The Great Owl’s review published on Letterboxd:
At this point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each new entry seems not so much an essential addition to an overall narrative as it does a simply victory lap after all that has come before. I doubt that we will ever see another installment that throws us a riveting cliffhanger curveball like Avengers: Infinity War did, but the opportunity to spend more time with well-beloved characters is its own reward in a fun high school reunion sort of way. In Bruce Springsteen-speak, these movies have settled into a comfortable "just sitting back trying to recapture a little of the glory of" phase, but they have thankfully not yet sunk to the "nothing, mister, but boring stories of" level.
With regard to its place in the franchise, the newest 2022 installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, is probably the most akin to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, in that it throws enough colorful visuals, good-natured humor, and unexpected poignancy our way to keep things interesting, even if it does not quite match the sensory overload urgency of its predecessors. Chris Hemsworth hits another home run in the title role as a character whose gravitas kept us at an arm's length in Thor and in Thor: The Dark World, but whose screen presence has been refreshingly relatable since the self-deprecating comedy of Thor: Ragnarok. Natalie Portman, as Dr. Jane Foster, delivers a multilayered turn by way of her transition to Mighty Thor after she is found worthy of the Mjolnir hammer. Tessa Thompson, forever tough-as-nails in her role as Valkyrie, shows us once again that she is the sidekick whom we all wish that we could have next to us in tight spots. Christian Bale, as the diabolical Gorr, is far from a one-note villain, thanks to a heartbreaking exposition that cues us into his quest.
Thor: Love and Thunder, as expected, squeezes an excess of cacophony into its two-hour run time. The glue that holds the rainbow ships, screaming goats, Guns N' Roses music, and magic weapons together is director Taika Waititi, who first collaborated with the main players in Thor: Ragnarok before perfecting his blend of irreverent rambunctiousness and heavyweight dramatics in his highly acclaimed 2019 film, Jojo Rabbit. I love how his depiction of the New Asgard as a gaudy amusement park tourist destination functions as a self-aware allegory for the Marvel movie saga at present. The aura of cotton candy vapidness and corporate bloat may hang in the air, but the rides are still a blast.
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