Dog’s Movie House: “Thor: Love & Thunder” Has Plenty Of Both To Spare!

“Love & Thunder” picks up after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” which finds Thor hanging out with the Guardians of the Galaxy in attempt to find himself. He’s become a bit morose and brooding and although he’s gotten himself back into shape and is still fighting the good fight, his heart isn’t really in it. That all changes when a being called Gorr The God Butcher (a creepy Christian Bale) threatens all of the gods in the universe with destruction. He’s a powerful villain with a mad-on for the gods because his worship of them was scorned and led to his daughter’s death. Thor must now team up with King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and a returning Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who somehow has the power of the MIghty Thor. Together they must stop Gorr and at the same time rescue the children of New Asgard, who Gorr has kidnapped and is using as hostages.

Now there’s a lot more to unpack in terms of story and character development, but I’ll leave that for you to discover for yourselves when you venture to the theater. Needless to say that “Love & Thunder” is packed to the gills with humor and emotion. Jane & Thor’s story, in particular, gets a particular moving arc and the chemistry between Portman and Hemsworth is much better here than it was in their previous outings together. Gorr is also far from a one dimensional villain: he’s actually sympathetic and his rage, although somewhat misplaced at times, is completely understandable.

The performances are uniformly good, with Hemsworth leading the way as the Son Of Odin. He’s perfected the himbo routine he cultivated in “Ragnarok” and, like that film, has balanced the silly humor with a real sense of loss and an attempt to find new purpose in his life. Portman is his equal as Jane, and her reasons for obtaining Mjolnir are both inspiring and heartbreaking in equal measure. Plus, she makes a pretty badass Thor. Thompson is in fine form as Valkyrie and Waititi brings a wry sense of humor to his role as Korg. (It’s Korg who narrarates the tale of the “Space Viking” and his idiosyncratic storytelling style is one of the film’s many highlights). Of the new cast members, Russell Crowe seems to be having a ball as the vainglorious Zeus, although he uses an unusual accent that makes him sound more like Mario from the classic Nintendo game than a Greek god. It’s a little distracting but the character is good enough that you’re able to go with it.

The effects work is, as always, top notch with some really cool battle scenes and incredible sets that realistic convey the vastness of the cosmic world of Thor. Gorr’s sinister shadow abilities are, in particular, wonderfully realized, giving a creepy atmosphere to the proceedings when he launches his attacks. And don’t get me started about the hilarity of the screaming goats. Waititi doesn’t overuse them, thank God, but when he does those goats are absolutely hilarious. Fans of Guns & Roses and other eighties music will enjoy some of the needle drops mixed in with Michael Giacchino’s heroic score. If you happen to be a fan of the Marvel Universe, “Thor: Love & Thunder” is a fun, action-packed ride that is a fine entry into the Marvel canon. 4 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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