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

[SomeOldGuy]

Just got back. Not a great film, not a bad film. On the plus side, the set piece action sequences are fantastic. Cast chemistry is terrific all around. The child actors are solid, always a tough thing to nail. The goats rule and the classic heavy metal soundtrack is 100 percent in my wheelhouse. And the movie absolutely sticks the landing. The last 20-30 minutes are just spot on.

On the minus side…way too many scenes feel like bad improv comedy that should have been left on the cutting room floor. The Guardians are completely wasted. Really, that whole opening bit was mostly pointless. I can see what they were going for, but it just came out cringe. Too much of the movie felt like they weren’t even trying. Hey, it’s Thor, we can film Hemsworth mowing his lawn in costume for 90 minutes and it’ll make a billion, right?

Overall, I’d give it a 6.5/10. Better than TDW but below Ragnarok and the original Thor.

 

[TheGDBatman]

I've had some time to think on this one, and I think it ends up being a 7/10 for me. SomeOldGuy nailed it imo. A ton of stuff I really loved, but so much that fell by the wayside. Some misses with comedy, wasted potential of the Guardians, weightless plot threads, etc.

I loved Ragnarok, so I came away a bit disappointed with this one. Felt like it needed another 20 minutes and a couple more pass-overs on the script.

 

[B]

A bit late to the party but saw this I believe it was last week or maybe the week before(?), can't quite remember.

Thought it was dreadful, legitimately a dreadful film bordered on unwatchable for me. Such a potentially fantastic villain & casting of Bale as Gorr, as well as what could have been a great & more impactful storyline for Thor/Jane was completely wasted.

Bale/Gorr should have had a lot more screentime, he was probably the best & most interesting thing in the film, probably because he was the only thing that was kept fairly free of the constant barrage of gags.

It was just gag after gag, joke after joke, pointless goofball interactions 1 after the other that to be quite blunt I found annoying to watch after the initial maybe 10 minutes because of how pointless, unfunny & downright cringeworthy some of the dialog was from pretty much every character other than Gorr.. most of it felt like it was made up on the spot.

Some of the cinematography & shots throughout the film were great but there's not really much else to say, the story is relatively simplistic but I found it difficult to be invested in anything that actually happened in the film & to any of the characters because of the overall tomfoolery nature of the film in addition, to phrase this as least spoilery as possible, seeing things happen to characters that are then undone or leaving the door open for returns. There's no weight to it.

As I sit here typing this I'm giving it the 'bad film, that I want to like' treatment in that I'm trying to think of things that I liked to mention just so I'm not being overly negative.. however the reality is there's about 20-30 minutes of meaningful film & story to tell in the near 2 hours, the rest was all nonsense IMO.

4/10

 

[BlackFox]

Yeah if Marvel ever jumped the shark this was the moment, its a random mess of random things that sort of just happen. There's some good in there sure but a lot of things just dont stick and its not much of a story underneath the goofyness and just plain bizzare.

The

Spoiler

parody sketch with Matt Damon

was played in exactly the same tone as the rest of the movie, it sort of became a parody of itself, all very odd. The clashing of screaming goats and someone suffering stage 4 cancer was jarring to the extreme as well, GoTG handled stuff like this much much better.

Bale obviously thought he was in a different movie as his performance was again totally at odds with others and what they were doing, he was good sure but his character didnt really add up to much other than a

Spoiler

kid napper

and then sort of got redeemed at the last moment?? and as for Crowe as Zues it ended up being more Borat than what I think he thought he was doing. Like a lot of the jokes in this it was funny/odd at first but by the seventh repeat of the joke it kind of got grating, like those goats again or Thor's hammer obsessions.

I dont think a lot of the film being choppy and with clearly bits missing helped a great deal to be fair it felt like a of things got cut out to save time but also made things feel very clunky and jarring at times, perhaps a better version of the film exists somewhere but even then the story is not going to go down as anything really memorable.

The best bits were probably Jane Foster and her moments which felt pretty epic and Portman had clearly a lot more fun playing the part this time round but again there was odd things like

Spoiler

Darcy

appearing for one awkward scene then disappearing from the entire movie that served no purpose.

All in all a really wonky effort from Marvel, perhaps at least not as dull and boring as Eternals but a bit of a hot mess that threw lots of ideas in the pot but never, except for a brief 5 minutes at the end, ever took any of it seriously enough to really tell a compelling story. Kind of feels they wanted to go big and sparkly to compensate for the dull grey and bland of Eternals but over compensated and went out of control a bit. An odd duckgoat indeed. 5/10

 

[Spider-Fan]

I didn't say L&T established Valhalla as somewhere every character comes back from.

As I said in my very first post on the matter it felt like to me, and others on this thread who have mentioned it also, that it was put in as a doorway for Jane to come back if they go that route. You arguing with me doesn't make me think otherwise so let's agree to disagree.

If Jane comes back, I don't think Valhalla is the vehicle. I think that was in this film just as an end to her journey. If they decide they want Jane back, the easiest answer and path is the same way I think we may ultimately get a new T'Challa: Secret Wars. We are going to have variants of everyone and probably going to see characters like RDJ and Evans return for that. So same could be done to bring back anyone they want, including Jane. This would be easier and fit into the narrative they are already crafting as their major event. But I don't think the Valhalla thing was put into the movie to leave that as a possibility to bring her back or anything

 

[Fosterson]

If Jane comes back, I don't think Valhalla is the vehicle. I think that was in this film just as an end to her journey. If they decide they want Jane back, the easiest answer and path is the same way I think we may ultimately get a new T'Challa: Secret Wars. We are going to have variants of everyone and probably going to see characters like RDJ and Evans return for that. So same could be done to bring back anyone they want, including Jane. This would be easier and fit into the narrative they are already crafting as their major event. But I don't think the Valhalla thing was put into the movie to leave that as a possibility to bring her back or anything

I think either option is open tbh. Jane returned from Valhalla in the comics (and we also saw in Moon Knight that its possible to return from the afterlife), so it wouldn't be without precedent.

 

[RetrogradeOrbit]

This has got to be one of the worst films I have seen in years. There were a handful of good bits, but it was genuinely rubbish.
Natalie Portman was probably the best thing of this travesty of a movie.

The director is primarily to blame as far as I am concerned and he should be kept far away from any more Marvel movies.

1/10

 

[DyeLorean]

I think Taika was waaay too confident during this one, probably thinking "oh easy, it's gonna be good no matter what I do, right?".

 

[tek]

late to the party. was not going to see the film as there was alot of negativity. anyhow I finally saw it. I went into the screening expecting alot of absurd humour and I intended to just have fun with it. I was surprised how enjoyable the film was. I had a blast with it and it does feel like it is targeted toward a younger audience. This to me is the best Thor film. Hemsworth just owns it. this is his best performance as Thor. His chemistry with Portman really grew in this and it was touching by the end. I loved how they utilised Jane. Her character was great.

I enjoyed all the cast, Bale was a great contrast and his journey was utilised well, Crowe was a hoot, Tessa Thompson added glue. I liked all the cameos and supporting cast. I like the fairytale aspect to it. The humour was superior in this to Ragnarok. I liked the ending with Love and Thunder. This is what a comic movie aimed at a younger audience should be. just zany fun with heart and not taking itself too seriously. I would find it hard to have anyone else than Taika to do anymore Thor solo movies. This is his best Thor film and I can see this film getting more positivity as the years roll on. 9/10

 

[First Avenger]

Having watched the movie twice, I can better recollect my thoughts on it:
- Loved the rock remix of the Marvel Studios fanfare, as well as the overall score and the use of Guns N' Roses.
- liked Korg being the (unreliable?) narrator for both the children and the audience.
- Jane is a way better character as is her relationship with Thor. It was nice to see the little montage which basically filled the gaps between The Dark World and Age of Ultron. I was satisfied in Jane's story and hopefully she'll come back for more.
- I still love the way Hemsworth portrays Thor and how easily he switches from goofy to serious.
- Portman and Crowe definately had a lot of fun during filming. I wish Thompson's Val had a Little more to do. Bale crushed it and Gorr's story worked for me even if I needed a scene of him butchering some Gods. I also can never get enough of the Guardians.
- The comedy was relentless in the First half and some of it was forced but overall it worked for me and the movie managed to Stick the landing on its emotional core, especially in the Eternity scene.
- Contrary to most I liked the brisk pacing and the movie doesn't outstay its welcome. Action was fun and some parts of the movie looked beautiful even if the CGI was questionable at times.

Overall another Classic Thor Adventure which isn't quite as tight and focused as Ragnarok. It will probably come third in this year's MCU movies ranking as I frigging loved Strange and Wakanda Forever looks incredible, but that's no slouch for Love and Thunder. 8/10

 

[First Avenger]

Ranking the Thors just for completion:
- Ragnarok 9/10
- Love and Thunder/ Thor 8/10
- The Dark World 7/10

 

[Batmannerism]

I enjoyed Ragnarok a lot, and I'm probably one of only 6 people on the planet who enjoyed the Dark World.

I didn't think much of Love and Thunder. If it had been just a generic action-comedy sci fi film, it would have been a good laugh and then I'd forget about it.

Sadly, it's an MCU Thor film - so I kind of expect a little more ( well at least for it to be silmilar quality to Ragnarok). But there were too many logic fails and too much ridiculous goofy stuff in it for me. I was okay with Thor not taking himself 100% seriously in Ragnarok, but this was Clown Thor.

All in all The Dark World was indeed a better film.

4/10 from me.

On the other hand I think Taika would do a great job with a remake of Flash Gordon

 

[Fosterson]

Meant to say that I saw it again last week (second time). Still enjoyed it. Its definitely not perfect, but I still find it to be entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt for what it is.

 

[Albright]

As expected available on 8th of September

 

[First Avenger]

As expected available on 8th of September

Yas, eager to see the IMAX enhanced version.

 

[Ctfxcwatcher]

I'm not so sure why this movie has received such a big backlash when to me, it's the same quality as Ragnarok. Same humor, same over the top Taika-ness, etc. Naturally they took the successful formula from Ragnarok and applied it here because it's what worked last movie.

I think we have entered an era where there seems to be an MCU backlash & people (critics & fans) seem to be a bit more on edge now.

I give it a 6-7/10.

 

[samsnee]

Ragnarok had a nice balance between the dumb bro humor and drama. Banner and Loki were better co-stars in that movie. In this one, Valkyrie was given nothing to do and Jane’s cancer wasn’t really taken that seriously.

 

[Ultra Nolanite]

Just caught it on D+ truly awful.

So Thor is trying to stop Gorr from killing the Gods, (who are all terrible by the way) but then he goes and just "kills" the God King Zeus?

Just a poor attempt and like someone said above my post, I felt like I was watching this Asgardian play that has Matt Damon in it. Except it's stretched out to 2 hours. And it's interesting that Taika Waititi lacks the self awareness to understand how annoying he can be.

 

[DyeLorean]

So, I rewatched it after my so-so initial reaction and... it has not changed.
Weirdly, is the comedic stuff that just didn't work for me this time around. Almost none of the jokes land. A few lines here and there made me chuckle, but everything felt 'off'.
The dramatic/more serious elements were the most interesting part to be honest, but it fails miserably when it tries to be Ragnarok 2. Korg, Valkyrie... just awful interactions. The action was really generic too. I don't know what happened.

 

[Fosterson]

Just caught it on D+ truly awful.

So Thor is trying to stop Gorr from killing the Gods, (who are all terrible by the way) but then he goes and just "kills" the God King Zeus?

He's reacting in anger against the guy who he thought killed his best friend. Zeus being a god is irrelevant. I don't see how that contradicts with Thor wanting to stop Gorr from doing a god genocide.

And besides, Thor isn't averse to killing fellow gods when they're evil. Remember Hela?

 

[squeekness]

Much better than I expected from the ads. Fun ride!

 

[samsnee]

Korg is best in small doses. Too much here. And Valkyrie had zero to do. She looked bored all the way through.

So, I rewatched it after my so-so initial reaction and... it has not changed.
Weirdly, is the comedic stuff that just didn't work for me this time around. Almost none of the jokes land. A few lines here and there made me chuckle, but everything felt 'off'.
The dramatic/more serious elements were the most interesting part to be honest, but it fails miserably when it tries to be Ragnarok 2. Korg, Valkyrie... just awful interactions. The action was really generic too. I don't know what happened.

 

[BoredGuy]

finally FINALLY watched this, and my feelings are... complicated

On one hand, I didn't think it was nearly as stuffed with jokes as Ragnarok, or Guardians or Ant Man or several others. All the stuff with Jane's Cancer and Gorr's backstory were handled seriously and given weight. I also thought this was up there with Infinity War as one of Hemsworth's best performances, he showed a ton of range and I didn't find him to be overly dumb or jokey personally. And from a visual standpoint, when the VFX work, the movie looks gorgeous. The fight in the Shadow Realm was beautiful, though somehow it looked better in the trailers, and it wasn't quite as beautiful as the Valkyries vs Hela scene from Ragnarok. I liked several of the action scenes, though not all. And I thought even Pratt in his short screen time gave a solid performance.

but on that other hand... The humor that was there was not NEARLY as funny as Ragnarok, which is why I think a lot of people felt this movie was "dumber" than Ragnarok. A lot of the humor was just cheesy. The VFX in several places was pretty rough, especially the CGI helmets, Omnipotence City, the shadow monsters, and that floating head. Some of the action scenes were lackluster, though that could be connected to the VFX as well. A lot of the production just felt cheap too, the costumes were plasticky and the sets were minimal to non-existent; I can see what people meant by saying it doesn't look like a $200 million movie. And finally, on the story side, it did feel quite rushed, and some characters definitely got shorted. I think Gorr was good for the most part, but one more scene of him offing a god at full power would've been cool. A little more of Jane would be nice, and a little less Korg. And yeah, Valkyrie definitely took the worst hit, she had nothing to do and no reason to be there.

Also, as a fan of the source material, it was a shame there was a touching speech to win the day as opposed to a badass Old/Young/Modern Thor team up to actually beat Gorr, and there was also no space sharks. -1.

Overall I give it a 7
Definitely better than the Dark World or even Captain Marvel, but nowhere near as good as Ragnarok... I'd put it about on par with Thor 1 or one of the Ant Mans (Probably AM&TW).

 

[LoganPool]

My opening night, just out of the theater review, I gave it a 9/10. After finally watching it again at home, I'm happy to report that it stays the same! Call me crazy, but this movie is simply incredible. I'll never understand the hate it gets. Best Thor movie. Easily fits into my top 5 MCU movies. Now just waiting on the Blu-ray.

 

[Prison Mike]

Just saw it on Disney+ for the first time. REALLY enjoyed this one. I honestly didn’t think there were jokes every five seconds like I heard people complain. There were a lot of serious moments too. I think it had a good balance similar to Ragnarok. This film just reignited my crush on Natalie Portman since the Star Wars prequels. Both she and Tessa Thompson have some major guns