“Thor: God of Thunder” is a very-impressive title, indeed. In Norse mythology this hammer-wielding god was also associated with storms, lightning, strength, fertility and sacred groves. Thor also pops up in the pagan religion of the Germanic people during the Roman occupation. His famous hammer, called Mjölnir, was the most-popular symbol to represent him, and people often wore it as an emblem.
Fast-forward to modern times and Thor has taken on a whole different level of popularity through the Marvel Universe franchise. The first Thor film was released in 2011, starring a then-unknown Chris Hemsworth in the titular role. The film was hugely successful, and two more were made afterwards: Thor: Dark World (2013) and Thor Ragnarok (2017). Thor was also featured in four of the Avengers movies.
The fourth installment of the Thor franchise was released on June 23, called Thor: Love and Thunder. Starring alongside Hemsworth is Christian Bale, who plays the psychologically disturbed God Killer.
Having lost his young daughter, due to dehydration in a desert, the God Killer goes on a quest to destroy all gods within the galaxy. To assist him, he steals the god-killing Necrosword, which is designed to kill any god. While the God Killer is making his way around the different planets, Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Jane, is encountering some struggles of her own.
Reprising this role is Natalie Portman. You may recall from past films that Jane and Thor have a very-cute romance. In Love and Thunder, we get to see what exactly caused their relationship to turn cold. Since Thor’s departure from her life, Jane continued her scientific research but, unfortunately, finds herself battling stage 4 cancer. Determined to beat it, she decides to visit New Asgard—a tourist-like town that is designed to look like the planet Asgard. While standing in front of Thor’s hammer, it calls to her and allows her to grab it. She then transforms into a female version of Thor—full of energy and strength.
Shortly after, the God Killer lands in New Asgard and begins terrorizing the town with the use of Shadow Monsters, which are large nasty-looking creatures. Thor hears about the God Killer’s rampage and comes to the rescue. It is here that he is first reunited with Jane—much to his surprise. The two put aside their awkward moment and team up to try and defeat the God Killer. They are unsuccessful and the God Killer disappears and captures all of the town’s children. Determined to get them back, they set out on a mission together. You will have to watch the movie to see how the mission goes.
The storyline in this installment of Thor is written very well and is highly creative. There are also some cameos from Matt Damon, Melissa McCarthy and Russel Crowe. The use of special effects and computer-generated images is impressive. I think the best highlight of the film was Cristian Bale’s superb acting and the humour within the script. From a visual point of view, you could describe Thor: Love and Thunder as one big hot mess, but it is a very delightful mess to watch, especially when Thor is not wearing a shirt (Ladies, you are welcome!). Filled with action, comedy and creativity, Thor: Love and Thunder is definitely one you will want to watch, then watch again.
