Earlier this year I saw the superb EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – a bizarre but brilliant mashup of superhero-style-shenanigans, heartfelt emotional drama and absurdist comedy. And now here comes a film that feels oddly almost like a lightweight companion piece to it. Where EEAAO was a beautifully balanced blend of those three pillars – of action, drama and comedy – and deftly switched between each in a seamless dance, Thor L&T is – by my estimation – about 80-90% absurdist comedy. with far less time allotted to drama and superheroics. Is that a problem? Well… not for me. I thought it was terrific and had an absolute blast with it from start to finish. But… well, there’s always got to be a “But”.
But…. I can completely see why it’s divided fans and critics alike. I love Taika Waititi’s film & TV work. This film feels a lot closer to his comedy films like What We Do In The Shadows, or Hunt for the Wilderpeople, than his previous Marvel or Star Wars works. There’s nothing wrong with that either, but I can see why people going in expecting to see a more regular Marvel superhero movie might be a bit unhappy with it. Or maybe they needed more alcohol in their system to really appreciate the rather juvenile sense of humour! I mean, it’s really incredibly silly and absolutely stuffed with gags. If that style of humour doesn’t land with you, then yes – I can see how it would be an incredibly irritating film. I guess in this world, there’s probably equal numbers of people who either LOVED or HATED gloriously silly sequels like “Gremlins 2”, for example – films that didn’t take their source material in any way seriously and just wanted to have fun. Personally, I love ‘em. But then again, I do have a general fondness for aggressively silly, dumb comedies.
The film is not lacking in style either. Though it feels like all the cool kids are moving on to 90s Retro these days, this movie is unashamedly 80s, dripping with metal power visuals and the soundtrack is damn good. Also, I think perhaps I should say that although the film is massively gag-centred, there really are some pretty good emotional moments in it too. Chris Hemsworth and Nathalie Portman have some great chemistry in this film. Better than in than any of the previous Thor outings. Portman, in particular, doesn’t feel like she’s phoning in her performance in this one. And Christian Bale’s “Gorr the God-butcher” is a much-better-than-average Marvel Villain. He doesn’t have a particularly complex back story, but there’s enough depth there to make him both menacing and tragic as a character. Bale lifts the material considerably. Tessa Thompson is a bit wasted here though, which is a shame as she was great in Thor 3. But hey, the Space Goats definitely make up for it. Silliness fills the gaps where characterisation fails – and I don’t mean that in totally negative way.
Anyway, if you’re in the mood for the silliest entry in the MCU so far (and you liked Gremlins 2!) you will probably get a lot of enjoyment from this. Especially with a bit of alcohol or herbal-based lubrication 😁 Some of the gags – especially when it relates to the awkward moments in relationships – really hit home for me (in a good way!) And it’s all full of energy and heart. My second-favourite entry in the MCU Phase 4 so far. Better than Doctor Strange 2, not as good as No Way Home. But a lot to love (and thunder?) about.
