Be sure to checkout the LAMBCast where we discuss this movie top to bottom! https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lambcast/episodes/2022-07-11T12_45_11-07_00
Here we are with another fun stand-alone entry into the MCU.
It has been just a few years since we last saw Thor, heading off with the
Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers Endgame – presumably to find
himself while they searched for Gamora.
This movie begins where that movie ended but starts with a
preamble of introducing us to Gorr – a being on a desolate planet. He seems to
be the last of his people, struggling through a desert while praying to his god
for salvation. During the process, his daughter dies, and just before Gorr
himself perishes, he comes across an oasis and his god, reveling in the defeat
of an enemy who wielded the Necro-sword.
This is convenient on several levels because the sword is calling to
Gorr, someone who is furious with the gods for forsaking him, leading to the
death of his daughter. Also, it allows
Gorr to see just how petty and uncaring his god is. He picks up the sword and
kills him, swearing to kill ‘all gods’.
We catch up with Thor as he is getting back in shape and assisting the Guardians on various missions throughout the Galaxy. He still feels lost, and when they stumble across multiple distress calls due to Gorr’s actions, the Guardians seize the opportunity to go one way, leaving Thor, Korg, and Thor’s gift of two screaming space goats to head off to assist Lady Sif in a battle. Sif tells Thor about Gorr, his mission, and that he is heading to New Asgard on Earth next. As Thor returns to King Valkrie’s New Asgard, he encounters his ex, Jane Foster, now wielding Mjolnir as The Mighty Thor. Together, they come up with a plan to stop Gorr before he can reach the center of the universe and kill all the gods.
Like Thor Ragnarok, this movie is helmed by Taika Watiti who continues with the loud, colorful, silly tone he set in Ragnarok. There may be some unevenness in balancing the truly over-the-top silly with some more serious and touching moments, but I found it to be delightful and honestly, exactly the type of nonsense I needed right now. The score is mostly 80s Guns and Roses, the action is great, and I appreciated that this is the first MCU movie to shoot in the previously-Star-Wars-Shows-only Volume. It gives the actors a better sense of the environment for some of the larger sequences. As with Multiverse of Madness, the trick with continuing with the same actors in the same roles over a decade plus of projects is keeping those characters changing, evolving, or just plain fun to play. It did seem like everyone in this movie was having a good time.
Chris Hemsworth continues to portray Thor as a well-meaning
dim-witted action star. He’s great in Watiti’s particular brand of crazy and I
continue to enjoy his performance. The return of Natalie Portman to the
franchise as The Mighty Thor is wonderful and very entertaining. She’s new to
being a superhero, but determined to do as much good as she can while there.
For someone who has been a little ‘meh’ on genre-type entertainment, it was
nice to see her enjoying this adventure.
Tessa Thompson’s King Valkrie is fantastic – while she has very little to do in this movie, she is fun and action-packed, enjoying ruling her people but also missing going on adventures. I do find myself looking forward to her having more adventures – either with or without Thor. Taika Watiti’s Korg gets to do some narrating of the story in addition to helping out the heroes. Is he a reliable narrator? Who knows, but he surely is an entertaining one.
I was surprised by Christian Bale as Gorr – typically someone who seems to not be fun enough to enjoy this type of thing, he dove headfirst into Gorr and is equal parts angry, creepy, and weird. While I did think a little more could have been done to get us to nearly side with him (he does have a point) the movie was not really about that and I did enjoy his performance.
I really wish the commercials had not ruined that Russel Crowe was playing Zeus. It would have been a fun surprise. He definitely was having a good time and did a fine job but used a questionable accent and made me wonder if surely they could have cast a Greek actor for that role?
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie – yes, there are a couple of holes plot-wise (not enough that I cared about them) and yes, the tone may have been over-the-top silly (again, I don’t care, that is what I wanted from this movie), but it worked for me. Once again, I find myself so grateful that we are in a time we get new genre entertainment so regularly and there is so much of it that there is something for everyone! I also particularly loved that Watiti made this feel like a movie he made with a bunch of his friends and family. The kids in the movie are made up of the kids of the cast and crew – which may have been pandemic-shooting safeguards, but also gives some fun moments. There are some scary moments as Gorr sends some shadow monsters after the children of New Asgard, and some sad moments when Gorr loses his daughter and gives in to the seduction of the necro-sword, but overall, the movie is fun and silly and the perfect run time to sit and enjoy with your popcorn.
9 out of 10.
Yes, stay through the credits. Apparently there are no
decent wig-makers in Vahalla, but hey, what can you do.
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