A fan-favorite theater troupe, a scene that explains the title, and a hair metal power
fantasy all kids can relate to.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" is one bombastic Marvel movie, but these are the scenes that
most deserve a second watch.
Warning: major spoilers ahead.
The opening to "Thor: Love and Thunder" is interesting for how different it starts from
the usual Marvel movies.
For one, it is practically silent at the beginning, and there's no Marvel logo or fanfare.
The movie simply begins.
It's a disorienting shot of the desert.
As the camera rises and turns, we meet Christian Bale as Gorr.
Just like in the comics that inspired the film, Gorr is just a desperate father seeking
help from his god to save his child.
It's uncharacteristically somber and does an excellent job of pulling you in.
It also sets up a strange connection between this film and "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."
That film also opens with a weathered bald man in the desert.
Also, Gorr's goal is to reach the center of the universe and have his wish granted by
the entity referred to as Eternity.
That sounds suspiciously like Spock's half-brother Sybok's plan to meet God at the center of
the galaxy.
Coincidence?
Perhaps.
Watch both openings again, though, and you might see the connection.
All the high-flying, wacky adventure stuff you would expect from a Guardians of the Galaxy
and Thor team-up occurs after Gorr's origin and a quick rundown of the previous film.
We learn that Thor is done wandering around the cosmos looking for people to save.
Instead, he will sit and wait for someone to say that they need his help to win this
battle.
"Well, you know what they say, better late than not at all."
"That's very nice."
Peter Quill says those exact words, and Thor rides on his ax Stormbreaker like the Wicked
Witch in "The Wizard of Oz" before single-handedly defeating the enemy.
It is a bonkers sequence filled with humor and incredible action.
It's got lasers, Guns N' Roses, Jim Henson-esque creatures laughing and firing at Thor, a Jean-Claude
Van Damme split, and it's a lot of fun.
Watching this sequence is like seeing every '80s and early '90s nerd's dream of what a
"Thor" movie should be come to life.
It isn't particularly insightful about the human condition, and it doesn't break a lot
of new ground regarding superhero action, but it's an absolute blast.
Why wouldn't you want to relive such a wild and invigorating sequence more than once?
Jane Foster isn't holding up so well in "Thor: Love and Thunder."
She's still a brilliant scientist using her intelligence to try and save the world, but
she has also been diagnosed with stage IV cancer.
Her old friends Darcy and Selvig are the only ones who know about her illness, and Darcy
thinks Jane should reach out to Thor.
While Jane doesn't want to do that, Thor's broken hammer Mjolnir is calling out to her.
Jane travels to New Asgard in Norway to find the hammer.
While she's there, Asgardian actors, just like in "Thor: Ragnarok," are performing a
scene from the previous movie.
They're doing Odin's death scene and using every cheap stage production trick they can
think of to pull it off.
The scene is worth a second viewing because it is hilarious, especially when Melissa McCarthy
arrives as Hela, and because it reminds viewers that when an Asagardian dies and enters Valhalla,
they disappear in wisps of gold.
This time, you can take in the funny performances and appreciate the foreshadowing of what will
happen in the final act with Jane.
Thanks to the trailers, it comes as no surprise that Natalie Portman's Jane Foster would be
wielding the power of Thor in the film.
However, the anticipation for this moment is so intense and the scene itself has so
much going on that when it finally happens, you're thrilled.
"Jane?"
The acceleration of the sequence is what really stands out.
It begins with Gorr arriving at New Asgard.
Using his new powers, he creates shadow creatures that eerily stretch all along the Asgardian
streets.
When they start attacking, Thor, Korg, and King Valkyrie are there to fight them off.
During the battle, Thor hears a familiar sound.
Looking around the chaos of battle, he sees his reconstructed Mjolnir.
Just as the hammer is about to reach his hand, it flies back to its current master: Jane
Foster.
Things turn into a violent and epic romantic comedy as the two banter a bit before Gorr
goes on the attack.
Then we learn this was all a ruse for Gorr to capture the children and hide them in the
Shadow Realm.
The seamless tonal shifts are very impressive, and the moment Jane holds Mjolnir is a stand
up and clap moment.
With Thanos, Marvel created someone who was multidimensional with a point of view you
could understand, even though you probably don't agree with him.
They've done this again in "Thor: Love and Thunder" in the form of Gorr the God Butcher.
From his first appearance, you understand why he is so angry and vengeful.
He was clearly a devoted disciple of a god who betrayed him with indifference.
That would be enough for us to understand him, but we empathize because he is so complicated.
On a visual level, he looks haunted and creepy.
However, Christian Bale's voice isn't heavy, deep, or raspy.
In a few scenes, his voice is high-pitched, almost wounded.
For instance, take the scene in which he emerges from the shadows, intentionally terrifying
the children he's captured by producing a creature and ripping its head off in a horrifying
display of dominance.
He doesn't smile, he doesn't laugh.
Instead, he looks sad, tired, and confused.
It's worth watching again for the shock of how dark the moment is and to savor the nuances
of the performance.
Since Gorr exists in the Shadow Realm, Thor and friends need to borrow Zeus' weapon, Thunderbolt,
to fight the darkness.
This brings them to the incredible Omnipotence City where all the gods reside.
Everything about this place deserves a rewatch because it is so beautiful and packed with
Easter eggs and references that only multiple viewings can fully reveal.
"Let's see who you are and take off your disguise."
The star of the show, though, is Russell Crowe as Zeus.
To call his performance over the top would be an understatement.
He is devouring the scenery around him like an all-you-can-eat buffet and clearly loving
every second of it.
In a film this wacky, though, it absolutely works, and Crowe is an utter delight.
During their visit to Omnipotence City, our heroes discover that Gorr's goal is to make
it to the center of the universe in order to reach a being called Eternity.
The legend says that the first person to reach Eternity will have their wish granted.
Since Gorr's title is God Butcher, Valkyrie implies that his wish would be to wipe all
gods out of existence.
So, they journey to the Shadow Realm to save the children and stop Gorr from getting his
wish.
In a quest story, this would usually be the part where everything slows down and the audience
gets a little bored waiting for something to happen.
"Thor: Love and Thunder" keeps things interesting by giving us cosmic vistas with space dolphins,
some world-building regarding the reproductive process of Korg's species, and a warm heart-to-heart
between Thor and Jane.
Upon arriving in the Shadow Realm, all the color drains out of the film, except for Thunderbolt,
which still crackles and sizzles with Zeus' power.
The ominous nature of this mysterious place sets in right away, and Thor's friends are
on the lookout for an ambush or any signs of the children they're looking for.
While journeying through the tunnels deep within the dark moon, Jane uncovers Gorr's
plan.
He needs Stormbreaker to conjure the Bifrost in order to open the gates to Eternity.
Which kind of makes sense considering how powerful the bridge is according to Heimdall.
"To leave the bridge open would unleash the full power of the Bifrost and destroy Jotunheim
with you upon it."
The fact that kidnapping the Asgardian children was all a ruse isn't surprising, but that's
not the point of the scene.
The reason this moment is so powerful is witnessing just how brutal Gorr can be.
He moves through the shadows like a reanimated corpse.
He speaks through sharp, rotten teeth, and even tortures Thor to make him call his ax.
Some viewers may not wish to relive such an aggressively dark scene, but the strength
of the performances should be enough to bring you back.
There was a time when the primary audience for superhero stories was kids.
Adult fans may not like to admit this fact, but it's true.
As new creators entered the comic book industry, they started updating their stories to reflect
their interests and, eventually, superhero comics matured to a point where most parents
probably wouldn't allow their kids to read them until reaching some mutually agreed-upon
age.
We have lived in this paradigm for so long that it's easy to forget the more innocent
origins of our favorite characters.
Family and kid-friendly comics still exist, of course, but the vast majority of superhero
films are aimed at older audiences.
That is why it is so rewarding when Thor shares his powers with the kidnapped children.
For the first time in an MCU movie, we see kids take on the bad guys, and it is pure,
thrilling wish fulfillment.
As the song "November Rain" kicks into gear, the kids strike back.
Lightning erupts from their eyes and weapons as they defeat their captors and Thor does
battle with Gorr.
For anyone who fell in love with superheroes at a young age, this is a dream come true.
Like the opening, the ending of "Thor: Love and Thunder" is surprisingly lacking in the
epic battle sequence department.
Marvel films have a habit of ending with two superpowered beings punching each other into
exhaustion, and the one left standing is the victor.
But "Love and Thunder" begins its climax that way before careening into uncharted territory
for the MCU.
Gorr reaches Eternity.
Jane is succumbing to her illness, and Thor doesn't know quite what to do.
Losing the love of his life and witnessing her make the ultimate heroic sacrifice, he
decides to open his heart to Gorr.
As a result, Gorr doesn't wish for the end of the gods, like he'd planned.
Instead, Eternity brings his daughter back.
Thor, inspired by the villain's drive to honor his daughter at all costs, proves to him that
the reason for living has always been love.
If you're tired of loud, raucous, and tedious finales, this ending should come as a breath
of fresh air, and is well worth a second viewing.
At the very least, it should help explain to any confused viewers why the film is called
"Love and Thunder."
Everyone knows to stick around during the credits of a Marvel movie.
Since Nick Fury introduced himself to Tony Stark at the end of the original "Iron Man,"
it has become a tradition with each installment to stay in your seat and see what tease they
have in store for the next movie.
In the case of "Thor: Love and Thunder," we get two scenes.
One lets us know that Jane made it to Valhalla where she is greeted by Heimdall.
The other sets up a very exciting antagonist for the next film.
The scene begins with a wounded Zeus lamenting people's lack of interest in the gods.
He can remember a time when humans feared and worshiped them.
Now, all they care about are superheroes.
Fed up with this fall from grace, he vows to make them fear the gods once again.
The suggestion that a new "Thor" movie featuring gods terrorizing humanity is cool enough,
but the final reveal is the real kicker.
It turns out that Zeus wasn't simply talking to himself — he was giving orders to his
son Hercules.
Then we see that Brett Goldstein, who played Roy Kent in "Ted Lasso," is playing the legendary
son of Zeus.
Watching the son of Odin and the son of Zeus duke it out is going to be a blast, and this
scene builds the hype perfectly.
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