YNOT at the Movies

Summer used to be the season when blockbusters, especially the Marvel superhero movies, come out in droves. But now, these Marvel flicks come out in almost every season, like they are constantly dripping from a meat grinding machine and they all look pretty much the same. It's a meaningless exercise if you try to figure out which character is which and from where, because time and again, the characters are simply ground into a sausage through the gigantic production line involving all major studios.

But the latest addition to this sausage production line does have some interesting flavor in it. The New Zealand director Taika Waititi adds tongue-in-cheek style humor to "Thor: Love and Thunder" (USA 2022 | 125 min.) and makes you laugh while tasting the Marvel brand sausage.

In the story's universe, there are many Gods. Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale), is the first God to show up in the film, with his dying daughter in his arms. He turns his loss into rage and vows to kill all Gods.

When Gorr's army terrifies a fishing village in Asgard, the muscled hunk Thor, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), comes to the rescue with his trademark hammer. During the battle, he reunites with the Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman), aka Jane Foster in human life who battles stage four cancer.

In order to get to Thor, Gorr kidnaps a group of young children and put them into a cage, because Gorr knows Thor will come to save them. Sure enough, teaming up with King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Kong (Taika Waititi), they board a boat pulled on a rainbow path by two goats who won't stop screaming hilariously. Before they can save the children, they stop at a glorious Golden Temple of the Gods asking for more help from Zeus (Russell Crowe). Instead of Thor getting some help, we get plenty of laughter.

Of course, everyone can predict that they will bring the children home and you can wait for the next Marvel meat grinder to deliver another pack of sausages.

Obviously, the director Taika Waititi had as much fun making the film as we did watching it. He doesn't seem to take these Marvel characters seriously, and why should he? He made them mocking themselves and delivered pure comedy. He doesn't care if you get the story about which God kills which, but he wants to make sure you have a good time laughing during the movie.

The two goats pulling the boat steal the scene every time when they make a sound. Their amusingly raucous screams deserve an Academy Award in sound effect. And the funniest performance should be awarded to Russell Crowe in a stylish skirt for playing the God Zeus who is obsessed with orgy. Other Taika Waititi style tongue-in-cheek jokes are all over the place in the film. I applaud Matt Damon's bravery for wearing a mesmerizing wig with a straight face, and I am still wondering with a smile about why King Valkyrie wears a shirt bought in a gift shop of the musical Phantom of the Opera.

Even though Marvel's sausage making might not be a brain health food, at least this batch is tasty.

"Thor: Love and Thunder" opens on Friday, July 8, 2022.