A handful of superhero films have had such unforgettable villains that they upstage and even steal the movie from the hero, including The Joker in The Dark Knight, Lex Luthor in Superman, and Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Now adding to that short list is Gorr the God Butcher, wonderfully played by Christian Bale – who looks like a bald, pale demonic ghost – in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
As the film begins, the giant rock creature Korg (voiced by writer/director Taika Waititi) brings everyone up to speed on how the mighty space Viking Thor (Chris Hemsworth) got his “God Bod” back into shape after defeating Thanos and has been traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy engaging in many space battles.
Meanwhile, Thor receives a message from a wounded Sif (Jaimie Alexander) about a new enemy traveling to different realms killing gods. Rumor has it he’s headed to New Asgard. The news means it’s time for Thor to say goodbye to his Guardian pals and head off to New Asgard with Korg.
Thor and Korg arrive in New Asgard, which has become a bustling tourist attraction complete with plays re-enacting Thor and Loki’s battles. Later that night, Gorr shows up wielding the Necrosword – the only weapon capable of killing a god – and commands his black shapeshifting creatures to attack the town.
Thor, Korg, and King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) immediately engage with the monsters and Thor even squares off with a menacing, grinning Gorr who seems very interested in Thor’s mighty ax, Stormbreaker.
Thor gets some unexpected help from his old love Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who now calls herself Mighty Thor and is carrying his old weapon…the hammer, Mjolnir. The two share a quick, awkward exchange before getting back into the battle. (It seems Thor still carries a torch for Jane.)
The heroes stop the attack on the town but Gorr escapes, kidnapping the children of New Asgard.
Realizing how powerful Gorr is while in possession of the Necrosword, Thor thinks the best plan is to visit the God of Lightning, Zeus (Russell Crowe), and try to get him and other gods to join in the fight to defeat Gorr and save the children.
A colorful and whacky follow-up to Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder is an uneven, jumbled, and even juvenile superhero film that’s saved by a phenomenal performance by Christian Bale as the evil Gorr. It’s not just the look of Bale’s Gorr that’s terrifying (he’s bald, sickly thin, and pale white like a ghost with demonic yellow eyes and razor-sharp teeth), but his body movements and facial expressions that are truly nightmare-inducing. The tragic backstory of his character and what drives him to want to destroy all gods gives the character more depth than most Marvel villains. The best and most powerful scenes are with Gorr and when the character is off the screen, the film goes back to its silly, campy style and humor.
Chris Hemsworth once again portrays Thor, the might Viking warrior who’s still pining for his true love Jane and burying himself in cosmic battles on other worlds to try to fill the void he feels. Hemsworth has made this character his own, so much so that it’s impossible to imagine anyone else portraying him. He has chemistry with everyone in the cast and his comedic timing is impeccable.
Natalie Portman’s back as Jane, the love interest for Thor who’s fighting her own personal and physical battles. Portman eases back into the Marvel Universe as though she never left and rises to the physical challenge of being a warrior on the battlefield. The only downside is the painful and groan-inducing scenes between her and Hemsworth as Jane and Thor try to see if they can restart their romance.
The production and look of the film are very impressive, with the huge sets and use of costumes and colors to bring to life many different realms of the worlds the heroes travel to. As always with Marvel films, the special effects are top-notch.
The biggest problem with the film is its uneven tone and being too campy, which detracts from the more serious and darker scenes with Gorr. It removes any real sense of threat or danger and makes the film seem disjointed.
Still, with strong special effects and a remarkable performance by Christian Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder is a Marvel film worth catching on the big screen.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sci-fi vViolence, action, language, partial nudity, and some suggestive material
Running Time: 1 hour 59 minutes
Release Date: July 8, 2022
