Thor: Love and Thunder
While Thor: Ragnarok would perfectly adapt Marvel’s take on Norse gods into a whipsmart, slapstick action comedy, 2022’s Love and Thunder is the result of too much of a good thing. Ragnarok director Taika Waititi also brings his signature brand of rapid-fire joke delivery to this follow-up, but it’s devoid of most of the thematic richness that made its predecessor both sugary sweet and filling. Love and Thunder cranks the jokes up to 11 and makes Thor such a goofball that some of the more emotional beats are hard to take seriously. The movie has easily Natalie Portman’s best performance as Jane Foster and Christian Bale makes the most of his appearance as Gorr the God Butcher, but beyond that, the movie is empty calories. — Kenneth Shepard
