Thor: Love and Thunder

[Brian G.]

I would simply like to know how...

Spoiler

the central motive for Gorr was to get to eternity so could make his one wish. Somehow Thor didn't think to bring up eternity at any point during literally any Avenger film? They could've defeated Thanos so easily! #ContinuityError

Because Stormbreaker didn’t exist until recently. The BiFrost wasn’t travel-sized yet.

 

[CoryLevy91]

Wow, surprised to see such a strong negative reaction to this. Saw it this morning and it's honestly the highlight of a down turning Phase 4 for me. I just love Taika Waititi's bizarre sense of humor and the MCU films really hit their highest marks when they are able to inject real heart, passion and emotion into these stories of super powered heroes, which is what Thor: Love and Thunder serves up better than a lot of previous MCU offerings. I teared up several times and that big final battle is just so emotionally swelling yet funnily epic it's great. The finale scene is a great delivery of the main title and I don't know how you can't leave the theater beaming after that. I had middling to above average expectations going into Thor Four but it smashed through all of them. Great story, great characters, one of the most memorable villains, great comedy, great action, just an all around blast of a film.

I would simply like to know how...

Spoiler

the central motive for Gorr was to get to eternity so could make his one wish. Somehow Thor didn't think to bring up eternity at any point during literally any Avenger film? They could've defeated Thanos so easily! #ContinuityError

I mean, you can do this argument until the sun comes down but you can't expect to be told new stories in the MCU and not be introduced to new elements that have existed within the world. So far the MCU has done pretty well at introducing new story items. You can't honestly expect for the first Avengers movie to be a six hour explanation-thon about everything that exists in the super hero world.

 

[Skold]

I would simply like to know how...

Spoiler

the central motive for Gorr was to get to eternity so could make his one wish. Somehow Thor didn't think to bring up eternity at any point during literally any Avenger film? They could've defeated Thanos so easily! #ContinuityError

I don't know if you have heard this, but Thor is dumb. He's a dummy. Not smart.

 

[Nick]

This video explains my feelings on it a bit better. The tone feels like so many different movies in one so I’m not surprised to hear this was originally a 4 hour film chopped down to 2 and Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum got cut.

I don't know if you have heard this, but Thor is dumb. He's a dummy. Not smart.

I’m okay with him being dumb. Just not a total idiot would be nice.

 

[Skipper Justin]

The first Thor felt like a Shakespearean drama. The last two have been fun and goofy. I’m here for more classic Thor adventures.

 

[Nick]

The first Thor felt like a Shakespearean drama. The last two have been fun and goofy. I’m here for more classic Thor adventures.

I’m totally down for Thor 5 if that’s what they want to do (they certainly set themselves up well) or they could do a Valhalla movie/show potentially.

I would like to see Thor toned down a bit at least to Ragnarok levels though if not even a bit more serious, which probably means changing directors if they do another movie.

 

[CoryLevy91]

Yeah, considering how absolutely uninspired and bland Thor: The Dark World was (and the original Thor honestly just feels lame outside of being the first time we see the character and his world), I'm glad they decide to change the tone of the series. Thor is so much more fun when he feels like he's at home in the MCU rather than trying to be a super serious DC character.

I don't think Love & Thunder was tonally confused at all. It's an action adventure that is always playing in the comedy arena, tugs at your heart strings with the right amount of care and makes its villain feel like a real God Butchering threat. I loved the opening because we get to see this dramatic tragedy of Gorr unravel before he meets his God who treats his followers like a joke and gets his just desserts from Gorr and the newly found Necrosword. You need that juxtaposition of the cruelty Gorr just endured to relate to him and feel for him when he turns heel. I think Love & Thunder balances comedy, action, drama and horror all really well. The only time in the entire movie I felt tones remotely clash was during the Black and White fight when the two God Goats joined the fray, of course eliciting a laugh as they screamed while fighting but even that was balanced with a feeling of fun and camaraderie somewhat and didn't take me out of the scene at all.

 

[chris.g]

Because Stormbreaker didn’t exist until recently. The BiFrost wasn’t travel-sized yet.

This is in and of itself also a continuity error, as Beta Ray Bill's face is engraved into the "Champions" pillar in Ragnarok while the audience also seemingly laughs at Thor for proclaiming himself as the God of Thunder. It's not that hard to believe when Beta Ray Bill seemingly exists in this universe but Waika refuses to introduce him.

 

[Brian G.]

This is in and of itself also a continuity error, as Beta Ray Bill's face is engraved into the "Champions" pillar in Ragnarok while the audience also seemingly laughs at Thor for proclaiming himself as the God of Thunder. It's not that hard to believe when Beta Ray Bill seemingly exists in this universe but Waika refuses to introduce him.

Ehh. I’m not gonna harp on them for a Easter Egg.

 

[CoryLevy91]

Yeah, you're going to have lots of problems if you expect the MCU films to be straight adaptations of the comic material.

 

[Nick]

Yeah, considering how absolutely uninspired and bland Thor: The Dark World was (and the original Thor honestly just feels lame outside of being the first time we see the character and his world), I'm glad they decide to change the tone of the series. Thor is so much more fun when he feels like he's at home in the MCU rather than trying to be a super serious DC character.

I don't think Love & Thunder was tonally confused at all. It's an action adventure that is always playing in the comedy arena, tugs at your heart strings with the right amount of care and makes its villain feel like a real God Butchering threat. I loved the opening because we get to see this dramatic tragedy of Gorr unravel before he meets his God who treats his followers like a joke and gets his just desserts from Gorr and the newly found Necrosword. You need that juxtaposition of the cruelty Gorr just endured to relate to him and feel for him when he turns heel. I think Love & Thunder balances comedy, action, drama and horror all really well. The only time in the entire movie I felt tones remotely clash was during the Black and White fight when the two God Goats joined the fray, of course eliciting a laugh as they screamed while fighting but even that was balanced with a feeling of fun and camaraderie somewhat and didn't take me out of the scene at all.

At the start of the movie, when Gorr had just lost his daughter and finds the God in the forest and he kneels before him. Gorr is a broken man at this point. The writing for the God in this scene is way off because it's as if a What We Do In The Shadows character was plopped into the MCU.

Stuff like that wasn't funny, it was cringe. Many of the running jokes overstayed their welcome. There was just no attempt to be serious/emotional in really even the slightest fashion in this movie, something Taika managed to do very well in Ragnarok.
------------------
I would like to say this. I watch a ton of movies that are mediocre imo or I just am not feeling and I normally never watch them again or comment publicly on them. I love the MCU and that's why i'm so disappointed. I criticize because I know it can be better than this. I've seen pretty much all of Phase 3 be fantastic. This movie just isn't anywhere near the level of what we got in 2017 from Thor or imo wasn't as good of a movie as Thor (2011), so it's disappointing knowing what the MCU can be and what we're getting.

 

[Brian G.]

it's as if a What We Do In The Shadows character was plopped into the MCU.

Technically...

Jonny Brugh | Actor, Writer, Producer

Known for: What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Love and Thunder, Mega Time Squad

www.imdb.com

 

[Skold]

At the start of the movie, when Gorr had just lost his daughter and finds the God in the forest and he kneels before him. Gorr is a broken man at this point. The writing for the God in this scene is way off because it's as if a What We Do In The Shadows character was plopped into the MCU.

I believe that the point of this scene was to show a devout servant how flippant his god really is. That (and the Necrosword, of course) is what drives him to become the God Butcherer. It drives the character.

*plink plink*

The important question here, of course, is... who gave him the sword? Kang?

 

[Jerroddragon]

I was a big fan of Moon Knight and very much enjoyed MoM, too. Thor just wasn't it for me.

If you are going in just wanting a "Classic Thor Adventure", then sure, you'll probably have a fun time with it as a popcorn movie. But the movie just structurally and tonally has issues that are hard to look past and i'm a big MCU fan that is normally willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because i'm biased.

I think the Jane stuff and Gorr stuff make it more than just another adventure and we see that they wont be able to just go off like this event never happened

My friend was also confused when i saw it with him how so many thought it was too funny...he was like "everyone watched the cancer part stuff and thought this was funny?"

 

[chris.g]

^ Thats the problem with these dog crap movies and the mostly formulaic tone of them. When everything's a joke, is anything actually funny?

I do wanna say that lately, I am actually impressed with Marvel. MoM was risky and stylish, and NWH was amazing. But there needs to be more weight to the situations these heroes are in .

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Lmao, I liked it a lot. My favorite of the Thor movies.

I understand the complaints but I think “fixing” them doesn’t give you a better movie. Let’s be honest, the MCU has never been “art”…they’re just fun. The value proposition for the MCU was always the unique way each movie interconnected characters and storylines we’d grown to care about on a large scale. But in a post-Endgame world, that won’t work.

So what to do? Lean into the strengths of each individual franchise/character. We tried two serious Thor movies…they weren’t good. The value proposition here isn’t the Norse mythology or storylines, it’s Chris Hemsworth and his newfound comedy chops. And unless you’ve got the Coen Brothers coming in to take these over (I dont know, do they still make movies? I’m riffing off the line from Superbad here lol) that’s not going to change.

Spoiler: Spoilers

I don’t need to see a family-friendly film try to take a stab at a serious movie about child-hunting and cancer. While those things have the potential to be great, that’s not what THIS particular cast/crew are best at and I’m thankful I didn’t have to sit for longer than 2 hours watching them try to force it.

All in all, went in with middling expectations, had some drinks at Boathouse beforehand, and caught the Dolby showing. It was a fun summer evening well spent. I enjoyed it :shrug:

PS the guy next to me cried lol

 

[Nick]

I think the Jane stuff and Gorr stuff make it more than just another adventure and we see that they wont be able to just go off like this event never happened

My friend was also confused when i saw it with him how so many thought it was too funny...he was like "everyone watched the cancer part stuff and thought this was funny?"

They didn't make those parts feel as emotionally serious as they should have because, as @Chris Galindo said, the rest of the movie was such a joke.

Also, while Jane was in Endgame in a minor cameo, we haven't really seen her around in the MCU since The Dark World. So, we haven't seen her since 2013 and her storyline is rushed. It's like, "Hey, remember Jane? Yeah, she has stage 4 cancer! Moving on....". It felt like her story could've taken up an entire first act almost and we could have really delved into her character to get much more emotionally attached. Gorr also had a very emotional story that got undercut by the comedy imo.

 

[Jerroddragon]

They didn't make those parts feel as emotionally serious as they should have because, as @Chris Galindo said, the rest of the movie was such a joke.

Also, while Jane was in Endgame in a minor cameo, we haven't really seen her around in the MCU since The Dark World. So, we haven't seen her since 2013 and her storyline is rushed. It's like, "Hey, remember Jane? Yeah, she has stage 4 cancer! Moving on....". It felt like her story could've taken up an entire first act almost and we could have really delved into her character to get much more emotionally attached. Gorr also had a very emotional story that got undercut by the comedy imo.

I mean here is the thing

We either get TV shows that are too long of movies too short

They need to find a balance but I think this film moved at a great pace and didn’t need more on the characters

I understand both Jane and Gott and didn’t need more, I get done wanted more but I understood them with the screen time they got

 

[Lucky Planet]

I liked it, BUT I can see where a lot of people had problems with it. Even as someone who did enjoy it, I was like "OK, let's dial it back just a tad". With the movie coming in under 2 hours, it could've afforded 10-20 min to flesh out a few more scenes and let the plot breathe a little, especially with all the zaniness. As far as "Dumb Thor" - I took it as Thor's Mid-Life Crisis, and he started shaking it off as the film concluded and his character arc completed.

Still, I had a lot of fun with the movie, and there were some visually striking scenes. I liked Ragnarok better, but this was fine.

BUT - Phase 4 still has the wheels spinning with nowhere to go.

This was a positive for me at the very least. The ending of the movie feels like they will have him set to literally have to be more mature going forward in either a Thor 5 or whenever he next appears (It's possible we see him in a cameo on Disney+ or something at some point, but we won't be seeing him for quite awhile it would seem because the entire 2023 slate is set and 2024 is looking like we may not see him in anything either. I'd say it's possible we see him in whatever She-Hulk and Hulk get involved in on the movie side? She-Hulk was a love interest of Thor in the comics.

That said, I don't care for how they directed or wrote him in this movie almost at all (he literally sounds exactly like Scooby-Doo as he say "Jaaaaane?". There's was a few gags that were funny the first few times... and then they kept doing them. Taika DOES know how to be cleverly funny, but this movie feels like the humor was written for kids.

^ Thats the problem with these dog crap movies and the mostly formulaic tone of them. When everything's a joke, is anything actually funny?

this movie was much better, more enjoyable and more coherent than Dr Strange 2 for me, a much much better time, BUT the plot and actual story is extremely thin, super super light on plot. without the jokes and constant back and forth this story could easily be told in 40 minutes. even the villain's plot and motivation were very light. or very simple
I know these movies arent Oscar level dramas but it felt so light. a lot of long (funny) scenes of nothing lol. this movie fits in the Seinfeld universe lol

the jokes worked for me, after seeing how dark and depressing doctor strange 2 was, for me personally, the jokes did work, all of them worked well for me. i laughed pretty hard in some scenes, i loved some jokes a lot, but the actual quality of the movie as a marvel movie was pretty poor. story was pretty poor, character development was poor.
i laughed and i want to see it again, but i was bored about it too

Spoiler

when they visit zeus... what a mess.... yes funny jokes, yes amazing costumes and effects, but what an useless scene, adds absolutely Nothing important....you can literally cut zeus and nothing really changes, even his weapon isnt important.
cut the guardians of the galaxy from the beginning, nothing changes. they were funny, but zeus and the guardians took time away from Jane or time to to more with the other characters. the kids at the end were very funny, we needed more time with them

writing movies is hard, i get it, we can nitpick them after the fact, but this really was SEINFELD the movie, a comedy about nothing lol
(ending was charming and sweet)

This video explains my feelings on it a bit better. The tone feels like so many different movies in one so I’m not surprised to hear this was originally a 4 hour film chopped down to 2 and Peter Dinklage and Jeff Goldblum got cut.




I’m okay with him being dumb. Just not a total idiot would be nice.

i love him, he does great vids, excellent excellent review

 

[Nick]

Spoiler

when they visit zeus... what a mess.... yes funny jokes, yes amazing costumes and effects, but what an useless scene, adds absolutely Nothing important....you can literally cut zeus and nothing really changes, even his weapon isnt important.
cut the guardians of the galaxy from the beginning, nothing changes. they were funny, but zeus and the guardians took time away from Jane or time to to more with the other characters. the kids at the end were very funny, we needed more time with them

Spoiler

Yup, the only reason that we spent all that time at Omnipotence City is because Valkyrie needed a weapon and they somehow settled on Zeus. As you said, his weapon was no more impactful to the story than if Valkyrie had picked up a sword in New Asgard and we skipped the 20 minutes or so of Omnipotence City altogether.