Wednesday 6 July 2022 09:42 AM Thor: Love and Thunder receives mixed reviews as many critics consider it to be ... trends now
The wait is finally over for Thor: Love and Thunder but critics have given the highly-anticipated Marvel epic mixed reviews, describing it as a 'step back' from 2017's wildly-beloved Thor: Ragnarok.
There has been a lot of excitement surrounding the latest instalment in the Thor franchise after the success of 2017's Ragnarok, which combined action and comedy in a sensational production that left fans wanting more.
And fans were left on the edge of their seats after learning that Natalie Portman was returning to Love and Thunder, with the action-packed trailer building more excitement as Thor's hammer was seen hurtling into the hands of Jane.
Reviews: The first wave of reviews are in for Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder, and while they're largely positive... it's clear many critics thought it was a step back from 2017's wildly-beloved Thor: Ragnarok
Although critics have generally awarded director Taika Waititi's latest film with positive reviews, many considered it to be a 'step backwards' when compared to the success of Ragnarok.
The Sun's Grant Rollings described the esteemed director's movies as 'jaw droppingly unconventional' but said Love and Thunder didn't quite live up to these expectations but instead tried to use Ragnarok's 'successful formula'.
'By putting comedy into the comic book, Waititi makes Love and Thunder a likeable rumble,' he said, giving it a three-star review.
Speaking about Christian Bale's role as the villain Gorr the God Butcher - who is attempting to eliminate all Gods in the film - the critic said his performance fell flat when compared to Cate Blanchett's incredible role as Hela in Ragnarok.
Lukewarm: Box office projections have been strong for Thor: Love and Thunder - with analysts predicting anywhere from $150 million to $200 million, though those expectations may be tempered with lukewarm reviews, with a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
'A superhero movie is only as good as its super villain and on that front Thor Four is more drizzle than Thunder,' he concluded.
But Variety's Owen Gleiberman was much more gushing in his praise and was among the critic community's biggest fans, branding the epic the 'critic's pick' for the week.
'The climactic battle, with its shadow monsters, its children caught in the cross-hairs, and its all-for-one exuberance, has a tingly grandeur, and by the end I felt something unusual enough to feel at a Marvel movie that it seemed almost otherworldly: I was moved,' Gleiberman said.
He gushed over Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth's uniting roles in the film, for the first time since 2013, and described Love and Thunder as a 'fairytale' when compared to other Marvel movies.
'I like plenty of Marvel movies just fine, but they are what they are, and what they are is products,' he said. 'This one has enough wide-eyed boldness and shimmer to earn the designation of fairy tale.'
Rating: While the RT rating will certainly fluctuate between now and the July 8 opening, the 72% mark represents quite a downturn compared to Thor: Ragnarok's 93% rating
However, the Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney was not nearly as impressed, claiming that director Taika Waititi is now 'dipping less rewardingly from the same well'.
'Chris Hemsworth continues to give great musclebound himbo, but the stakes never acquire much urgency in a movie too busy being jokey and juvenile to tell a gripping story,' he said, adding later in the review, 'But is it too much to ask for something that doesn't just feel like a strained rehash of the last installment?'
The New York Post awarded Love and Thunder with three-and-a-half out of four stars, with Johnny Oleksinski praising Bale's 'ferocious' Gorr the God Butcher.
There have only been three Oscars won in the MCU, all for 2018's Black Panther for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and Best Original Score, though Oleksinski seems to think Bale could win the MCU's first acting Oscar.
'The Marvel Cinematic Universe's best shot at Oscar glory has arrived in the form of Christian Bale's ferocious Gorr the God Butcher,' he gushed.
Box office: Regardless of the critical reception, Thor: Love & Thunder will most certainly top the box office, with no other movies opening against the Marvel sequel in wide release
As well as gushing over Bale's performance, Oleksinski praised Hemsworth for making the God seem 'human' as viewers care for his personal turmoil as well as his action-packed battles.
He added: 'And, as much praise as Bale deserves, Hemsworth's Thor still manages to take a regal, impenetrable figure and make him, for lack of a better word, human.
'We worry as much about the God of Thunder saving all the universe's gods as we do about him getting dumped via a note left in the kitchen.'
And Digital Spy described Thor in the fourth film as 'a world away' from his character in the original Thor movie, which came to screens back in 2011.
Critic Ian Sandwell said Waititi's goal to 'entertain' viewers is both a 'blessing and a curse' in Love and Thunder, saying: 'Its irreverent touch means that when it aims for the heart, it never quite hits a bullseye.'
Fresh: As for Thor: Love and Thunder, 125 reviews have been submitted to Rotten Tomatoes since the review embargo broke on Tuesday, with 90 Fresh and 35 Rotten
He did praise the latest Thor epic for working as a standalone film, with few references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But he said that the romantic touches of the film are not quite pulled off as 'Jane and Valkyrie share a stronger chemistry' than Jane and Thor.
Meanwhile, NME's James Mottram said Love and Thunder is 'not quite as fresh as Ragnarok' but heaped praise on the film for using an array of Guns
