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a14 people & arts
Thursday 7 July 2022
Review: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is

pure bonkers filmmaking

This image released by Marvel Studios shows Natalie Portman, left, and Chris Hemsworth in a
scene from "Thor: Love and Thunder."
Associated Press
By MARK KENNEDY metal armaments. Film scholar Jacqueline Stewart arrives at the
AP Entertainment Writer Our villain this time is superb: Christian Bale BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 26, 2022.
The last full Thor movie was the overstuffed plays the deliciously named Gorr the God Associated Press
2017 "Thor: Ragnarok," with the God of Butcher. A once-pious man who prayed
Thunder dealing with dueling brother and in vain to the deities, he has now decided Jacqueline Stewart to
sister issues, the imminent destruction of his to wipe them out after having a personal
planet, a boozy sidekick, a huge dog, pal setback. Bale is so creepy and so commit- lead Academy Museum
Hulk having a panic attack and the death ted that you can feel his hatred melt your
of his father. popcorn. "The gods will use you but they of Motion Pictures
It was Taika Waititi filmmaking at its most will not help you," he snarls.
intense, with slo-mo sauntering, stupid ant- Another punch of the bizarre comes from By LINDSEY BAHR
lered headdresses, slicing swords and laser Russell Crowe, who plays Zeus as a vain- AP Film Writer
cannons, capes and undead soldiers, a glorious tyrant with a Roman outfit (a riff off Film scholar Jacqueline Stewart has been named the
hair-cropped Thor, a typically unbalanced "Gladiator"?) and an atrocious Mediterra- next director and president of the Academy Museum
Jeff Goldblum character, a prophecy, nean accent. He is surrounded by lackeys of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
alien spacecrafts and lots of Led Zeppelin. — some called Zeusettes — and frustrates The organization's board of trustees said Wednesday
If you thought that was bananas filmmak- Thor, even stripping him of his clothes, to that Stewart, who previously served as the museum's
ing, its sequel is the whole fruit basket. the delight of many in the audience. "You chief artistic and programming officer, would suc-
"Thor: Love and Thunder" — a rare Marvel know what they say: Never meet your he- ceed Bill Kramer to guide the vision of the museum
fourth installment for one character — has roes," says the Viking. beginning July 18.
giant bleating goats, a horrible Zeus, chil- The whipsaw from death and suffering to "Jacqueline Stewart is the ideal choice to lead the
dren in cages, space dolphins, Jodie Fos- idiocy is staggering, with Jennifer Kaytin Academy Museum into the future," said Ted Saran-
ter jokes, teddy bears with laser eyes, an Robinson credited alongside Waititi for a dos, the chair of the Academy Museum's Board of
Old Spice commercial parody, Natalie script that seems like it was pasted togeth- Trustees and co-CEO of Netflix. "A strong and inspiring
Portman headbutting a villain, blue aliens er after gerbils ripped up a bag of words. partner to Bill Kramer throughout the period leading
and lots of Guns N' Roses. You go from a hospital room on Earth deal- up to our opening, she gave indispensable direction
Waititi is back as the co-writer, director ing with a terminal illness to Thor dressed as to the curatorial program that has been so widely
and the voice for the stony Korg, with a hot dog to a shadow realm in low gravity admired."
Chris Hemsworth as our space Viking, a where the film goes completely black and Kramer last week was named as the new CEO for the
man who really needs to get more credit white. There is very little logic and the con- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the
for taking Thor over the years from glum nections between scenes are tenuous, organization that puts on the Oscars.
to hysterical. His ability to pronounce su- giving the film a feeling of not building to Stewart is a Chicago native and a 2021 MacArthur
perhero things dramatically and then be- anything clear. Foundation Fellow known for her contributions to film
come a goofball is endlessly endearing. Peak lunacy is reached at the Omnipo- studies and advocacy for film preservation. Among
Also back are Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie tence City, where the universe's gods hang her many accomplishments, Stewart is the author
and Jaimie Alexander's Sif. out. There is the Aztec God, various Maori of the book "Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and
One problematic character back is Jane Goddesses, the Mayan God and a round Black Urban Modernity," hosts "Silent Sunday Nights"
Foster, Thor's ex whom he still pines for eight dough called Bao, God of Dumplings. It's a on Turner Classic Movies and is a chair of the National
years after they broke up and she skipped gag that seems out of a Mel Brooks film but Film Preservation Board.
the third film. But now Foster — played by the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe is In her previous role at the Academy Museum, she led
Portman — has his old magical hammer, going, don't be surprised to see the 47th in- strategy and planning for its curatorial, educational
Mjolnir, and has become a superhero of stallment called "Bao: Steam and Sauce." and public programming initiatives from exhibitions
her own, the Mighty Thor. She's working on The film is stacked with cameos — many of to screenings to podcasts. The museum opened last
a catchphrase, like "Eat this hammer!" which critics aren't permitted to reveal — year and will celebrate its first anniversary in Septem-
Thor, of course, has moved on — not with but look for Hemsworth's real-life wife and ber.
his romantic feelings, but with his favored one of his sons, a bunch of fed-up Guard- "Our ambition in opening the Academy Museum was
weaponry. He wields the enchanted axe ians of the Galaxy and a pretty famous to give Los Angeles and the world an unprecedent-
Stormbreaker now. He has no eyes for comedienne playing Cate Blanchett's role ed institution for understanding and appreciating the
Mjolnir — or does he? "We good? I know from "Ragnarok." history and culture of cinema, in all its artistic glory
it's a little weird having my ex-weapon What to make of this glorious, intergalac- and all its power to influence and reflect society,"
around," he asks his axe in a deliciously tic mess? There is no better answer than Stewart said in a statement. "I feel deeply honored to
loony scene, basically reflecting a love to swipe one of our hero's catchphrases: have been chosen for this new role."q
triangle between a Norse god and two "What a classic Thor adventure, Hurrah!"q