The first reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder are streaming in and the critics are enamored with the Odinson’s emotional journey of self-discovery.
Ahead of Thor: Love and Thunder‘s theatrical release, the first reactions to the latest Marvel Cinematic Blockbuster are streaming in.
Arguably one of 2022’s most anticipated films, Chris Hemsworth’s return as the titular Odinson is earning plenty of praise from critics who attended the movie’s premiere. Fandom’s Erik Davis lauded Love and Thunder for its story about “discovering love in unexpected places,” further spotlighting Christian Bale and Russell Crowe’s performances as Gorr the God Butcher and Zeus, respectively. Entertainment journalist Simon Thompson echoed these sentiments, further describing director Taika Waititi’s take on Thor as the “a jewel in Marvel’s crown” before similarly highlighting Bale’s “creepy and campy” performance.
Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier notes that while Love and Thunder‘s middle is “a little all over the place,” the movie manages to wrap itself up in a “touching, satisfying way.” Jake Kleinman, the deputy editor over at Inverse, stated that while the latest Thor flick doesn’t necessarily reach the same level as Waititi’s previous MCU installment Ragnarok, it’s nonetheless an “emotionally mature” Marvel movie that’s stuffed with quality comedy.
Thor: Love and Thunder takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame and sees the titular God of Thunder embarking on a mission to find himself. Disillusioned with his life as a superhero, Thor sets off to tell his own story alongside some of his closest allies, such as Korg (Waititi), King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).
While Jane’s return to the God of Thunder’s life may be cause for celebration, it’s been over eight years since the pair were together and plenty has changed. Love and Thunder‘s trailers confirm that Jane is now wielding the mighty reforged Mjolnir, which has turned her into The Mighty Thor. “She’s had a whole other life, and then the love of your life comes back on the scene, and is now dressed like you. It’s a real mindfuck for Thor,” explained Waititi.
Portman’s last MCU appearance was in Thor: The Dark World, a film that was widely panned by audiences and critics alike. Waititi noted how he was able to convince the award-winning actor to return to the world of superheroes, explaining that he made the offer exciting. “I had to just talk to her about the fact that I wanted to change that character, just like we’d changed Thor’s character for Ragnarok and to give her a bit more license to be adventurous and fun because Natalie’s a really funny person,” Waititi said.
Thor: Love and Thunder blasts into theaters on July 8.
Source: Twitter
Brad Lang is the Associate Lead News Editor at CBR. When he’s not writing about the latest rumblings in entertainment, he can be found making his way through his ever-growing collection of retro video games. He also hurts himself a little too often on his skateboard and should probably clean his records soon…
Thunderstruck
