Thor: Love and Thunder Parent Guide
For all its surreal humor and well-designed action, this movie lacks the lighthearted fun of its predecessor.
Parent Movie Review
Since killing Thanos and saving the universe as we know it, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been flying around space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, solving smaller scale problems and meditating on his life. But when he and the Guardians come across evidence of a man called Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who is possessed of the Necrosword (which is capable dispatching deities), Thor sends the Guardians to look out for the other gods and heads home to Asgard to protect what remains of his people. There, while fighting Gorr and his shadow-creatures, Thor is saved by an unlikely ally: The Mighty Thor!
This surprising new hero turns out to be Thor’s ex-girlfriend, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), for whom the shards of Mjolnir have reforged themselves and endowed her with godlike powers. She needs those powers more than most – Jane has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, and she’s hoping that the power of the hammer can cure her. Even the combined powers of Thor, Jane, and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) aren’t enough to stop Gorr, and he absconds into deep space, stealing the children of Asgard on his way out. The three heroes will need even more help if they want to save both the children and the gods of the universe…and they’ll have to move fast.
Much as I love Taika Waititi, I think this film suffers in comparison to Thor: Ragnarok. Maybe I’m biased because I loved Jeff Goldblum in Ragnarok so much, but Love and Thunder is, for all its surreal humor and well-designed action, a far more serious film than its predecessor, and it does suck out some of the lighthearted fun. While Christian Bale gives a compelling performance as a villain with the coolest title in the MCU, the film’s focus on death, love, and loss casts a hefty shadow on the otherwise light banter, colorful costumes, and a pair of giant screaming goats. (No, I’m not kidding about the goats.) That said, this is by no means a bad film. It’s still one of the better films in the MCU, not least because it knows that a fun action movie shouldn’t be over two hours long.
The movie’s darker tone is something that parents will want to keep in mind. Although violent content is broadly comparable to other Marvel films, it’s quite a scary film for younger viewers. Gorr’s favorite party trick involves spreading shadows and conjuring horrifying monsters out of them, which would have given me nightmares for approximately a decade when I was a little kid. For teens, however, this is going to be a fun, if occasionally somber, romp around the galaxy with the blond, heavily muscled God of Thunder – and the (sometimes) blonde, well-toned other God of Thunder.
Directed by Taika Waititi. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Karen Gillan, Taika Waititi, Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Christian Bale. Running time: 133 minutes. Theatrical release July 8, 2022. Updated January 12, 2024Watch the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder
Rating & Content Info
Why is Thor: Love and Thunder rated PG-13? Thor: Love and Thunder is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language, some suggestive material and partial nudity
Violence: There are frequent scenes of combat, some involving kicking and punching’ others melee weapons, futuristic laser guns, and magical weapons. An individual is seen with a missing arm. A child dies of an unspecified illness. A man stabs a god’s neck. A scene includes a jet of golden blood. Creatures are dismembered. A scene shows the aftereffects of gods being lynched. A monster’s head is ripped off and thrown at children. A superhero is shown with an eye missing. Children are kidnapped at night by monsters and are held by a villain who threatens to decapitate them. A character has terminal cancer and this causes scenes of emotional upset. There are jump scares. The frightening scenes are leavened with comedy.
Sexual Content: Couples are occasionally seen kissing. A man is briefly seen nude from behind. Rock creatures are seen engaged in mating, which seems to consist of holding hands over some lava for a month. Comments are made about a man’s genitals, which are visible to the other characters but not on screen. There is a comic reference to orgies. Slang terms are used for sexual intercourse.
Profanity: There are ten uses of scatological profanity, and infrequent uses of mild curses and terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are seen drinking.
Page last updated January 12, 2024
Thor: Love and Thunder Parents' Guide
Thor’s films typically have themes surrounding worthiness and honor. How are those themes addressed in this film? How does Thor handle the realization that he is not the only person qualified to be the God of Thunder? How does that effect his other relationships?
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Adult fans of this less mystical approach to mythical deities will enjoy Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and its offshoot, Anansi Boys. Gaiman specifically focused on Norse legends in Norse Mythology¸ which is a retelling of classical Norse stories.
Home Video
Related home video titles:
Fans of the God of Thunder will obviously want to watch Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok, as well as Avengers films like The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Marvel’s other recent offerings include Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.