A strong pre-title sequence sets up an almost unrecognisable Christian Bale as a credible antagonist of this fourth Thor solo film. Taking in returning characters from across the Thor/Avengers movies (The Guardians of the Galaxy team, Jane Foster, Darcy, Valkyrie and even Heimdall), the addition of Russell Crowe as a self-important Zeus is a good addition to the greatest-hits-feel of the movie. The trailers gave away surprisingly little, and in many ways this is typical Waititi - quirky, silly and a bit all over the place (including a soundtrack that cannily ranges from ABBA to Guns N' Roses) - and indeed he nails both the comedy and drama elements, no matter how haphazardly they might appear. This film does not feel as fresh as the similarly-styled Ragnarok, with its reliance on past characters and hits (the ripe 'theatre' version of events reappears, for example, to lesser effect this time round), and it is apparent that the director's zany approach is at odds with the fact that there is (for a change in the MCU) a very strong well-performed villain that might have been served better by a more serious overall approach. Nevertheless, Love And Thunder succeeds in its mission to entertain, and Hemsworth remains a comedic delight to watch, but if there is to be another solo Thor movie, a change in tone/direction might be welcome.
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