Thor: Love and Thunder, a review

I know the latest MCU movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, has received mixed reviews. So I want to set the record straight. I loved it!! Thor was one of my favorites when I started reading Marvel comics, yes, in the sixties. No CGI. Just paper . Drawn by Jack Kirby. Of course written by Stan the Man Lee himself. More recently, I caught Jason Aaron's incredible comic book run where Jane Foster picks up the hammer and becomes Mighty Thor. And of course the movie is loosely based on this run.

In the original stories, Thor had a secret identiy, Dr Don Blake, and Jane was his nurse. He had an ancient cane, and when he struck it to earth he transformed into Thor and the cane into Mjolnir the hammer. In later runs of the comics Jane is upgraded to a Doctor, and in the movies she is a scientist. So there have been changes.

What I liked about the film was it addressed the balance of godhood with having a feeling, human side. At the beginning of the film, Thor is miserable. He exists only for battle, to step in when all seems lost and to bring victory. But he is miserable. In the gap between The Dark World and Ragnarok we missed his breakup with Jane. He has lost his Father and Mother. And he has seen his brother Loki die. So he is traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy seeking adventure to hide from his feelings. Loss. Pain. We have all been in his position.

I know that many feel the humor was overdone in the film. But I have come to welcome Hemsworth's versatility and to admire his touch with comedy. And he succeeds in poking fun at himself through his character and at the whole superhero thing altogether. After all, Thor is not only a superhero, but also a 'god'. And if a god has trouble relating to his feelings, dealing with loss, and having problems with a breakup and rejection, then there is hope for all of us.

I know that sometimes the weapon is a vehicle of transformation. There are the swords of She-ra and He-man. Captain America's shield. Ueshiba used his spear, staff, and sword in his misogi, to in Nadeau sensei's words, shift from Ueshiba the old man into Ueshiba of Aikido. For me standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven would be uniting one's human self with one's God/Goddesshood. Becoming one with the universe in that fashion.

To me the Thunder in the title represents Godhood and power. The love the human feeling side. Without giving anything away Thor chooses Love in a way that balances out his Godhood. Love and Thunder is now streaming on Disney Plus. What do you think?