It’s hard to say what the real direction is. Marvel Cinematic Universe with her Stage 4 which goes in all directions by multiplying the characters, dealing with the consequences ofEndgame and having opened the floodgates of its multiverseespecially in the still recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with some potentially very interesting leads. Do not expect to have more answers on this side by going to see Thor: Love and Thunderwhich makes its merry way in its cosmic bubble and asgardian. Before getting to the heart of the matter, obviously without spoilerif you’re not a particular client of Taika Waititi’s humor and were hoping for a slightly more serious work, avoid getting in knots in your brain and move on, because Thor: Love and Thunder is a dramatic comedy in the line of Ragnarok. As far as we are concerned, we appreciated this 4 much moree section, in particular because of its themes.
In any case, the director takes pleasure in having fun with Thor.
By way of introduction, we are entitled to an effective implementation of the antagonist of this film allowing in a few minutes to know his motivations. He is bald, has a pale complexion and will quickly want to exterminate all the deities of the universe… no, it’s not Kratosbut Gorr, the Godslayer. Although his appearance is not quite comic accurate, this Voldermort space camped by an almost unrecognizable Christian Bale made a strong impression on us. Already, his personal quest makes sense and opens the debate on the role of the gods in the mcu. In addition, the actor bursts the screen by being both chilling and fun in his own way. It’s a shame that his nickname hasn’t been carried out so well, because the violent actions of the “butcher” take place off-camera, simply mentioned before he ends up attacking Thor. Another detail which has something to leave us wary of, its objective passes through the introduction in good and due form ofa true deus ex machina of which we do not know much in the end. Certainly, seeing this kind of element of the lore comics brought to the screen is nice, but it would have deserved a more thorough explanation and probably a use in the context of a more “serious” issue.
Many times, Taika Waititi uses Korg as narrator to summarize in an instant what happened in the life of a character, a process that is all the more justified since the director embodies the Kronian on the screen. This very side meta is enhanced by the fact that he tells it by the fireside to a group of children as seen in one of the trailers, and thus the whole story of the film. Who can then say if everything we see is truthful (intradiegetically of course) or embellished to make the whole thing more exhilarating to its audience? What is certain is that this adventure companion of Thor is primarily there for humor and not much else.
The god of thunder is therefore reintroduced alongside the Guardians of the Galaxywhose presence is more of a cameo than anything elsesimply making an act of presence at the beginning of the feature film by ensuring the transition between the end ofEndgame and this new adventure, visibly very satisfied to finally get rid of this passenger stealing the show as he flies over the danger on the battlefield, at least that’s how we felt. In any case, the director takes malicious pleasure in having fun with Thor by offering good action scenes badass (or stripping him naked) and character development by Chris Hemsworth giving us a burlesque version as he got more serious in Ragnarok, before sinking into depression. Regression ? Not really, because this humor serves to hide his traumas as he searches for a new reason to live. Its status at the end of the film also opens up interesting perspectives and we really liked its symbolic significance.the outcome operating a good counterpoint that we did not see coming.
With such a title, Thor: Love and Thunderra obviously as central theme lovewhich is treated in various ways, with in the first place the relation between the son ofOdin and Jane Foster. Natalie Portman is making her comeback by no longer content to be the scientific girlfriend on duty and takes on a whole new dimension, and muscle, by embodying The Mighty Thor and handling Mjollnir. If you’ve read the comics, the way she’s reintroduced into the plot won’t surprise you, even if a certain levity is in order not to weigh down the atmosphere too much, with in passing a well-found parallel that emerges between her and Gorr. Its treatment is through several iconic scenes in costume where she manages the situation brilliantly, without however forcing on the “girl power” side, and a budding friendship with Valkyrie, still embodied by Tessa Thompson, offering a good dynamic. The king of the city of New Asgardwhich has become a veritable tourist trap, is also entitled to rare moments of brilliance on screen, even if its role is more withdrawn compared to Ragnarok.
Thor: Love and Thunder turns out to be very good entertainment for young and old.
Without saying too much, love is a theme that also concerns the weapons of the protagonists, Mjollnir and storm breakerwith totally burlesque and absurd scenes, even serving as justification for the direction the plot is taking. It will not necessarily please, but coupled with certain camera shots, it gives very funny situations. We can say the same of the two goats (or goats?) Tangrisnir and Tanngnjostrwho actually deserved their poster and made the audience laugh.
In terms of rhythmthe viewing of Thor: Love and Thunder goes at breakneck speed without giving us time to get bored with its duration of 1h59. The concern is that the sequence is at times a little disjointed or too fast, with scenes of which we feel the cuts with the assembly and some lack of explanation. For once, the part to Omnipotent City (what we mistakenly thought was theOlympus) is probably a little too long compared to its real importance, but it was necessary to highlight the Zeus by Russell Crowe. The grandiloquent and luxurious decorations of this environment drawn from the comics also contrast perfectly with the passage almost entirely in black and white on a sort of desert moon, which is a frankly well-founded and coherent idea of staging.
The film is anyway very beautiful and colorful overallwith a few exceptions such as the visual effects of the helmet of Thor, but not always super legible in his action scenes. Some are blurred due to the speed of execution (or maybe it’s our short-sightedness…) and others not really helped by the umbral creatures born from the Necroblade of Gorr. Finally, on the soundtrack side, the atmosphere is obviously very metal and rock’n roll of the 80s with in particular the use of several hits of the group Guns N’ Rosesa very wise choice.
Thor: Love and Thunder turns out to be a very good entertainment for young and old, tackling some serious themes through the prism of good-natured humour, offering a convincing villain and a surprising finale. If you are looking for a comedy without the fuss, you should therefore find what you are looking for, although the film would have benefited from a longer editing to better manage its pace. Finally, and not surprisingly, Thor will come back ‘well in the mcu in the futuretwo tracks available to us in just as many post-generic scenes, the first in the middle of the credits introducing once again a character whose treatment we can’t wait to discover.
Note : 3.5 out of 5 stars
| Alexandre SAMSON (Omega Law) Responsible Corrector – Editor | ||
| Addicted to Assassin’s Creed and Destiny, great fan of RPGs and passionate about video game experiences in general. Reader of comics (DC) and various manga (One Piece!). Chemist by training and Whovian at heart. | ||
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