In Theatres: Thor: Love & Thunder (2022)

 If the last couple of "Avengers" movies have shown us anything, it's that Marvel Studios decided that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) needed to have a personality change. As a result, once he was stranded on Earth, Thor turned into an Asgardian version of Jeff Bridges' "Big Lebowski".

However, as the 4th Thor solo film, "Love & Thunder", opens, Thor is back to fighting trim. Good news.

Much of the plot is lifted from Jason Aaron's storyline a few years back that had Thor's ex, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), take up the mantle of Thor, including the hammer Mjolnir, while Thor himself has Stormbringer, an axe that in the books was given to a mortal, Eric Masterson, aka Thunderstrike, back in the 90's. Stormbringer gets its name from the works of Michael Moorcock.

Anyway, Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale under a ton of makeup), the last of his race, is out to end the Asgardians who've settled on Earth. The Thors have a problem with that.

As with Hawkeye, there's some cheesy dinner theatre silliness carried over from an earlier movie, as a New Asgardian company (Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth, Melissa McCarthy) attempts to entertain the masses. Apparently, their budget is in a box of shoestrings.

Check the trailer:

Given the presence of the Guardians of The Galaxy early on, there's also a soundtrack rife with 80's music from Dio and Guns 'n' Roses, plus GNR's 1991 epic, "November Rain". Also, Heimdall's son has named himself after GNR singer W. Axl Rose. Ok. We also get Russell Crowe chewing up scenery as Zeus, complete with Greek accent.

Rating: B-.