Review: 'Thor: Love and Thunder' is a tepid romantic comedy with bursts of action

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Thor: Love and Thunder
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity.

Synopsis: When a former religious zealot turns against their gods, Thor, Valkyrie, Korg, and a Mjolnir-wielding Jane Foster are tasked with saving the universe.

Review: When they announced that Taika Waititi would be directing a Thor film, I was nervous. As much as I enjoyed “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” I wasn’t convinced that his style of comedy was going to translate into a massive blockbuster about a Norse god. That said, the first two Thor films hadn’t been particularly good. Maybe it had something to do with not trusting the directors they hired. That’s hearsay.

To my surprise, “Thor: Ragnarok” was highly enjoyable as it moved away from the serious approach of the first films and relied on comedy and absurdity in a way that was similar to James Gunn’s approach to 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” It was an odd beast, but it was also a fun ride.

So, when it was announced that Waititi would be returning with Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster, I extremely excited. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” was proof that you could make an incredibly silly film and still pack an emotional gut punch (thank you Michael Rooker). Why couldn’t Waititi, with a little help from his exceptional cast, take Thor in a new and unexpected direction?

And for a moment, Waititi delivered. The opening introduction to Gorr (Christian Bale) is tremendous. As intelligent as Thanos (Josh Brolin) was, it was hard to accept his ideology. Randomly killing off half of all existence is difficult to swallow. With Gorr, I completely understand his motivation. Gorr has the audience’s sympathy. He might even have their support. That is how you write an incredible villain.

And then Korg (voiced by Waititi) begins to tell the story of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to a group of children. So, the audience is treated to a “previously on Thor” montage. I think it exists to remind audiences that once upon a time (2011 to be precise) Thor fell in love with Jane Foster, a mere mortal. A mortal who broke his heart.

A mortal who, reminded of her mortality, is drawn to old memories and a trail that leads to the shattered pieces of Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer that was destroyed by Hela (Cate Blanchett) in “Thor: Ragnarock.” The loss of Mjolnir forced Thor to make do with Stormbreaker, an axe that was forged by Eitri (Peter Dinklage) in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

How far into the weeds have we wandered? “Thor: Love and Thunder” would be a terrible place to start the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a film that is more about the stories that have already been told than it is about the story it is telling. It relies so heavily on recycled material and is so disinterested in its villain that Gorr might as well not be there.

The big selling point for “Thor: Love and Thunder” has been that Jane, a mere mortal, would be deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir and be gifted with the power and title of Thor. My hope was that this wouldn’t simply be a gimmick to gaslight fans into thinking that Marvel was doing something different. I was completely sold. Who didn’t look forward to seeing Lady Thor and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) marching into battle together? Just the idea of Thompson and Portman sharing the screen again was exciting for me. I loved “Annihilation.”

It never really happens. In fact, very little of consequence happens in “Love and thunder” at all. Sure, Thor gets his mojo back, but at what cost? At best “Love and Thunder” is treading water. At worst it makes me wonder if Marvel is committed to telling new, relevant stories or if they’ve chosen to stick with the antiquated status quo.

"Avengers: Endgame" offered audiences a vulnerable side of Thor. It gave a sense of humanity to a god. A sense of humanity that only appears at the end of the film when the script requires it.

It's not that Hemsworth, Portman, Thompson or any of the cast aren't capable of making a film that mixes comedy and drama. I'm not sure thatWaititi can.

Even if viewed as a romantic comedy, the movie misses the mark. There is more chemistry and dramatic tension between Thor and Stormbreaker than there is between him and Jane.

Waititi tried telling the same joke twice. It just wasn’t funny anymore.