Thor: Love and Thunder (in theaters)
Hello, friends! I hope you are enjoying this miserably hot, just plain disrespectful summer as much as I am. *rolls eyes hard*
Actually, I did just return from a really nice vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I can honestly tell you pretty much everything about the trip was perfect. We had a really nice AirBnB. The beach was very close. The weather was perfect! The kids and my wife learned to surf. And I got hopelessly hooked on a trashy “reality” show called “Below Deck.” It’s so bad, it’s good!
Anyways, I think we can all agree that “Thor: Ragnarok” is one of our favorite Marvel movies. I’ve not come across a single person that didn’t like that movie. The first “Thor” movie was great. The second one was trash. But that third one was pure Marvel magic. Now, after waiting for 5 long years, we get the fifth installment, “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
So, the last time we saw Thor, he’d put on a little bit of weight. Thor became known as Fat Thor in “Avengers: Endgame,” and we all loved it! He was hilarious. We loved the idea of Thor going off on adventures with the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Now, fast forward a couple years, and Thor’s “retirement” is cut short by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks the extinction of all the gods. Gorr, by the way, is played by the great Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Psycho) and he does a fantastic job in his Marvel debut.
To combat the threat that Gorr poses, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, wh0- to Thor’s surprise- is wielding his magical hammer, Mjolnir, and is the Mighty Thor herself. This is a whole plotline on its own. So, together, the 4 of them set off on a cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of Gorr’s vengeance and to stop him before it’s too late.
Side note, I read that Christian Bale had absolutely sworn off comic book/superhero movies after the “Dark Knight” trilogy as he claims the experience of donning the Batman costume to be a “miserable” one. However, kids have a way. Don’t they? He agreed to take on this Marvel villain role after his kids begged him to do it.
There’s a lot of star power in this movie including Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Extraction) who, of course, reprises his role as Thor. Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Thor) reprises her role as Dr. Jane Foster. Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok, Dear White People) is back as Valkyrie. The Guardians of the Galaxy are all back briefly. Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator) gives an absurd portrayal of Zeus: King of the gods. You might even see a very brief, uncredited cameo by Matt Damon (Bourne Identity, Stillwater.)
Honestly, this one is a little difficult to review. I want to heap praises on it because I love Marvel movies, and I really loved the third Thor movie, “Thor: Ragnarok.” I’m just not sure though. To be perfectly honest, I think the comedy seemed very forced. Some of it was to the point of being farcical. Maybe it was supposed to be. I don’t know. As I said before, Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Zeus was just ridiculous; and it was meant that way, but it was just too much for me. That’s also saying a LOT when something is too silly for me because I LOVE silly! I think several parts of this movie just forced the comedy too much though.
In my not-so-professional opinion, Christian Bale was the best part of this movie. Natalie Portman’s Jane was really strong. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie was really good. However, the movie was just way too crowded with bad, needless jokes. Unfortunately, this movie is going in my list of LEAST favorite Marvel movies, but it just missed my list of the worst 5. This one comes in at #6. In my opinion, the WORST Marvel movies are (in no particular order) “Eternals,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Iron Man 3,” “Black Widow,” “Morbius,” and now “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
“Thor: Love and Thunder” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material, and partial nudity. I’m giving this one a 2.4/5. Go see it for yourself if you want, but I likely won’t be watching it a second time.
The Man From Toronto (streaming on Netflix)
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a huge Kevin Hart fan. I love his movies and I love his stand-up. He’s just one of the funniest guys out there right now. He’s also really good at taking on a more serious, dramatic role. This isn’t one of those though. It’s freaking funny!
Kevin Hart (Jumanji, Fatherhood) plays screw-up, failed entrepreneur, Teddy, while Woody Harrelson (Cheers, Natural Born Killers) plays The Man from Toronto, a deadly and mysterious hitman. These two very different characters are mixed up at an Airbnb rental, and the tomfoolery begins.
Y’all, I watched this one by myself in my bedroom while on vacation, and the rest of the family could hear me laughing from another part of the house. It is absolutely hilarious. Woody is spot on with this character. He’s so good at playing serious and frightening, and of course Hart is an absolute comic genius. He’s so, so good at playing the goofy, clueless, and idiotic screw-up. The chemistry between these two phenomenal actors was really good in this movie.
You’ll also see other stars like Ellen Barkin (Eddie and the Cruisers, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory, The Flight Attendant), and Jasmine Mathews (The Tomorrow War, Blue Bloods) in the movie.
This one is just mindless entertainment, and that is what I love. Kevin Hart plays classic Kevin Hart. If you’ve seen him in other movies, you’ve seen him in this one, but he does it so well, we keep watching. Maybe it seems a little “off” that I like movies like this because they are fun and silly, but the silliness is a big part of what I disliked about “Thor: Love and Thunder.” It wasn’t “forced” in this one though. It’s a comedy. It did what it was supposed to do. The comedy was just way too forced in the new “Thor” movie.
“The Man from Toronto” is rated PG-13 for violence throughout, some strong language and suggestive material. I’m giving this one a 3.9/5. It’s funny. You don’t really have to think about it. The special effects are pretty dang bad, but it’s not “Avatar” or anything. It’s a Kevin Hart Netflix comedy. Mission accomplished.
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