Thor: Love & ThunderIs Marvel's Biggest “Dads Rock” Movie Ever

Many — arguably evenmost— movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universehave been about dads.Iron Man’s relationship with his dad is a central part of the first-ever MCU film, Ant-Man is a good father, Thanos is a bad one, Star-Lord’s dad was an evil planet and his father figure was a space pirate, etc. But, while many MCU movies are dad-heavy,Thor: Love & Thunderis the first movie in the franchise that’s about dads rocking… and also dad rock. Here’s why it’s great, even if it’s not the greatest Marvel movie ever.No major spoilers ahead.

In retrospect, the use of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O' Mine”in trailers for the film, which opens in theaters this Friday, July 8, should’ve been an early tipoff. Then again, Axl Rose wrote that song about his then-girlfriend, so it’s also a fitting score for the rekindling romance between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Nathalie Portman, returning to the franchise for the first time since 2013’sThor: The Dark World).

Thor and Jane have a complicated relationship in the film. At the start of the movie, Thor is still cruising with the Guardians of the Galaxy, having joined up with the MCU’s premiere space team at the end of Avengers: Endgame. He leaves them after a fun action sequence because he’s searching for something more in his life — something to love. Also, there’s a fellow known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) who is killing gods, and Thor probably should look into that. While on the case, Thor discovered that Jane, his ex-girlfriend who he’s still pinning over, now wields his old hammer Mjölnir and has all of his powers.

The dynamic between the two doesn’tquiteget to the point where it’s fair to callLove & Thunderthe MCU’s first rom-com, but it’s pretty damn close. Hemsworth is a gifted comedic actor, and he’s gotten a chance to showcase that inThor: Ragnarokand the laterAvengersmovies. Portman did not get a chance to let her own comedic cops loose in the first twoThor电影,but she more than makes up for it inLove & Thunder.The two have earnest, awkward chemistry, and it’s a hoot to see two godly beings dealing with petty breakup drama and big feelings.

整部电影中,对使用幽默up their own emotions about what could have been. While that’s extremely relatable and also makes for plenty of funny moments, it also is demonstrative ofLove and Thunder’sbiggest shortcoming. Sometimes, it’s tryingtoohard to be funny, and that’s masking some of the other emotions the movie could be playing with. While Taika Waititi’sRagnarokwas an unexpected revelation,Love and Thundercan’t help but feel like it’s attempting to manufacture the same vibes. The movie comes close to recapturing the magic at times (a recurring, delightfully stupid bit with screaming goats kills), but the forced humor kneecaps the stakes, a bit. In short,Ragnarokis probably still a slightly better film, even ifLove & Thunderis a bit more fun.

As a result, the drama sometimes feels disconnected or out of place compared to what a fun time our heroes are having. For example, despite being a “fun” movie,Love & Thunderopens with a massive bummer, in which a child starves to death. It’s heavy stuff that doesn’t quite jibe with the rest of the movie’s banter and partying.

That bummer opening represents the dark side of the movie and the grimmest aspect of the fatherhood vibes. It’s the incident that prompts villain Gorr (who Bale plays with a charmingly unhinged drive) to essentially create the plot of the movie. Saying more would be a spoiler.

And yet, though,Love & Thunderare making it clear that fatherly love is as much a driving force in the film as romantic love, for all of Jane and Thor’s flirting. That extends beyond mere plot points, though. All ofLove & Thunderhas a specific sort ofdadvibe. It’s about finding love, being loved, and having a sense of purpose — three things that dads know about. It’s about telling unabashedly corny jokes. And, it’s about some extremely dad rock needle drops, mostly from Guns N’ Roses. If theIron Manfilms made the case that AC/DC was the official band of Tony Stark,Love & Thundermakes it clear GNR is all about the God of Thunder.

And this single point is actually the best way to understandThor: Love & Thunder. TheIron Manmovies made us love AC/DC again, perhaps in a way we never expected.Love & Thundermakes GNR’s “Paradise City,” a wild revelation all over again. It’s not like weneedMarvel to curate our classic rock playlists per se. ButLove & Thunder’svalidation of the “dad rock” mentality isn’t just fun. It’s generous, escapist, and best of all, validating.

Thor: Love & Thunderhits theaters everywhere on July 7, 2022.