The first reactions to Thor: Love and Thunder are in. According to some, it not only tops director Taika Waititi’s previous MCU effort Thor: Ragnarok – but could be one of Marvel’s very best.
Thor: Love and Thunder is "absolutely AMAZING," according to one who attended the world premiere. "It blows every other Marvel movie out of the water, and doubles down on the Ragnarok charm."
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff describes the film as "a wacky, high energy delight with a cast full of aces crushing one scene after the next."
Another wrote that Thor 4 "is the perfect blend of Taika at his best with comedy and a punch to the gut all in one. I left this movie emotionally satisfied while also sobbing and just perfection."
The Wrap’s Drew Taylor was similarly effusive, saying it "might be [his] favorite Marvel movie and it also might be their very best. A sublime mixture of extreme silliness, dreamy surrealism and genuine emotion, with some of the most visually inventive set pieces in the MCU."
Natalie Portman, who is returning to the Thor franchise, this time as The Mighty Thor, received plenty of plaudits. Critic Scott Mantz described her as a "total badass" and that Love and Thunder was "even better than Ragnarok." One also loved the "buddy cop-esque" dynamic between Portman and Tessa Thompson’s Vakyrie.
Christian Bale – who plays Gorr the God Butcher – is also in for high praise. "Christian Bale was hugely anticipated as Gorr, and he delivered," commented one. "One of the best villains in the MCU." Another added that he was “top tier.”
Lightning didn’t strike twice for Taika Waititi everywhere though. One said, "the comedy overpowered the film" and another cautioned that "most of the humor doesn't land as well as it did the first time."
Thor: Love and Thunder is set for release on July 7 in the UK and July 8 in the US. For more on the movie, be sure to check out Total Film's exclusive coverage from its new issue, including how Natalie Portman prepared for her superhero role and Christian Bale's horrified reaction to Googling Gorr.
