Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

[ShadowHunter]

I was never impressed with Natalie Portman as Jane. I never bought Jane and Thor as being in love. Attraction and a having a crush on the other that I believed. Them being in love and being in a relationship HELL NO!  

Edited June 20, 2022 by ShadowHunter

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Tessa Thompson on Valkyrie's regal reinvention in Thor: Love and Thunder: "She's a kind king"
By Matt Maytum Contributions from Molly Edwards    June 21, 2022
https://www.gamesradar.com/thor-love-and-thunder-tessa-thompson-valkyrie-king/ 

Quote

But what kind of king is she? Thompson explains in the new issue of Total Film, which features Love and Thunder on the cover. "I think she's very egalitarian," the actor says. "She's a kind king. I know there's been some confusion on the internet in terms of the gendering with her being king. The truth is, that's the job that Thor was going to do, and then he just gave her the job, and we just didn't bother to change the title, because the title is 'king', and she's like, 'Well, I can be king.' The suits that she wears – we thought it was sort of a fun nod to Frida Kahlo."

As for how Valkyrie is finding ruling New Asgard, you'll be pleased to know that she's enjoying her role. "She likes it," Thompson says. "She feels slightly less enchanted with the bureaucratic elements of New Asgard. It's really been put on the map by the events that have happened in past movies, so it's also become this sort of tourist destination. I think she feels entirely proud. The thing about Asgard that's always been true is, it's not a place, it's its people."
*  *  *
While being king has helped Valkyrie away from the darker spot she was in at the start of Thor: Ragnarok, as Thompson says, she could still use an adventure. "Last time around, you met her, she was quite despondent, and missing her sisters, and not dealing with her trauma, maybe, in the healthiest of ways," explains the actor. "This time around, I think you meet her with a new sort of lease on life, in a position of leadership, representing her people. She loves her people, and loves being able to lead for them. She also really enjoys being on Earth. 

"But I think she feels a lack of purpose," Thompson continues. "I think the time when she feels most of use is really in community – it's been, historically, in battle, with her tribe. And so I think in some ways, now having this new sort of problem to deal with, with her old friend Thor, it's exactly what she needs."

Christian Bale reveals the surprise influences behind his terrifying Thor: Love and Thunder villain
By Matt Maytum Contributions from Molly Edwards   June 21, 2022
https://www.gamesradar.com/christian-bale-gorr-the-god-butcher-influences-thor-love-and-thunder/ 

Quote

What exactly inspired Bale's take on the character beyond the comics, then? "Mostly hearing Taika's [Waititi, director] thoughts on it," he says. "There's obviously sort of a Nosferatu slight attitude. Taika and I wanted to do a whole dance, which we didn't get to do, but we had all this sort of Kate Bush stuff that we worked at. But I think he just realised he was never going to be allowed to put that in the final film. I would say that the most common thing I was staring at was the Aphex Twin video of 'Come To Daddy'. But I don't even know if that will be in the final film."

Luckily, the character ended up being different to Bale's initial thoughts, too. "You sort of go, 'I know what he does.' It's right there in the name, isn't it? But I did make the mistake of Googling him and, oh no! [In the comics] he runs around in a G-string all the time," Bale explains. "And I thought, 'They don't have the right man for that!' And then Taika quickly dispelled any notions of running around in that. But I always did think what he could do with this in front of a bluescreen – he could chuck on whatever he wants later on."
*  *  *
As for whether the actor had any qualms taking on another comic-book movie role after Batman, Bale is quick to dismiss the notion. "Absolutely not, no. That didn't even enter into my head at all," he says. "I'd read that, and people would go, 'Oh, look at this! He's entered the MCU!' And I'd go, 'I've done what? I haven't entered shit, thank you very much.' I'm like, 'The MCU?' I had to ask what that was." 

[Danny Franks]

Jane was a badly written character in the first two Thor movies, and it was a relief when she wasn't in the third. I don't know how I feel about her as The Mighty Thor, other than to say Natalie Portman looks great (she looked great before too).

Really not into Bale as the villain. I just find him hugely overrated as an actor, and this bad guy looks like a fucking drag, instead of being fun.

Just give me some good Thor/Guardians scenes, where Pratt is the butt of the joke all the time, and I'll be happy enough.

[festivus]

I didn't care that much for Jane, or really it's more I didn't care for the romance, but I'm gonna give her a chance in this one. We shall see!

I share the opinion that Bale is overrated and I'm glad he'll be covered in makeup. Maybe I'll forget it's him.

[BetterButter]

[Spartan Girl]

I’m sorry, but when I saw the giant goats, I automatically pictured Loki yelling, “Be free, my horned friends! Be freeeeee!!” 😂😂😂😂😂

[tv echo]

From world premiere red carpet on June 23...

Best Red Carpet Moments! | Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 24, 2022

Kevin Feige says Thor: Love and Thunder is More Than Just "Ragnarok 2"
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 24, 2022

Taika Waititi on Assembling an Astounding Cast for Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 23, 2022

Chris Hemsworth on Thor's Incredible Journey in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 23, 2022

Natalie Portman Returns to the MCU as Jane Foster in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 23, 2022

Tessa Thompson on Valkyrie's New Role as KING in Thor: Love and Thunder!
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 24, 2022

Christian Bale On His MCU Debut as Gorr in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder!
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 23, 2022

ETA: Here's video of entire red carpet event:

Edited June 24, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Go to article links to read specific comments by various critics...

Thor: Love and Thunder Reviews: What Are Critics' First Reactions?
By Russ Milheim   Jun 24, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-reviews-critics-reactions 

Quote

But, will the final product be able to live up to all the hype? Well, reactions are starting to hit the web, and the verdict is in: critics love it.

Thor: Love and Thunder First Reactions Pour In
By Kirsten Howard   June 24, 2022
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/thor-love-and-thunder-first-reactions/ 

Quote

First reactions to the film are bubbling with all the usual joy at seeing a new Marvel movie, with some saying it might be the studio’s “very best”, and that it is “beautiful” but also “violent and disturbing”. Most of the performances in the film are also praised, with Portman and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie singled out. For those who have wondered whether Christian Bale might be a villain for the ages, some have described Gorr as “chilling” and “top tier”. We’ll be able to find out for ourselves when Thor: Love and Thunder is released next month.

Thor: Love and Thunder's Post-Credits Scenes Count Confirmed
By Russ Milheim   Jun 24, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-post-credits-scenes-count-confirmed 

Quote

According to those who have seen the movie, audiences can expect two post-credits tags by the time the credits have finished rolling. Disney Examiner's Jordie Poblete confirmed that there is one mid-credits and one post-credits scene.

Edited June 24, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Sampling of critics' comments...

Fandango:   

Variety: 

Forbes:

Edited June 24, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Chris Hemsworth Addresses RUMORS He’s Done Playing THOR (Exclusive)
extratv    Jun 24, 2022

Mighty Natalie Portman: How She Emerged From the Marvel Sidelines to Wield Thor’s Hammer
By Adam B. Vary   Published 2 days ago
https://variety.com/2022/film/features/natalie-portman-thor-marvel-1235299328/ 

Quote

“On ‘Black Swan,’ I was asked to get as small as possible,” Portman says on a recent morning over a two-hour breakfast. “Here, I was asked to get as big as possible. That’s an amazing challenge — and also state of mind as a woman.”
*  *  *
While female superheroes have finally started to populate across film and television — from Captain Marvel to Ms. Marvel — it’s still quite uncommon for the women playing them to be asked to put on the brawn that’s compulsory for their male counterparts. But starting in the fall of 2020, Portman worked with a trainer over 10 months before and during filming to rebuild her physique, especially her shoulders and arms, into ripped, comic book shape. Between leaked photos from the “Love and Thunder” set in Australia in 2021 and the film’s trailers this past spring, the internet has lost its collective mind that Portman, who was just 16 when she was cast as Queen Amidala in “Star Wars,” could get so stacked. The experience was revelatory for her.

“To have this reaction and be seen as big, you realize, ‘Oh, this must be so different, to walk through the world like this,’” Portman says. “When you’re small — and also, I think, because I started as a kid — a lot of times I feel young or little or, like, a pat-on-the-head kind of person. And I present myself that way, too, because of that.”
*  *  *
Another unexpected benefit for Portman to embracing her newfound sense of size has been watching others around her have to contend with it. Quite literally on “Love and Thunder”: Jane’s Mighty Thor stands six feet tall, and since there’s no healthy way yet for an actor to grow nearly 10 inches, the crew had to get creative to bring Portman to the proper height for scenes in which she walked with her co-stars.

“We’d rehearse the scene, they’d see the path, and then they’d build a path that was like one foot off the ground or whatever, and I would just walk on that,” Portman says, her eyes lighting up at the memory.

Thompson laughs at just the mention of the process. “They would call it a deck, but depending on the accent, sometimes it sounded like something else,” she recalls. “Because we’re all children.”

“It was actually one of our running jokes,” Portman says before leaping up from her chair with a wild grin to demonstrate what would happen when Hemsworth had to cross over the deck. “Chris would have to …” she says before attempting to take a wide step while keeping her head level. She dissolves into giggles: “They’d all have to navigate my deck!”

[tv echo]

"You Get The Full Hems' Worth" - Taika Waititi On Seeing Thor's Rear End In "Thor: Love and Thunder"
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert   Jun 23, 2022

Tessa Thompson on Thor: Love and Thunder with Natalie Portman & Chris Hemsworth + an Exclusive Clip!
Jimmy Kimmel Live   Jun 23, 2022

Natalie Portman on Thor: Love and Thunder, World Premiere Clip & School Pick Up with Chris Hemsworth
Jimmy Kimmel Live   Jun 25, 2022

Jaimie Alexander's Lady Sif Returns To The MCU in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 26, 2022

Karen Gillan's Nebula and The Guardians of the Galaxy in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 26, 2022

[tv echo]

Featurette includes brief clip from Chris Hemsworth's 2009 screen test...

Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | Legacy of Thor Featurette
Marvel Entertainment    Jun 27, 2022

Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | Classic
Marvel Entertainment    Jun 28, 2022

MCU Boss Teases Thor's Next Evolution In Future Projects
By Aeron Mer Eclarinal   June 27, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/mcu-thor-future-evolution-new 

Quote

During Thor: Love and Thunder's virtual press conference, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige addressed Thor's future after the MCU sequel. 
*  *  *
“Well, there are these things called comic books that have a lot of stories in them, and that’s where all of our stories come from. And the question is, ‘Have you told all the great Thor stories from the comics in movies?’ Uh, the answer is no. There are lots of them."
*  *  *
"I’ve always said our interest in making additional stories is somewhat about continuing the character. [However], it’s almost entirely about continuing the experience with the actor... I think of all of our cast, not as their individual characters, but as the Marvel players who within that character can grow and evolve and change. And if we look at the comics as our guide, there are plenty of other incarnations of Thor that we've yet to see.”

Meanwhile, a reporter asked Thor star Chris Hemsworth if he still had the same feeling playing the character when he first started. While saying that "there's obviously a familiarity," the MCU veteran revealed that the fact that the character "changed so dramatically over the years" helped him to have fun during his portrayal:  

"Yeah, there's obviously a familiarity, the obvious points. But he has changed so dramatically over the years as I have, and that's what's been half the fun. As the character's evolved, I've had different opinions, and we've sort of melded and crossed paths, and so on. The origin story is, I think, is not the easiest, but it's the most obvious one. And there's a set of rules and guidelines I feel like you sort of have to stick to, and it's familiar and it works, and it's relatable to people. After that is the challenge: How do you recreate the character, what can you do different each time? And the luxury has been working with different directors, different cast, and they all bring out something very different in you. As Taika said, I feel like the character has probably become more me, I hope in a fun way."

Edited June 29, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Taika: "Our kids are in the film. Christian's kids are in the film. Natalie's kids are in the film... It's just cheap labor."

FULL INTERVIEW: Chris Hemsworth & Taika Waititi On Working Together For A Long Time On Thor
The Project    Jun 27, 2022

Edited June 29, 2022 by tv echo

[Hiyo]

So looking forward to this.

Some scenes from the movie and could be a bit spoilery for some.

[tv echo]

Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | A Taika Waititi Adventure
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 30, 2022

Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder | Summon Asgardian Treasures
Marvel Entertainment   Jun 30, 2022

Mama's Got a Brand New Hammer (From "Thor: Love and Thunder"/Audio Only)
MarvelMusicVEVO   Jul 1, 2022

CHRISTIAN BALE - THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - ENTREVISTA CINE
Prensaescenario  Jun 29, 2022

Tessa Thompson says Valkyrie's sexuality was a 'big topic of conversation' on 'Thor: Love and Thunder'
Kevin Polowy    June 29, 2022
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/valyrie-sexuality-thor-love-and-thunder-relationship-love-life-tessa-thompson-lgbtq-200016588.html 

Quote

Love and Thunder features the long-awaited return of Natalie Portman’s Jane, who evolves into Mighty Thor. Beyond rekindling sparks between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane and the central mission at hand — with Thor, Mighty Thor, Valkyrie and Korg (Waititi) on a mission to stop Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) from, well, butchering gods — Thompson indicates there simply wasn’t enough space to meaningfully explore Valkyrie’s love life. Though she’s also confident that will come in due time.

“It becomes the only storyline, particularly in a movie like this where you don’t, frankly, have a lot of room for storyline,” Thompson says. “So there was a lot of conversation in terms of how to treat that with Valkyrie. And I feel really good, personally, about where we got to. I hope that she’s a character that fans continue to connect to, that we have a lot of time to explore her, in all of her humanity. But whether or not she finds love in this movie doesn’t mean she’s not still a fabulous queer character that is open to finding love when it makes sense.”

[Hiyo]

New trailer:

[Shannon L.]

4 hours ago, Hiyo said:

New trailer:

Now this makes me want to see this movie.  I'm no longer overly concerned about it being too much of a joke (I'm still slightly worried, but not as much as I was before).

Edited July 1, 2022 by Shannon L.

[Hiyo]

I don't mind the humor, I liked Ragnarok the most out of all the Thor movies, and it's one of my favorite MCU movies overall. But it did strike a nice balance I thought, between the humor and more poignant moments. I hope this movie does that as well.

[Shannon L.]

3 hours ago, Hiyo said:

I don't mind the humor, I liked Ragnarok the most out of all the Thor movies, and it's one of my favorite MCU movies overall. But it did strike a nice balance I thought, between the humor and more poignant moments. I hope this movie does that as well.

Oh, I loved Ragnarok, but the first couple of trailers for Love and Thunder seemed to be way too silly, imo. This makes it seem like it will be more balanced.

[tv echo]

Thor: Love and Thunder Reveals All 12 Songs Featured In Movie
By Richard Nebens  July 3, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-songs-artists-movie 

Quote

Disney's official press release for Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder revealed 12 songs that will be featured in the film.
*  *  *
Only Time - Enya
Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N’ Roses
Paradise City - Guns N’ Roses
Old Spice Sea Chanty - Ginger Johnson
Fighting - Michael Raphael
Our Last Summer - ABBA
Family Affair - Mary J. Blige
Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses
Goodies - Ciara
Hey Ninny-Nonny - Taika Waititi
November Rain - Guns N’ Roses
Rainbow In The Dark - Dio

Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | Army
Marvel Entertainment   Jul 3, 2022

Director Joe Russo Live From The World Premiere of Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jul 2, 2022

Sean Gunn Is Back as Kraglin in Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jul 1, 2022

Edited July 4, 2022 by tv echo

[Morrigan2575]

Jeremy Jahns gave it a good time if you're drunk rating. Says it goes too far into the comedy, to the point of feeling like a parody and he didn't find the ending fulfilling. 

Positives were Christian Bale as Gorr and he liked how they handled Jane's Thor

Edited July 5, 2022 by Morrigan2575

[shrewd.buddha]

I will be taking a wait and see approach to this one.
Ragnarok was fun, but borderline silly.  Every serious moment was undercut with joke. 
Some of the previews make this look too much like a slapstick comedy.  It's not a good sign that Waititi has decided to continue to include himself as Thor's goofy sidekick and has made Korg a main character (a troubling sign to me, anyway). 

[tv echo]

Thor | Marvel 101 | Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jul 5, 2022

The Mighty Thor (Jane Foster) | Marvel 101 | Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment   Jul 5, 2022

Edited July 6, 2022 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Full review embargo was lifted yesterday - here are some media reviews (warning: some spoilers)...

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER FIRST REVIEWS: CHRIS HEMSWORTH AND NATALIE PORTMAN SHINE IN HILARIOUS, VISUALLY STRIKING ADVENTURE
CRITICS SAY IT ISN'T AS FRESH OR SATISFYING AS RAGNAROK, BUT IT HAS FUN WITH ROMANTIC COMEDY TROPES AND OFFERS A FORMIDABLE VILLAIN IN CHRISTIAN BALE'S GORR.
by Christopher Campbell | July 5, 2022
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-first-reviews/ 

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Review: Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman Sequel Proves Taika Waititi’s ‘Ragnarok’ Was No Fluke
By Owen Gleiberman   July 5, 2022
https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/thor-love-and-thunder-review-chris-hemsworth-natalie-portman-taika-waititi-1235308880/

Thor: Love And Thunder trades on Chris Hemsworth's charm, and tests Taika Waititi's
ByTodd Gilchrist   July 5, 2022
https://www.avclub.com/thor-love-thunder-chris-hemsworth-taika-waititi-natalie-1849108250

Thor: Love and Thunder goes full Waititi weirdo in a hectic, starry fourth installment
By Leah Greenblatt   July 05, 2022
https://ew.com/movies/movie-reviews/thor-love-and-thunder-taika-waititi-chris-hemsworth/

'Thor: Love and Thunder' Review: Taika Waititi Reinvigorates Phase 4 With Comedy, Heart, and a Pair of Screaming Goats
BY THERESE LACSON   JULY 5, 2022
https://collider.com/thor-love-and-thunder-review-spoiler-free/

Why Thor: Love and Thunder Is the Best Thor Movie Yet (Review)
By Richard Nebens   July 5, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-best-movie-review 

Natalie Portman’s Arms Are the Breakout Stars of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’
By Ellen Gamerman  July 6, 2022 
https://www.wsj.com/articles/natalie-portman-arms-thor-11657118628 

'Thor: Love and Thunder' Review: A Disappointing Marvel Encore for Taika Waititi
Sean Keane   July 6, 2022
https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/thor-love-and-thunder-review-a-disappointing-marvel-encore-for-taika-waititi/ 

Edited July 6, 2022 by tv echo

[Shannon L.]

2 hours ago, shrewd.buddha said:

I will be taking a wait and see approach to this one.
Ragnarok was fun, but borderline silly.  Every serious moment was undercut with joke. 
Some of the previews make this look too much like a slapstick comedy.  It's not a good sign that Waititi has decided to continue to include himself as Thor's goofy sidekick and has made Korg a main character (a troubling sign to me, anyway). 

It's been a tradition of ours to see every Marvel movie on opening weekend.  After MoM, if this one disappoints us, we may start waiting until our theaters discount Tuesday.  Maybe we'll give it one more try with the next release, but it will depend on the trailers. 

[Morrigan2575]

2 hours ago, shrewd.buddha said:

I will be taking a wait and see approach to this one.
Ragnarok was fun, but borderline silly.  Every serious moment was undercut with joke. 
Some of the previews make this look too much like a slapstick comedy.  It's not a good sign that Waititi has decided to continue to include himself as Thor's goofy sidekick and has made Korg a main character (a troubling sign to me, anyway). 

That's where I am as well. I'm hoping the promotion is just focusing on the humor but, there's more to the story. I felt that Ragnarok mostly had a good balance of humor/drama but, there were some things I hated.  I really hate what MCU has done with Bruce since 2012 Avengers. It's beyond comedy relief IMO, it makes me cringe.

[tv echo]

Warning: super spoilery, so don't read if you don't want to be spoiled...

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Plot Leak
Posted by u/Tales_of_the_trivial   June 27, 2022
https://www.reddit.com/r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers/comments/vlhke3/thor_love_and_thunder_plot_leak/

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER Spoilers: Here's What Happens In The Movie's Post-Credits Scenes!
HamiltonParker    July 6, 2022
https://comicbookmovie.com/thor/thor_love_and_thunder/thor-love-and-thunder-spoilers-heres-what-happens-in-the-movies-post-credits-scenes-a194637 

Edited July 6, 2022 by tv echo

[shrewd.buddha]

1 hour ago, Morrigan2575 said:

I'm hoping the promotion is just focusing on the humor but, there's more to the story.

I know some people rant about giving any credence to reviewers... but for me, personally, I have found that once you have found particular reviewers that have similar tastes as your own, they can be helpful.  
I also learned from Wonder Woman 1984 that early reviews can be very misleading  - - glad I didn't risk covid for that one.  (Apologies to those who loved it.) 

[Morrigan2575]

5 minutes ago, shrewd.buddha said:

I know some people rant about giving any credence to reviewers... but for me, personally, I have found that once you have found particular reviewers that have similar tastes as your own, they can be helpful.  
I also learned from Wonder Woman 1984 that early reviews can be very misleading  - - glad I didn't risk covid for that one.  (Apologies to those who loved it.) 

That is generally my take as well I look for reviewers that I usually agree with and see how they feel.  My biggest fear after the first trailer was that it would go over board on the comedy. Jeremy Jahns seems to think it did. 

I just watched Andre's review (Midnight's Edge). He generally liked Dark World and really liked Ragnarok,  he enjoyed Love and Thunder but, also listed the comedy as a negative, he compared it to Batman and Robin, in the sense that it cranked up the humor from the previous film to 11. Personally I think Batman and Robin awful truly one of, if not the worst comic book movie ever made.

It does seem that Christian Bale and Jane/Thor are the positives and the Over the Top humor is the negative.

I'll pass on this one and watch when it gets to D+

[AngieBee1]

It's no THOR:RAGNAROK but it's also not THOR: THE DARK WORLD. 

The first hour felt clunky and then things picked up in the final hour. I think the humour in this was a tad forced because it is more of a heartfelt film but fans expected the wackiness that Taika's work tends to bring so the monster had to be fed.

Great music though. 

[greekmom]

6/10 but because of Matt Dameon, Luke Hemsworth and Melissa McCarthy cameos.

I hate hate hate Russell Crowe as Zeus.  Hollywood is all about representation and hiring actors for roles that are specific towards an ethnic group.  So why in hell didn't they hire a Greek actor to play Zeus? Instead we got Crowe who did a shitty Italian accent.  Nice going Waititi.  How about next movie if you have a Hindu god you hire a Korean actor who does a British accent.

Movie reminded me of what Deadpool 2 was. But using the song Sweet Child makes alot of sense. 

[mariah23]

Will someone explain why Russell Crowe talks like Chico Marx in this movie?

[Tenshinhan]

9 hours ago, greekmom said:

Hollywood is all about representation and hiring actors for roles that are specific towards an ethnic group.  So why in hell didn't they hire a Greek actor to play Zeus? Instead we got Crowe who did a shitty Italian accent.  Nice going Waititi.  How about next movie if you have a Hindu god you hire a Korean actor who does a British accent.

This is all a false equivalence.  There is a large and critical difference between hiring for White and/or White-identified ethnicities and hiring for BIPOC groups.

Aside from that, it's not like Thor and the other Asgardians were cast with Scandinavian actors either, for whatever it's worth.

[greekmom]

2 hours ago, Tenshinhan said:

This is all a false equivalence.  There is a large and critical difference between hiring for White and/or White-identified ethnicities and hiring for BIPOC groups.

Aside from that, it's not like Thor and the other Asgardians were cast with Scandinavian actors either, for whatever it's worth.

Soooooo then... you are discounting Greek ppl as an ethnicity? Or just saying Greeks are white and therefore don't count?  Because I can tell you that my olive toned skin, my parents olive skin and my kids olive skin would say otherwise.

[tv echo]

Note "SPOILERS" warning in headline of following article...

Every Marvel Character Who Appears In Thor: Love and Thunder (SPOILERS)
By Matt Roembke   July 7, 2022
https://thedirect.com/article/thor-love-and-thunder-characters-spoilers-marvel 

King Valkyrie | Marvel 101 | Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment    Jul 6, 2022

Gorr The God Butcher | Marvel 101 | Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Entertainment    Jul 7, 2022

Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | Epic Adventure
Marvel Entertainment    Jul 7, 2022

STORMBREAKER or MJOLNIR with the Cast of Thor: Love and Thunder!
Marvel Entertainment    Jul 7, 2022

[Tenshinhan]

38 minutes ago, greekmom said:

Soooooo then... you are discounting Greek ppl as an ethnicity? Or just saying Greeks are white and therefore don't count?  Because I can tell you that my olive toned skin, my parents olive skin and my kids olive skin would say otherwise.

No, I'm not discounting Greek as an ethnicity.  However despite any particular kind of skin tone, Greeks are still considered Caucasian from a morphological perspective, and are also considered to be "white" by present day society.  Even if that hasn't always been the case.  I am not Greek, so I cannot speak to whether or not Greeks themselves commonly identify as White, or any general feelings of Greek identity.

What I am saying though is that it would be a mistake to compare the situation of any sort of "White" group to a situation involving non-white minorities, such as in your example above regarding the Hindu god.  Representation in Hollywood is about ensuring the recognition of peoples of color, not simply about matching specific roles to specific ethnicities.

[greekmom]

18 minutes ago, Tenshinhan said:

No, I'm not discounting Greek as an ethnicity.  However despite any particular kind of skin tone, Greeks are still considered Caucasian from a morphological perspective, and are also considered to be "white" by present day society.  Even if that hasn't always been the case.  I am not Greek, so I cannot speak to whether or not Greeks themselves commonly identify as White, or any general feelings of Greek identity.

What I am saying though is that it would be a mistake to compare the situation of any sort of "White" group to a situation involving non-white minorities, such as in your example above regarding the Hindu god.  Representation in Hollywood is about ensuring the recognition of peoples of color, not simply about matching specific roles to specific ethnicities.

Well I am Greek and as a Greek person I found the fact that Crowe used in the role and his shitty shitty accent offensive. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

Greeks are still considered Caucasian

Yeah but if we are being honest Greeks, like many people from southern Europe, have had to deal with certain...lets call them prejudices, stereotypes, and bigotry from people from northern and southern Europe.

But I guess that's a discussion for another.

[thuganomics85]

Glad I was looped into what to expect and had my expectations in check.  Still enjoyed a lot of it and had a good time, but this was definitely a step down from Ragnarok (one of my top 5's of the MCU) in almost every way and kind of disappointing on some levels.  Ironically, it reminded me a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy 2; another film I still enjoyed more than others; where it seems like they let their director/auteur have more creative control than normal, and it might have actually backfired in some ways.  I know the MCU has been criticized for sometimes forcing their directors into certain lanes, but maybe a case can be made that some kind of balance is needed since this looser approach (which I also include both Chloe Zhao/Eternals and Sam Raimi/Doctor Strange 2) ends up having mixed, if interesting results.

The biggest issue though I think it went more comedic this time compared to Ragnarok (I understand the criticisms about that, but I felt Taika Waititi was able to just skirt that line), and honestly?  The jokes were just more miss than hit this go around.  Not sure if the majority of it was written on paper or if a lot more improv was going on, but it just didn't work for me like I hoped.  And I hate to say it but they pretty much made me almost dislike Korg at times.  Not sure if that was a studio decision since he was kind of a fan favorite last time or Taika himself wanted a bigger role this time, but I found him obnoxious this go around and killed the momentum in some scenes.  Was literally even thinking "Shut up, Korg!" at several points and I'm sad that it came to that.  Really overplayed the character here.

But also the pacing itself was kind of an issue and some scenes went on for too long or were awkwardly paced.  The main example was the new "play within a film" scene, where it was fun watching the Asgardian actors again (including Melissa McCarthy as Hela!), but the scene just went on for longer than needed.  Another notable off moment was the scene where Jane was telling Thor about her cancer diagnosis which was flowing well and really well acted by both Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth, only for them to almost randomly cut away in the middle of it to Valkyrie and Korg talking about their love lives elsewhere.  It was just awkwardly cut and moments like that were kind of scattered throughout the film.  I think a lot of scenes just needed more breathing room.

After all the hype, Gorr was a great villain.... whenever he was actually on screen.  I swear, it felt like he was only in the film for fifteen minutes.  Did a lot of his stuff get cut or something?  It's too bad, because he really was effective whenever he was there and Christian Bale stole pretty much stole every scene that he was in.  Would have liked to see more of him.  Not enough butchering!

Great seeing Natalie back as Jane, but it looks like this was less of a return to the MCU and more of getting a better send-off, considering Jane's ending.  Unless something is going to come out of the Valhalla scene at the end.  Still, I enjoyed watching her get her "Mighty Thor" on, and Natalie seemed thrilled to be back (and, again, those arms!)

Chris Hemsworth continues to really have embodied Thor now and shows that he was a perfect choice.  Not sure how much longer he wants to play the role, but I'm all for him continuing for as long as he wants to.

Not enough Valkyrie this go around, but Tessa Thompson made the most of it.

Russell Crowe seemed to be having the time of his life as Zeus, but that accent really did sound more Italian than Greek.

Not surprised the Guardians were underutilized.  Wish we got more of Thor and Rocket since that duo was a highlight in the Avenger films, but the only significant stuff we got was with Peter instead.

Despite my complaints about the humor above, I'll admit that the alien goats and their bleating made me laugh more than they probably should have.

The Shadow Realm/World was pretty cool at least.

Enjoyed the Darcy and Selvig cameos.  And Sif.  Glad they've finally brought her back, even if it was only for a minute or two.  And she's lost an arm now...

The post credit stuff was fun, even if I predicted some of it.  I had heard that Ted Lasso fans would enjoy it, so I figured it had to be one of the cast members from that show, and out that group, Brett Goldstein seemed like the most likely choice to get a response from it.  And I can't argue with that.  If you have to get someone to play Hercules, why not Roy "Fuckin" Kent?!

Definitely sounds more negative than I wanted to, because, again, I actually did enjoy the film overall and will probably rewatch it again a few times down the line.  But I just felt like no one reined in Taika this time and as much as I love him, maybe he needed it: especially with the humor.  Still way better than The Dark World at least, but I'm honestly considering putting it below the first Thor, which is still one of my favorite origin stories in the MCU and think it holds better than other films.  But I'm curious to see what is in store for the MCU since both this and Doctor Strange 2 came up short on some levels.

[AimingforYoko]

Yes, there were some times I felt the Brigadier from Monty Python was going to come out, but mostly I enjoyed the varying tones. This was Natalie's best version of Jane, and Hemsworth did a good job of portraying the false bravado of a lost god.

Rule 32: You may or may not enjoy Watiti's humor, but you have to admit: Putting Korg's deity on a throne of scissors is an awesome joke. I giggled for a good two minutes after that.

Post-Credit scenes: Hercules, hmm. And it looks like they'll be introducing him as an antagonist, although he's unlikely to stay that way.

I don't know if Valhalla is the the end for Jane, but if it is, this was a good way to go out.

[nilyank]

I enjoyed it a lot. I got tearful for most of the tearful moments and excited about the exciting moments.

Bale's Gorr was great and his character ended on a great note.

I am the right audience for Watiti's humor, so I laughed alot when I was supposed.

Didn't know Heimdall had a son, but did like seeing Astrid/Axle interact with Thor.

Loki may not know it, but at least in New Asgard, he is remembered well and Thor has the back tattoo to prove it.

And now Thor has a kid. 

Does MCU Phase 4, 5 include Teen Avengers?

[phalange]

I went in knowing Jane was sick but I didn't actually expect her to die. She got to go to Valhalla though, which is obviously well-deserved and she seemed surprised to be there (oh hey, Heimdall!). I don't know if that means she's officially dead, or if there's some way she can come back. After all, as Korg reminded us, Loki's died three times now, so anything's possible. In any case, Mighty Thor Jane was great and definitely went out a hero. 

Personally, I was good with all the humor.  I loved Enya playing over the montage, I love Korg (which might put me at a table for one lol), and I lost it every time the goats screamed. Those goats better be in future movies, I don't even care how. 

I didn't see the Accidental Child Acquisition trope coming, but I love "Uncle Thor" raising Gorr's daughter.

Brett Goldstein as Hercules! Definitely on board with this. I'm guessing Zeus will be out for revenge against New Asgard. 

[Lantern7]

I had fun. Great balance to the darkness that was Multiverse of Madness. That probably explains the goofiness of the early trailers . . . It was a relief from the fan service heroes of Earth-838 and Wanda going hard into the crazy. “Hey, kids! Nekkid Thor! Lady Thor! Goats!!!”

I honestly thought the goats would get more time. I think they were pulled from Norse mythology. In one story, Thor killed and cooked them . . . . and when he tapped their bones with his hammer, they came back to life. I didn’t take into account that regular goats could be loud, though.

I was good with Jane-as-Mighty Thor. She could have permanently remained in the cornfield after Endgame (and, before that, The Dark World), and Marvel/Disney could’ve figured out another way to do a “Lady Thor” movie without Jane. Or they could have gone with another story involving Gorr. But we got Jane, and she was good. And now, she’s hanging in Valhalla with Idris Elba, both Fendrals, and the old guy from Westworld. Fuck it, let’s say Oliver and Felicity are also in that neighborhood.

The bit where Mjiolnir could disintegrate and come back intact during fighting . . . was that in the comics? Either way, great visual. It’s something I never considered . . . like the first movie, where Thor pinned Loki down with his unmovable hammer.

Who was that as Hercules? I didn’t recognize the actor’s name in the credits. I got a huge kick out of Melissa McCarthy as “Hela,” as well as the reenactment from Ragnarok.

23 hours ago, mariah23 said:

Will someone explain why Russell Crowe talks like Chico Marx in this movie?

Heh. “You ever take-a lightning bolt to the chest? Oh, that’s-a no good, Herc.” And yeah, the accent was messed up.

Shadow Realm . . . please tell me some of you watched the 4Kids dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! Sadly, given what recently happened to the manga’s creator, the timing really sucked.

3 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

 You may or may not enjoy Watiti's humor, but you have to admit: Putting Korg's deity on a throne of scissors is an awesome joke. I giggled for a good two minutes after that.

The scissors registered, the joke didn’t. Does that mean Korg’s greatest weakness is paper? Or that covering his head with that could have killed him for good?

While I’m thinking about it . . . Korg making a child with “a rock named Dwayne” and children getting empowered through the hero’s lightning . . . could those be considered shots fired at the DCEU?

I’ll stop here. Fun stuff . . . if I wasn’t going to a comic show this weekend, I would’ve held off until Sunday.

ETA because no one posted it here . . .

Edited July 9, 2022 by Lantern7

[AngieBee1]

39 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Who was that as Hercules? I didn’t recognize the actor’s name in the credits.

Brett Goldstein of Apple+'s TED LASSO.

[moonorchid]

I finished the movie and felt like the whole thing was a fever dream. TW went really extreme with his type of humor. It felt like the first half was narrated by Korg and Korg was doing the voices. No one sounded real or authentic. The jokes were awkward and not funny. Funny enough, Bale whose playing his villain a little campy was the anchor to this movie settling the hell down and actually telling a story. Once we got to their showdown, which by the way looked so cool in B&W, the second half flowed so much better. 
 

some thoughts:

- what was the point of putting Thor with the GoTG if they were gonna gloss over that. 
- I thought Natalie Portman was a delight in this movie. Her “HELL YEAH” as they are about to fight Zeus men was a lot of fun and it’s a highlight. 
- Thor giving the kids the power of Thor, for a limited time lol, was a really cool moment and possibly my favorite scene. 
- I didn’t think I’d care for Christian Bale but I actually think TW went so extreme with the camp and the humor with everyone else, Bale actually forced everyone to settle down a bit and I appreciated it. 
 

Overall, I’m disappointed. MOM and Love and Thunder might be the sign that marvel needs to scale back its schedule and rework the formula. 

[Jediknight]

I loved it.

All the actors did a fantastic job.  Amazing what giving Natalie Portman something to do outside of being Thor's love interest can do for her performance.  Who would have thunk it?

Nice contrast between the Gods that Gorr was killing, and the ones kicking it with Zeus.  The Gods that Gorr was killing were the Gods that helped their people, the ones that fought and died alongside their people.  The ones with Zeus were content to just hide out and be safe, not giving a shit about their followers.  Thor even mentioned the giant one whose body we saw, and who Sif fought alongside, was one of the nicest Gods there was.

Thor giving the Asgardian kids a pep talk, granting them the powers of Thor, and they and him doing battle with Gorr and his shadow demons all set to "November Rain" was top notch music use.

And of course after all that, Gorr would want Thor to look after his daughter.  He saw that Thor was a God that cared about his followers, would share his power, and fought alongside them.  Like Korg said, Thor fights the good fight for those who can't fight well.

[BaggythePanther]

I keep feeling like I’m missing something because I hear complaints about TW going over the top, but this didn’t feel anymore comedic than Ragnarok. I could have done with less Korg, but other than that the humor didn’t bother me. 

I enjoyed the movie but the pacing felt off. In the first half of the movie I felt like we had skipped some scenes. I wanted to see how Jane and Valkyrie met and it seemed like Valkyrie was aware of her diagnosis. I also wanted to see how Gorr figured out he needed Stormbreaker to get to Eternity. That felt kind of random.

I really liked NP as Mighty Thor and her dorky excitement at being a superhero. The montage of Jane & Thor’s relationship (loved Thor in the hot dog costume) made me more invested in them than their scenes in Thor 1 & 2. Valhalla was a good send off but I wouldn’t mind seeing her again either.

Thor seemed like a good leader this movie. He doesn’t always know the right thing to say but he takes charge and did a good job inspiring the kids.

I thought the girl Thor adopted at the end was another member of the Young Avengers, but it seems she’s just Hemsworth’s daughter. Though I suppose she could be recruited at some point if the MCU makes changes to the roster. 

[Enigma X]

I just got back from the movie and enjoyed it. I was not disappointed, even though TW's humor can be a bit much for me. That is okay because enough seriousness and character-building helped me overlook it. Bale was fantastic. I never had much problem with Portman as Jane, but she became a three-dimensional person for me in this movie. For me, my money was well spent. 

[anna0852]

Adored that Chris's daughter played the little girl he's now raising! I'm betting the boots debate came straight from the Hemsworth household 

Edited July 9, 2022 by anna0852