The most recent brain-fade from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is fun and entertaining, as they usually are. Parts of Thor: Love and Thunder are aptly set in an amusement park, which is what Asgard has evolved into following its destruction in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and the expulsion of its inhabitants to Earth.
In New Asgard, thrill-seekers—or are they MCU fans?—flock to admire Thor's enchanted hammer Mjolnir and take in shows that celebrate his exploits. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a former flame of Thor's, is one of the guests. Jane has been diagnosed with cancer and has travelled to New Asgard to pursue Mjolnir's curative powers.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) also risks turning into a showpiece, a parody of himself who is too enamoured of eloquent speeches and heroic deeds. Gorr (Christian Bale), a chalk-white spirit with horrifying dental work and the torn robes of the renunciate, emerges as a formidable foe. After experiencing a personal tragedy, Gorr lost faith in God and pledged to kill every celestial entity.
Director Taika Waititi is particularly interested in destroying God. The fourth standalone Thor film shares Waititi's Ragnarok's humorous contempt towards the superhero mythos. Waititi has a talent for comedic timing and fluid pacing, and he co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. In Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi rushes past its flimsy premise in order to appeal to a younger-than-usual, less picky audience.
Compared to a Marvel spinoff, it is more Pirates of the Caribbean-like. Gorr's monochromatic universe, the god Zeus's obscenely named Omnipotent City, which is right out of the Gilded Age, and many jabs at the Mighty Thor and his connection to Mjolnir are among the aesthetically stunning set pieces. The stakes are modest despite the kidnapping of children and the impending death. Moving from one chuckle to the next is the only goal.
Despite having somewhat less material to deal with a second time around, the cast, lead by a wide-eyed Chris Hemsworth, pulls through well. Russell Crowe makes an appearance as a silly Zeus sporting a skirt.
Thor, Jane (who has developed superpowers herself), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Korg (voiced by Taika Waititi) fight Gorr while being accompanied by Guns N' Roses songs. There are enough GNR songs to guarantee that the band's lead singer Axl Rose will make an appearance. However, we must be content with a character bearing his name and a pair of shrill goats that carry the soldiers from one world to another.
Watch the trailer here: