. What passes like butter on the small screen can swear on the big one. And swear here from time to time. But hey, we can put that down to the psychedelia of the whole thing.