I’ll be honest. I walked into Love and Thunder with sky-high expectations. After Ragnarok completely reinvented Thor, I was hooked.
That movie made me care about a character I’d written off. Then Endgame showed us his vulnerable side, and I was all in.
So yeah, I had hopes for this one. Could Taika Waititi do it again? Would we get that perfect mix of humor and heart?
Here’s the thing. This movie split fans hard. Some loved it. Others hated it.
Let me break down where I landed.
Thor: Love and Thunder – Movie Details at a Glance
Get the quick facts about Thor: Love and Thunder, including the director, cast, runtime, and where it fits in the MCU.
Film Information
Taika Waititi returned to direct this fourth Thor installment. He co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
The film hit theaters in July 2022 with a runtime of 119 minutes. It earned a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
This marks Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Main Cast
Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Thor, the God of Thunder.
Natalie Portman returns as Jane Foster. This time, she wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor.
Christian Bale plays Gorr the God Butcher, the film’s main villain.
Tessa Thompson is back as Valkyrie, now King of New Asgard.
Plot Overview – Gods, Grief, and Cosmic Chaos (Spoiler-Light)
Thor’s still finding himself after Endgame. He tags along with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but something feels missing. He’s searching for purpose.
Then Jane Foster comes back into his life. She’s battling cancer and somehow wields Mjolnir now. She’s the Mighty Thor.
Meanwhile, Gorr the God Butcher is on a rampage. He’s killing gods across the universe because they failed him.
Here’s the weird part. The stakes feel massive, but the story feels small. It’s personal and intimate, even when the fate of all gods hangs in the balance.
Direction & Vision – Taika Waititi Unleashed
Taika Waititi’s bold directing style made Ragnarok work, but does too much creative freedom hurt Love and Thunder’s story and tone?
Following the Success of Thor: Ragnarok
Ragnarok worked because it balanced comedy with real stakes. Thor lost everything but found himself. The jokes landed, but the emotion hit hard too.
Waititi nailed the tone. He gave us a fun Thor without making him a joke. We laughed with him, not at him.
So expectations were high. Fans wanted that same balance. Give us laughs, but let the characters grow. Make us feel something real.
When Creative Freedom Becomes Excess
This time, the humor takes over. Almost every serious moment gets undercut by a joke. Gorr threatens children, then we get a gag. Jane reveals her cancer, comedy follows.
The style looks great. The visuals pop. But they don’t serve the story.
Here’s what went wrong. Waititi needed someone to say “no” occasionally. The film needed breathing room. Less screaming goats. More quiet character moments.
Sometimes less is more. This movie forgot that lesson.
Tone & Humor – A Constant Battle With Emotional Weight
The jokes never stop. Seriously, they come at you every few seconds. Some land, but many feel forced.
The real problem? Comedy kills the drama. Jane’s cancer storyline deserves weight. Gorr’s pain needs space to breathe. Instead, we get punchlines.
One scene you’re crying, the next you’re watching screaming goats. It whiplashes you back and forth.
This tonal mess is the film’s biggest weakness. It can’t decide what it wants to be, so it tries being everything at once.
Performances – Strong Actors, Uneven Material
The cast delivers solid work, but weak writing holds them back. Great performances can’t fix a script that doesn’t support them.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Hemsworth knows this character inside and out. His comedic timing is perfect. He can make you laugh with just a look.
But Thor doesn’t grow here. He’s the same guy from the start to the end. Where’s the arc? What does he learn?
The script gives him jokes instead of depth. Hemsworth deserves better material.
Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor
Portman commits fully to Jane’s story. You feel her struggle with cancer. You see her determination to help despite her body failing.
She brings real emotion to every scene. The chemistry with Hemsworth still works.
The problem? The film rushes her storyline. We needed more time with her fight. More scenes showing what wielding Mjolnir costs her body.
Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher
Bale is terrifying. He makes Gorr sympathetic and scary at the same time. Every scene he’s in crackles with intensity.
His pain feels real. You understand why he hates the gods, even if you don’t agree.
But he barely appears in the movie. We get maybe 15 minutes of Gorr total. For a villain this compelling, that’s criminal.
Visuals, Action & Music
The movie looks colorful and sounds loud, but flashy visuals and rock music don’t always match what’s happening on screen.
Action Sequences and CGI
Some scenes look incredible. The Shadow Realm sequence is genuinely cool. Thor fighting in black and white pops visually.
But the CGI feels rushed in places. Some effects look unfinished. You can tell they needed more time in post-production.
The action works better when it’s creative, not just big explosions.
Soundtrack & Aesthetic Choices
Guns N’ Roses blasts through almost every scene. Sweet Child O’ Mine plays. Welcome to the Jungle rocks out.
The ’80s rock vibe is fun at first. Then it becomes too much.
Here’s the issue. Upbeat rock plays during serious moments. Gorr kidnaps children while guitar solos wail. It feels wrong.
The music should support the story, not fight against it.
Thor: Love and Thunder Rating
3 out of 5 stars (6/10)
This movie frustrates me. It has all the pieces for something great. Bale gives a killer performance. Portman brings real emotion. The visuals can be striking.
But the constant jokes ruin serious moments. The story rushes through important beats. Gorr deserved more screen time. Jane’s cancer storyline needed room to breathe.
It’s not bad. It’s just disappointing. Ragnarok proved Waititi could balance humor and heart. This one tips too far into comedy and loses its soul.
Thor: Love and Thunder in the MCU Context
This is Phase Four Marvel. The Infinity Saga ended, and now the MCU feels directionless.
Love and Thunder doesn’t connect to anything bigger. It stands alone, which sounds good but feels empty. Earlier MCU films built toward something. This one just exists.
Compare it to The Avengers or Infinity War. Those felt important. This feels like filler.
And audiences are tired. Marvel pumps out so much content now. Between movies and Disney+ shows, people are checking out.
This film arrived when fans already felt burnt out. That didn’t help its reception.
Conclusion
I wanted to love this movie. The cast is incredible. The visuals pop. The premise had so much promise.
But I left the theater feeling empty. Too many jokes killed the emotion. Gorr deserved better. Jane’s story got rushed. Thor learned nothing.
Here’s what bugs me most. This film won’t matter in a year. It doesn’t move the MCU forward. It doesn’t change Thor as a character.
Ragnarok worked because Waititi balanced fun with real stakes. This one forgot the stakes part.
It’s watchable. Sometimes it’s even fun. But it could have been so much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thor: Love and Thunder worth watching?
It depends on what you want. If you enjoy silly Marvel comedies, you’ll have fun. But if you’re looking for emotional depth or a compelling villain story, you’ll probably feel let down.
How does it compare to Thor: Ragnarok?
Ragnarok balanced humor with real stakes and character growth. Love and Thunder leans too heavily on jokes and loses that balance. The tone feels inconsistent throughout.
Is Christian Bale good as Gorr?
Bale delivers a fantastic performance. He makes Gorr terrifying and sympathetic at the same time. The problem is he’s barely in the movie, which wastes his talent.
Does Natalie Portman get enough screen time as Mighty Thor?
She gets decent screen time, but her storyline feels rushed. The film touches on her cancer and transformation but doesn’t give these heavy topics the space they deserve.
Do I need to watch other MCU films before this one?
You should watch Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame for context. But this film stands alone and doesn’t connect much to the broader MCU Phase Four storyline.
