Thor : Love and thunder

The director and screenwriter Taika Waititi never ceases to surprise us with his undeniable will to leave a comfort zone as it is often the case to offer a blockbuster that mixes peplum, adventure film, science fiction but also and especially comedy. His first independent films Eagle vs Shark (2007), Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) showed the beginnings of a gifted director taking a malicious pleasure in shuffling the cards and his second foray into the universe of Thor after Thor: Ragnarok (2017) proves to be not only his best film but above all the perfect model of the American blockbuster in all its quintessence and a brilliant and supercharged adaptation of a Marvel character to the cinema. In the continuity of the previous film of the cinematographic saga Thor, this twenty-ninth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) does not show any breath of breathlessness and especially shows how much the Marvel universe can give rise to a universe rich in diverse worlds, impressive characters and surprising and immersive plot.

The script by Taika Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson draws some of its inspiration from Jason Aaron's Marvel comics and the importance of religion at the center of the story. After an introductory scene worthy of the great adventure films and introducing us to the character Gorr, the butcher of the gods, (Christian Bale) and his personal reason for making the gods disappear and their hold on their surroundings, we find the character Thor who has regained his Olympic form but has lost his girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). After making his way with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor is joined by his loyal friend Korg (Taika Waititi), a former Kronian gladiator he met while on Sakaar. To confront the mighty Gorr; Thor will need to enlist the help of Queen Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) but also his former girlfriend Jane Foster who has become the mighty Thor and whose former broken hammer of Thor's has returned to its original form and become his weapon. Together they will embark on a cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the Butcher God's vengeance and stop him at all costs.

Director Taika Waititi takes a real pleasure visible on screen to spice up the universe a bit too predictable of the Marvel cinematic universe. The plot takes place on different planets and does not hesitate to incorporate some religious concepts while showing new facets to the main characters. We also find next to Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson (Queen Valkyrie), Chris Pratt (Peter Quill), Jaimie Alexander (Sif), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Dave Bautista (Drax), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Vin Diesel (Groot), Bradley Cooper (Rocket) and also Russell Crowe (Zeus), and we will discover a new character

While we could expect a family movie, the scenario directs this one to a more adult audience with the recurring theme of death and especially addresses some themes specific to the ills of our society such as cancer, the loss of a loved one, religion and our fatality. The film is very close to the atmosphere of Avengers Endgame by some aspects of its story and also by the presence of a being as strong and practically invulnerable as Thanos, played to perfection by the actor Christian Bale. In the same way it is interesting to see as in his previous film Jojo Rabbit (2019) the importance that takes the youth in this film also not only to take the place of illustrious parents but especially for their vision of the world and their fear in front of a superior force whether it is Nazis or Gorr who captured several to set up a trap.

Visually, this new Marvel movie is quite surprising as it takes some risks that turn out to be winning and striking like the use of black and white scenes reminding us as much of François Truffaut's old movies as a whole part of the horrific cinema of the 30's. Far from playing with simplification or unnecessary sophistication, Taika Waititi gives his film a graphic palette all in restraint like this film whose every detail is kneaded with a true love of cinema. This is definitely one of the best Marvel Studios films, a film that makes us want to applaud and raise a glass to this undeniable success that will please both readers of Marvel comics and film enthusiasts who like to discover outstanding films with a true vision of a gifted director like Taika Waititi.

Another important aspect of the film is the place of the music in this film, whether it is the music of Michael Giacchino or the perfect use of no less than several titles of the mythical hard rock band from Los Angeles, the Guns'n'Roses, whether it is the use of the songs Sweet Child of Mine, Welcome to the Jungle and Nocember Rain. These songs give the film a strong tone and an undeniable musicality to the film.  We come out happy with the desire to see it again and to dive into the album Appetite for Destruction (1987) of Guns'n'Roses.

Finally, we advise you to wait until the very end of the credits, otherwise you will miss two scenes, the best of which really makes us want to applaud the arrival of a new cult character in the Marvel cinematographic universe and we are already salivating for the confrontation between him and Thor in a future movie.

Thor: Love and Thunder
Directed by Taika Waititi
Written by Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Based on Thor by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Produced by Kevin Feige, Brad Winderbaum
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman
Cinematography : Barry Idoine
Edited by Matthew Schmidt, Peter S. Elliot, Tim Roche, Jennifer Vecchiarello
Music by Michael Giacchino
Production company : Marvel Studios
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Release dates : June 23, 2022 (El Capitan Theatre), July 8, 2022 (United States), July 13, 2022 (France)
Running time : 119 minutes

Seen on June 30, 2022 at Gaumont Opera Premier, Hall 1

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