Thor: Love And Thunder review

The fourth Thor movie – and the second to be directed by Taika Waititi – this isn’t quite the universal crowd pleaser that Thor: Ragnarok was, but it is nonetheless a fun, action-packed comic book adventure that delivers an explosive good time while still having a sweet heart at its centre.

In case you’ve forgotten where we last left Thor (after the events of the Avengers movies, etc etc), his rock-faced pal Korg (voiced by Waititi) fills us in at the start – having lost his dad, his mum, and brother Loki, Thor became a bit of a slob before reclaiming his hot body (more of that later – literally) and teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy for a few space adventures (Star Lord, Groot and the gang make a brief appearance early on).

Now, however, he’s on the trail of Gorr the God Butcher (Bale), a man betrayed by his god who has decided that all gods (including Thor) must die. Thor’s adventure leads him back to New Asgard, where he teams up with Valkyrie (Thompson) and crosses paths with ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Portman), who is now carrying Thor’s famous hammer, Mjolnir, and going by the name Mighty Thor.

Hemsworth is once again very funny as Thor, and his best scenes include a silly showdown with Olympian god Zeus (Crowe, deliciously over the top) that ends with Thor naked and a soap-like montage flashback of his relationship with Jane that reveals how it broke down.

Portman, meanwhile, finally gets the story arc and well-written scenes that Jane/Mighty Thor deserves, and her enjoyable storyline almost makes up for the fact that other characters such as Valkyrie and even Gorr aren’t fully fleshed out here.

Packed with Waititi’s knowing humour, some stunning special effects and a clever black and white sequence showing the desolation of Gorr’s mind, this is a fun addition to the Marvel universe that’s well worth a look.

Viewers should note there is a mid-credits scene and a post-credit scene worth staying in your seat for.