'Thor Love and Thunder' review: Chris Hemsworth's film proves 'Avengers fatigue' is real

I knew Taika Waititi was not goingto meet the toweringexpectations he set with 2017's 'Thor: Ragnarok'. Indeed, hefalls way short with 'Thor: Love and Thunder', the fourth film in the franchise that brings back Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder. But the film is not just disappointing, it is also an utter mess. There is, for instance, little harmony between several scenes -- so much so that they often appear as though they belong to their own movies. Did I enjoy it? Yes, mildly,though I am not eager for a second viewing. Could it have been better? Absolutely.

Also Read:Before 'Thor Love and Thunder,' revisiting God of Thunder's journey in MCU

The movie begins with Thor andGuardians of the Galaxy

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The last we saw of Thor, he was with the Guardians of the Galaxy and here we find him saving lives across the universe with them. A distress signal tells himabout a being calling himself Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) killing gods around the universe. Gorr's next target is New Asgard, the settlement in Norway where the surviving Asgardians settled in the wake of their realm's destruction.

There,Thor gets the surprise of a lifetime. His old flame, Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, is now a Thor herself (or more precisely, Mighty Thor), and wields the reassembled Mjolnir. Her way of dispatching Gorr's baddies using the hammerhas far more flair than Odinson had.There is an undercurrent of poignancy relatedto her newfound power -- her cancer that is lifted directly from the Mighty Thor storyline.

Thor, Mighty Thor, King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson,underused here), and the rocky Kronan warrior Korg (Waititi) team up to take down Gorr before he accomplishes his vow to obliterate every god.

Gorr, a villain with a point?

Now, Gorr, like every other good villain, has his reasons. Played by Bale with a suitably sinister air, bleached skin, and eyes that burn with hatredfor anything divine, Gorr lived on a planet that gods forgot existed. His pleas for his family and people went unheeded. We find him cradling his dying young daughter in the film's prologue. He somehow gets his hands on the Necrosword, the one weapon that can kill any god in the universe, and makes the vow.

Of course, Gorr encounters Thor in his crusade of god killing. To get help, Thor and company visit Zeus, played by Russell Crowe as the Zeus we know from Greek myths -- vain, prideful, and hedonistic. Crowe clearly had fun with the role, and I hope to see more of him. After a quick yet spectacular action scene, the heroes learn that they will have to take on Gorr alone.

Also See:'Thor Love and Thunder': Comics to read before watching Chris Hemsworth's movie

Lots to love in the film, but...

There are flashes of brilliance, of course. Waititi has a real eye for visuals. Like 'Ragnarok', 'Love and Thunder' is full of unforgettably dazzling imagery, and action is never less than interesting. It is hard to completely hate a film that has a thrillingfinal fight set to Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. The acting is great all around as well. Hemsworth couldplay Thor forever and I will not mind. Portman instills much-needed poignancy and a sense of stakes in an otherwise fluffy script. But 'Love and Thunder' also features Bale, and he unsurprisingly pretty much steals the film.

Like many things in this film, the script, by Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, does not give the character enough meat for Bale to do much. But then, it's Bale. He practicallydisappears into the role and devises a worthy adversary for the two Thors -- in both strength and principle -- a slimy force of nature single-mindedly determined to get his vengeance.

'Love and Thunder'illustrates larger issues with MCU and the superhero genre

But the film cannot recreate the magic that we saw playing out in the preceding film. The trouble, I feel, is that the film is missing that immaculate cocktail of intelligent, humour-lacedwriting and carefully crafted set pieces that made 'Ragnarok' one of the best MCU entries.

Despite Waititi being given more control this time (I assume), this feels crafted in the traditionally Marvel mould -- designed as per the good old formula that Kevin Feige et al has perfected over the last one and a half-decade. In other words, the film watches like your typical MCU movie.

And I get why Feige andthe team persist with the formula. The formula where even scenes are serious and emotional, theyare tinged with humour as though the writers are nervous about fans not beingable tostomach all that sentiment.

The Marvel formula works, sadly

Becausethey are right. The fans love the formula, for it makes for a comfortable, unchallenging time at the movies. In the theatre where I watched the film, there were hoots at evenhints of humour, but during those quiet moments where characters were sharing their feelings? Everybody looked uncomfortable, and there were tense whispers, clearly wondering when the onslaught of 'feels'will end.