– Thor: Love and Thunder Official Trailer
The long-awaited movie ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, which Marvel fans have been waiting for, is receiving negative reviews from viewers and critics, contrary to expectations. The reporter watched the movie right away on the opening day with great anticipation, paying close attention to spoilers.
Speaking of the reviews first, this movie seemed to be clearly divided into three ratings: ‘fun’, ‘disappointing’, and ‘not interesting’. The reporter said ‘It’s a pity’. Actually, it received good reviews for its previous work (Thor: Ragnarok), and it is not a composition that will receive bad reviews just by looking at the cast except for Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy member, Natalie Portman, and Christian Bale. Personally, I was very satisfied with the appearance of Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), whom I wanted to see once more in the Thor series.
Many factors, such as the love for Jane Foster enough to accurately remember that 8 years, 7 months and 6 days have passed since Thor broke up, that Mjölnir and the Stormbreaker have their own personalities, and the tattoo on the back to not forget the younger brother. It was fun and interesting.
– A Stormbreaker who feels jealous of Mjölnir.
Nevertheless, the reason why the reporter evaluated it as a pity, and the reason why the ratings of domestic and foreign audiences and critics are getting lower is that the story development and probability are messed up. Above all, with a running time of 119 minutes, it was difficult to form a consensus with the audience, and there were too many scenes in which likes and dislikes were divided due to North American gag elements.
As a gamer, while watching the movie, I thought of ‘The Last of Us Part 2 (hereinfollowing referred to as Lao 2)’. I immediately watched the second episode to figure out if there was anything I missed, but I mightn’t shake the thought.
Lao 2 also received bad reviews that did not match the reputation and expectations of its predecessor. What the two works have in common is the ‘lack of probability’. In particular, the probabilities of endings that leave a deep impression on a movie or game were the worst. It left me with a lot of regret as I thought the evaluation might have been different if I had paid a little more attention.
※ This article contains spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder and The Last of Us, and it is a review containing the personal opinion of the reporter.
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■ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy member’ who became a bridesmaid (Joel)
After Avengers: Endgame, the movie begins with Thor, who rescued endangered races while traveling around the universe under the group name ‘Asguardians of the Galaxy’ with the Guardians of the Galaxy members. In the section, he used a giant chain, a spaceship, etc. as a tool to go on a diet, and he returned to his original physique.
– It was a rocket that suppressed the enemy with a groundbreaking weapon…
At this time, I thought it would be a bit of a disappointment for Guardians of the Galaxy fans. Neighbors also shared similar opinions. All Guardians of the Galaxy members, including Star-Lord, became bridesmaids.
‘Star-Lord’, ‘Rocket’, ‘Drax’, ‘Groot’, ‘Mantis’, ‘Nebula’, and ‘Craglin’ all appear in the movie. Compared to other superheroes such as ‘Iron Man’, ‘Doctor Strange’, and ‘Shang-Chi’, their fighting power is not excellent, but Kraglin with Yondu’s arrow, Nebula, who is good at chess, and a rocket that destroys enemies with unexpected weapons. He’s always been a good player in battle. However, all of them seemed to depend only on Thor’s power without any action.
“What can the Guardians of the Galaxy members really do without Thor?”, “Where did all the combat abilities accumulated in Episodes 1 and 2 and the Avengers go?” Was it necessary to call it ‘?’ It’s not the best personally, but it’s a bit disappointing as I like Guardians of the Galaxy so much that it’s in the TOP rankings among Marvel movies.
After numerous rescue calls, Thor sees his old acquaintance, Sif, injured at the place where ‘Polygar’ died. Star-Lord is in a situation where they have to respond to another rescue request, so they end up breaking up with each other. When I saw the Guardians of the Galaxy members leaving in vain, the regret grew even greater.
– Joel enters the enemy’s hideout without any doubt.
Joel from Lao 2 kept coming to mind in this part. Joel, the main character of Lao 1, was a person who doubted everything and showed a cautious side. He didn’t approach anyone he knew. But in part 2, he rescues Abby from creeping zombies and goes blindly into the safe zone with her gang. She mightn’t help it because the zombies were coming, but following she entered the area, she showed no doubts, let alone her prudence.
The incident in the first episode was not suitable for Joel, who is aware that he has many enemies. And that complacency eventually leads to a futile death where her face is crushed by Abby’s golf club.
The connection between the Guardians of the Galaxy members and Joel was that the experience of previous works became meaningless and disappeared from the work. Even if the Guardians of the Galaxy members didn’t die like Joel did, they were permanently removed from the movie Thor: Love and Thunder for nothing. When I first thought of Lao 2 like this, I continued to build connections and appreciate it.
It’s hard to figure out what Jane Foster was without seeing her previous work.
■ ‘Sentiment’ that changes depending on watching the previous work (Lao 1)
As it is a series, it is understandable that you can understand the narrative of the characters only by watching the previous works. However, it is undeniable that the barriers to entry for Marvel movies have risen since the Marvel dramas continued to be released.
Taking Thor: Love and Thunder as an example, you need to watch Avengers: Endgame to understand why Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy are working together, and to understand the Eternals you need to watch the ‘Eternals’ movie. To understand why Gor led the army of shadows, how the necrosword was born, and exactly what powers it possesses, you have to even get into the comics.
At least, thanks to Korg’s fairy tale story and poor play, it indirectly shows the cause of Mjölnir’s destruction and the reason Jane Foster and Thor broke up, but there was a limit to comprehending everything with that alone.
Whether or not you know this information greatly affects the sensibility of a movie. Just as the sensibility of users who entered the Last of Us IP as Lao 1 and Lao 2 are completely different.
– You must enjoy Lao 1 to fully understand the flow of Lao 2.
I’m not saying this is good or bad. In order to get to know the vast Marvel universe, it is a good way to think of it as a device to make you understand the narratives of each superhero.
So personally, just as I recommended that you try the previous work before enjoying Lao 2, before watching Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor 1~3, Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy 1~2, I recommend watching The Eternals in advance.
You might be thinking, “Do I have to go see so many movies?”, but this is the barrier to entry to fully appreciate the current Marvel movies. The good news is that Thor: Love and Thunder doesn’t even need to be seen as a drama like Doctor Strange 2: Chaos’s multiverse.
■ Blurred superhero’s ‘majesty’ (survival and horror)
Overall, the intention to lighten the film seemed strong. Although it is an area where likes and dislikes are divided, personally, I felt that the weight and dignity of the superhero and god of thunder had greatly decreased, so it was close to dislike. The problem was that it contained too many B-grade sensibility and North American gags.
It’s not that I hate the colors of director Taika Waititi. Because it’s always been fun. However, if you do a drip that can cause laughter with verses 1 and 2 up to verses 3 and 4, it is bound to happen. There was a scene like that in this movie, and I often shouted to myself, “Stop it!”
– Let’s just do verse 1… At most, verse 2…
If you look at the recently released Marvel movies, there has never been a movie with this much gag code and lengthy run compared to Shang-Chi: The Legend of Ten Rings, The Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Chaos.
Even in the previous work Thor: Ragnarok, there was a tendency to bring out Thor’s gag a little bit, but the weight of Thor’s existence was maintained until the end of the movie due to good control. Of course, before meeting Jane Foster, it can be interpreted that Thor appeased the troubled assets with excessive gags, but the question is whether he really needed to completely exclude the dignity of a superhero.
This is similar to the disappearance of the main theme of the previous work in Lao 2. Lao 1 was a post-apocalyptic game that emphasized fear and tension with the main theme of ‘survival’. On the other hand, Lao 2 emphasized action with the theme of ‘revenge’.
– Lao 2, who is not nervous at all even looking at the clicker.
It is also similar to Thor: Love and Thunder in that it is also an area of likes and dislikes. Just as it acts as a fun point for those who prefer a light sensibility and gag code, Lao 2’s direction is more attractive to users who like action games rather than horror games.
In addition, there was a feeling that attractive characters such as Too Thor, Mighty Thor, Gor, and Valkyrie were consumed too distractingly. They are very attractive and have their own narratives, but I mightn’t show all of their charms with a limited running time, so I wasn’t focused.
After Firefly’s dissolution, there were too many unknown forces, including Wolfney Scanney, and the characters completely unrelated to the main story took up too much weight, disturbing the immersion and changing the protagonist’s point of view. It was similar to the feeling of Lao 2, which was thrown away and cluttered.
■ Attractive but not overwhelming ‘Gor’ (Abby)
The main villain in Thor: Love and Thunder, played by Christian Bale, was perfect. This is the best point of the movie. In particular, the dialogue and battle in Shadow Realm was a scene that imprinted why Christian Bale is a world-class actor.
Gorgor, who obtained the Necro Sword, boasted such a powerful fighting power that he did not get pushed back in a 3-on-1 battle with Thor, Mighty Thor, and Valkyrie. Other than Hela and Thanos, it was a match once morest Thor, who was not pushed in 1-1.
– Gor (Christian Bale) in Shadow Realm is perfect.
Instead of fighting multiple enemies alone like Thanos, the Shadow Army separated the Valkyrie and the Mighty Thor from Thor to fight.
Of course, he wasn’t absolutely strong like Thanos. He didn’t get pushed back in the fight once morest Thor, but he got a counterattack and, above all, didn’t injure Thor mortally. It was the only effective blow in the movie that he stabbed Thor in the neck with a necrosword.
So, the sense of crisis itself seems to have diminished somewhat. It was a pity that the tension would have increased if it had swept the banquet hall of the gods or showed how to overwhelm Thor in the first battle.
– Abby is threatening Ellie
The combat power was similar to that of Lao 2’s Abby. Abby had excellent fighting power with a muscular body comparable to that of a man, but she was not an absolute villain, such as being caught by a religious group called Seraphite, in danger, or being ambushed by enemies.
It is also common to have a narrative with the main characters. In Gor’s case, he cursed God, so Thor was the same, and Abby’s had a bad feeling for Joel, who killed her parents.
The difference is that while Abby is a villain who has been well-received for enhancing the immersion of the movie she chooses, Abby is a villain who has been criticized for diminishing the immersion of the game. Now, when I look back at Abby, I can feel the disappointment in many aspects such as appearance, personality, and narrative. If only the bones that chose the physique were left bare, Abby, on the other hand, had a strong physique. (except the final battle)
Also, if Abby showed the force that the protagonist Ellie would be able to win if her body was not dwarfed in the final battle, I felt that Thor was unlikely to lose no matter how much he ran.
– Stormbreaker’s heaviness gave a different sense of action.
■ Exciting and cool ‘battle scene’ (action)
It was so good to see the action of ‘Storm Breaker’, which is more dynamic than Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame. Maybe it was because it was an axe, so it had a different heaviness and sharpness than a hammer.
The early battle scene, which properly exudes B-class sensibility, caused laughter, and in the middle part of ‘Omnipotent City’, the scene where you fight the guards of the gods can feel the battle sensibility of the existing Thor series.
And the battle with Gor in the Shadow Realm was magnificent. Due to the nature of the region, all of the battle scenes were processed in black and white, raising the tension even more. Gor looked even more vicious.
However, the final battle scene did not match the reporter’s sensibilities. It’s a scene that boasts of Thor’s power, but the scene where he gives power to the children and the children who receive the power casually fight with the terrifying monsters greatly reduced the immersion.
– Natalie Portman who provided freshness as Mighty Thor.
Other than that, the link attack scene with Mighty Thor, the solo battle scene of Thor and Mighty Thor, and the process of destroying the Necro Sword were pass marks. In particular, I don’t know if it’s because of the bulk-up, but I got to see Natalie Portman once more to the extent that I thought, “Was he an actor who might shoot action scenes like this?”
That said, the combat action isn’t as bad as it gets. Lao 2 was also criticized for its storyline, but it was well-received for its combat action, so it can be said that these two works have in common. In addition to the action, the two works also got a good response in the OST and in the background.
■ How should I take this? ‘Wish’ (End)
One of the biggest reasons this movie was criticized is the ending. No one can deny this. Except for the increasingly childish battle, especially the scene where the children captured by Gor are given the power of thunder to fight, ‘Jane Foster’s sudden move’ and ‘Gor’s sudden change of posture’ can be cited.
During the battle of choosing, she calls Jane Foster ‘Lady Thor’. And when Jane Foster hears that, she rushes forward with three reasons: “My name is Mighty Thor,” “I will forgive Dr. Jane Foster,” and “You died by my hammer.”
The thought, “Why are you so mad at that remark?” kept running through my mind. Of course, Jane Foster may have wanted to be recognized as a warrior rather than a woman. But it was too gentle a word for Gor to say rudely.
Jane Foster had a stronger desire to help Thor, and there was no motivation to die bravely as a warrior. Even in the second viewing, I carefully observed this part, but it was a scene that had no choice but to arouse curiosity as I might not see it at all.
– Jane Foster angry at a point that is difficult to understand
Next is Gor’s attitude change. The Necrosword was destroyed by the Mighty Thor, but Gorgor reached the Eternals. He faced Thor with only his beliefs until the very end of the movie, where he saw the god Lapu, who gave light to his dying self, who gave only light to ridicule and ridicule, and wielded a necrosword with the belief that he would curse and annihilate all gods.
However, when he arrives in front of the Eternals, he suddenly looks at Thor before making one wish: “Destroy all gods.” When he sees Thor running towards the dying Jane Foster, referring to the monstrous Gorga, he suddenly changes his stance.
It’s not a zero-probability development. However, it is a development that requires sufficient time and effort for the audience to form a consensus. Director Taika Waititi overlooked this part. It was necessary to produce a production that sheds light on Gor’s heart, or the good heart of Gor, who was fighting the Necrosword from the inside because the Necro Sword, which strengthens the user’s evil heart, was destroyed.
It wasn’t that Gorga liked God before he picked up the Necro Sword, though. Because the Necrosword only sympathized with the despair and anger it felt from the mocking God. It is true that Gor, who abducts children without such a device, brutally cuts Tika’s neck and throws it in front of him, suddenly makes a wish “I want to see his daughter” and entrusts it to Thor, and the development of her death is unnatural.
– “Why all of a sudden?”
Lao 2’s ending was similar. Ellie, who knew her father while watching Joel’s revenge, suddenly thought of Joel playing the guitar in a situation where she might strangle her to death, and then let her father go. Until now, Joel had been living by eliminating the dangers to her, so she was avenged by Abby, the child of that danger, and Ellie chose forgiveness to break the chain. It should have been carried out by building up a process of looking back, and it was not a sudden development.
Both works lacked ‘probability’, and this shows how important the importance of forming a consensus between the director and the audience for the movie and the developer and the gamer for the game is important in the evaluation of the work.
Wonbin Moon, Reporter at Hankyung.com Game Talk
