Thor: Love and Thunder

[belloq87]

I want to love it... but I don't think that's a great trailer.

 

[Clive]

I want to love it... but I don't think that's a great trailer.

Feels bizarrely small despite the literal scope. Even with Jane, hard to get a sense of the emotional stakes.

And the CGI looks really atrocious. I think the crunch is why we haven't seen much of the film despite it being a month or so out.

 

[Nick]

Feels bizarrely small despite the literal scope. Even with Jane, hard to get a sense of the emotional stakes.

And the CGI looks really atrocious. I think the crunch is why we haven't seen much of the film despite it being a month or so out.

COVID has hurt a lot of these films in really just screwing with the natural order. Everything got thrown off.

As far as the film, idk, we’ll see. I have to say I didn’t know if so called ”Superhero” or “Marvel” fatigue was ever going to set in, but I feel like I’m just not caring as much about these films in Phase Four, especially now that we have about four shows per year on top of 3-4 films. I know what we’re building towards, but I’m waiting for it to finally to actually connect and so far film after film, it just feels like things aren’t really being paid off.

 

[CoryLevy91]

Seems like it'll be another fun Marvel outing. Nothing ground breaking or crazy new but a funny, fast 90-120 minutes featuring characters we've come to love. It does feel like there's a big twist hiding within it, especially since they show so much of Gorr in the new trailer. Could be overthinking but just feels like there's something hidden in there for the last act.

I'll be catching it in theaters for sure!

 

[jseal777]

Looks like Taiki is trying to get too cute with these movies. Not buying Portman as a god of thunder. But looks pretty.

 

[HalfGlass]

COVID has hurt a lot of these films in really just screwing with the natural order. Everything got thrown off.

As far as the film, idk, we’ll see. I have to say I didn’t know if so called ”Superhero” or “Marvel” fatigue was ever going to set in, but I feel like I’m just not caring as much about these films in Phase Four, especially now that we have about four shows per year on top of 3-4 films. I know what we’re building towards, but I’m waiting for it to finally to actually connect and so far film after film, it just feels like things aren’t really being paid off.

This.

 

[HalfGlass]

Thor: Love and Thunder

Currently sitting at 71%, falling below Thor and Thor: Ragnarok and only 5% higher than The Dark World.

I really think MCU fatigue and lack of focus/direction for the future is getting to critics.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I mean it’s more Thor and rumors have it that it’s more silly than the lady film when it’s about a god killer villain
Like then who cares I bet no main characters die and there for this villain seems kinda wasted

Like the villains need to win more, people loved infinity war and it had the bad guy win

I’m sure I’ll like it but understanding more why people aren’t loving this phase as much as the first three

 

[CoryLevy91]

The whole MCU does feel a little bit like it's spinning its wheels right now and the only thing I can point to would be that lack of a huge big bad. For so long we knew we were building towards something big related to Thanos. Even when he wasn't even featured most of the time it felt like the stories being told were somehow involved in that conflict in some manner, even if it was very small.

Now, there's just no real End Game, for lack of a worse pun. We've been introduced to a version of Kang and I get that we're building the groundwork for what will make his battle work but the MCU is sort of just floating through space, eating its cake of having a wide collection of good characters but no overt threat. The films feel a lot like sitcom episodes now, regardless of what happens we're back to where we were at the beginning. Sure characters grow and change and learn lessons but nothing really earth changing feels like its happening. Deep in the back of your mind you don't have that big purple bulk sitting on his throne searching for the Infinity Stones.

Each phase of the MCU had that Avengers film that felt like a nice cap on the phase. Will Phase 4 even have an Avengers film? It feels weird to not have the big, big, BIG event movie in an MCU phase.

 

[Nick]

Thor: Love and Thunder

Currently sitting at 71%, falling below Thor and Thor: Ragnarok and only 5% higher than The Dark World.

I really think MCU fatigue and lack of focus/direction for the future is getting to critics.

I think the main difference is that Feige can't be hands-on anymore and he's having to delegate because so much is going on and it's having a negative effect.

As for critics - there isn't MCU as far as I see. Just not consistent quality. For example, let's look at the RT scores of MCU movies and shows, because they tell two different stories.

Movies:
Black Widow - 79% Critic/91% Audience - A- CinemaScore
Shang-Chi - 91%/98% - A
Eternals - 47%/78% - B
No Way Home - 93%/98% - A+
Multiverse of Madness - 74%/85% - B-
Love and Thunder - 71% (so far)

TV Show:
WandaVision: 91% Critic/88% Audience
Falcon and the Winter Soldier: 83%/84%
Loki: 92%/91%
What If?: 94%/94%
Hawkeye: 92%/91%
Moon Knight: 86%/91%
Ms. Marvel: 98%/81%

So as you can see, especially from the D+ shows, critics have not gotten "MCU Fatigue". A show airing right now is literally the highest critically rated thing in Phase Four at just under 100%. And looking at the list of films, it doesn't surprise me at all that the two highest rated films are Shang-Chi and No Way Home (the obvious best films of the phase) and all others are under 80%.

 

[Skipper Justin]

I think it will be a silly fun good time. That’s all it really needs to be.

 

[Nick]

I think it will be a silly fun good time. That’s all it really needs to be.

That's kinda what John Campea said it was. He said it was basically a laugh out loud comedy the whole way through and it really depends on you on if that works for you in the movie. Other reviews i've seen have said it's so much of a comedy it almost feels like an MCU parody set within the MCU and it just feels too goofy. It sounds like it's totally in line with Taika Waititi's style of comedy, but it also seems like it almost may be a bit too much whereas Ragnorak was pretty much prefect in terms of mixing comedic and serious moments together and not letting the comedy get too out of hand.

 

[chris.g]

It sounds like it's totally in line with Taika Waititi's style of comedy, but it also seems like it almost may be a bit too much whereas Ragnorak was pretty much prefect in terms of mixing comedic and serious moments together and not letting the comedy get too out of hand.

personally, Ragnarok had no serious moments that actually added any stakes. Infinity War may have elevated what Ragnarok was trying to do, but the battle on Asgard literally made the whole thing comedic relief.

As someone who also saw this at the premiere, I thought this movie quite frankly, sucked. I'm not a fan of Waititi as it stands but this was just trying too hard. Like Ragnarok, no stakes with a very thin plot where its one emotional payoff is also alas, redundant in the grand scheme of things. Really wish Thor got the proper standard of being the mightiest Avenger that he deserves.

 

[Nick]

personally, Ragnarok had no serious moments that actually added any stakes. Infinity War may have elevated what Ragnarok was trying to do, but the battle on Asgard literally made the whole thing comedic relief.

As someone who also saw this at the premiere, I thought this movie quite frankly, sucked. I'm not a fan of Waititi as it stands but this was just trying too hard. Like Ragnarok, no stakes with a very thin plot where its one emotional payoff is also alas, redundant in the grand scheme of things. Really wish Thor got the proper standard of being the mightiest Avenger that he deserves.

My point was, Ragnarok was the right amount of comedy imo and I liked the movie fine enough. Based on everything i've heard about Love & Thunder, i'm not expecting to like this movie tbh. I like Waititi's style of comedy, but the production of the film sounds like it was a bit of a mess with a lot having to be cut. Not that every movie doesn't have to cut things, but from what I understand there was a mandate to get the movie under 2 hours, which is what i'm referring to. Taika fits in far more with FX (What We Do In The Shadows) and Searchlight (Jojo Rabbit and the upcoming Next Goal Wins) than he does with a machine like the MCU if he's going to work with Disney imo.

Quite frankly, i'm not really expecting to like this movie, but we'll see. I'm still going to see it on an opening Thursday, but I have to admit if it wasn't for me going with friends, i'd 100% wait for it to come to D+ as i'm in no rush to see this movie.

 

[Skipper Justin]

Thor is my fave superhero and Ragnarok my fave MCU film. Sounds like I will love the new one.

 

[SeventyOne]

Each phase of the MCU had that Avengers film that felt like a nice cap on the phase. Will Phase 4 even have an Avengers film? It feels weird to not have the big, big, BIG event movie in an MCU phase.

It's a bit like Daffy Duck's act where he blows himself up at the end. Great show, but you can only do it once.

Avengers worked as a topper because we 'd never seen separate movie characters come together like that before. Then Endgame worked because it's essentially Secret Wars -- every in-universe hero coming together. Yeah, it lacked every in-universe villain too, but the villains in the MCU have not been memorable. Is the next event movie the same, only more C-listers and no RDJ or Evans? There's nothing to build toward.

Maybe ... maybe ... X-Men v. Avengers could fire up the audience. But I think the idea of these movies all leading to a central conflict needs to be back-burnered for a while. Enjoy this Thor movie like it was an issue of the Thor comic.

 

[Nick]

It's a bit like Daffy Duck's act where he blows himself up at the end. Great show, but you can only do it once.

Avengers worked as a topper because we 'd never seen separate movie characters come together like that before. Then Endgame worked because it's essentially Secret Wars -- every in-universe hero coming together. Yeah, it lacked every in-universe villain too, but the villains in the MCU have not been memorable. Is the next event movie the same, only more C-listers and no RDJ or Evans? There's nothing to build toward.

Maybe ... maybe ... X-Men v. Avengers could fire up the audience. But I think the idea of these movies all leading to a central conflict needs to be back-burnered for a while. Enjoy this Thor movie like it was an issue of the Thor comic.

Phase Four is leading to an ACTUAL Secret Wars currently. I'm not enjoying everything about the Phase so far, but Shang-Chi is up there as a top-tier marvel movie for me, No Way Home was just absolutely great, and I very much enjoy liked Multiverse of Madness. The rest of the movies are what they are. Black Widow is actually a decent enough movie, it was just so, so unnecessary. The Eternals was the worst of the bunch with slow pacing, too many characters, and little to no humor to break up the always serious dialogue. Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo was probably a standout aside from Sersi.

Tbh, Eternals should've been a TV show or even had some sort of animated series about them before hand so that meeting a group of close to 8-10 different people within a 2.5 hour timeframe wouldn't have felt so rushed. I do think a lot of the Disney+ stuff is working for me. They aren't always sticking the landing, but it's good enough for establising new characters especially into the universe like Kate Bishop, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel.

The MCU was basically torn down after Endgame and while we do have some leftovers from those events, they're clearly planning on moving on a Young Avengers series or something and also just the infusion of youth clearly is meant to give them the option of not having to bring back some of those older characters eventually. They're clearly planning very far out. It took four years originally to assemble an Avengers roster of 5 characters. Right now they're juggling way more than that. I'm guessing by 2026 we get Avengers: Secret Wars.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I think it will be a silly fun good time. That’s all it really needs to be.

Then don’t have a god killer as a villain

I’m not against funny movies but if they are joking as they fight, like come on wrong villain to have

Imagine dr strange cracking jokes like in a row when fighting Wanda or capt and Ironman making jokes when they fight, etc

 

[Nick]

Then don’t have a god killer as a villain

I’m not against funny movies but if they are joking as they fight, like come on wrong villain to have

Imagine dr strange cracking jokes like in a row when fighting Wanda or capt and Ironman making jokes when they fight, etc

And according to what i've heard from multiple people, Christian Bale is actually funny in this movie. Now, that's interesting in and of itself as we rarely see a comedic Bale, HOWEVERRR this is not a role for him to be comedic in.

 

[Brian G.]

Then don’t have a god killer as a villain

Imagine dr strange cracking jokes like in a row when fighting Wanda or capt and Ironman making jokes when they fight, etc

They have…?