Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Direction: Taika Waititi
Country: USA 

After directing Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 with appreciable creativity, New Zealander director Taika Waititi plunges the God of Thunder into a synthetic puppet circus that, being as heavy-handed as downright silly, never finds an emotional center amidst the chaos. Waititi, who garnered hearty acclaim for works like What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), doesn’t know what to make with this super-talkative Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a totally devitalized superhero overshadowed by the mighty presence of Gorr (exemplarily performed by the amazing Christian Bale), a galactic anti-god killer. Prosthetic artist Adam Johansen did a wonderful job with the characterization of the villain, particularly noticeable with the black-and-white images. 

To defeat Gorr, Thor turns to the indifferent, moody Zeus (Russell Crowe) and surprisingly teams up with his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who inherits all his powers and his former hammer. Tons of fireworks adorn this concoction of fragments from other movies - Avatar, Star Wars, Mad Max, and even Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. With a narrative that jolts rather than compels, the film tries to go everywhere but ends nowhere. It tells a story with no head and tail, fully packed with shabby dialogue and romantic mush. The absence of good laughs is also overwhelming, making it one of the weakest Marvel flicks ever. 

This Thor flick is the compendium of all things that should not be done when it comes to superhero movies. And the ludicrous parody keeps rolling at the sound of Guns N’ Roses’ powerful hits.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Direction: Taika Waititi
Country: New Zealand / USA

Two years after the colorful superhero adventure that was Thor: Ragnarok, New Zealander director Taika Waititi demonstrates that his comedic voice (What We Do in the Shadows; Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is pretty intact in Jojo Rabbit, a rousing and zany satire set in the 1940’s Nazi Germany that is dividing filmgoers.

The plot centers on the 10-year-old Johannes Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) a.k.a. Jojo Rabbit, a little Nazi boy whose fanaticism for Hitler’s cause diminishes considerably after getting to know Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish refugee who was sheltered by his pacifist, self-assertive mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson).

When not filling his notebook with the Jews' common features and behaviors, Jojo is whether dialoguing with the silly, occasionally irascible imaginary figure of Adolf Hitler (Waititi himself), or training to go to war under the orders of the opaque one-eyed Captain K. (Sam Rockwell), the officer in charge of the Hitler youth group.

Nutty and mischievous, but also sweet and enchanting, Jojo Rabbit is pure fun and entertainment from minute one, which is clearly the only goal of the filmmaker. There are plenty of gags and laughable situations counterpointing the unfunny marks of war presented in some crushing scenes that no kid should ever have to witness or participate in.

It is exactly through the contrast between humor and poignancy, innocence and immorality, human values and an unacceptable iniquity, absurdity and seriousness that Waititi succeeds in his efforts to parody the Nazi doctrine. Who didn't think about Tarantino’s Glorious Basterds and Chaplin’s The Great Dictator?

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Directed by Taika Waititi
Country: USA

I’ve always thought that the most successful action-packed Marvel flicks were those brought up with a strong sense of humor. Thus, no one better than the New Zealander sensation Taika Waititi, director of gems like “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt For the Wilderpeople”, to tackle “Thor: Ragnarok” with equal doses of energy and folly.
 
This fanciful parody, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney, is not suitable for kids, embracing wild action scenes inflamed with vertiginous special effects.
 
Whether by land or air, the battles are numerous, fantasized with plenty of variety to satisfy the action genre aficionados.
 
The screenplay is a product from the mind of three comic book writers/enthusiasts: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost, who besides formulating a fun story flooded with better-than-serious, vibrant characters, were also able to infuse a cutting humor that ranges from stupefying deadpan to corrosively sarcastic.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the god of thunder, even deprived of his precious hammer, will join forces with other mighty warriors - his longtime friend Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and his artful brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) - to save the Asgard people from the ambitious, powerful, and malevolent goddess of death, Hela (Cate Blanchett). Eccentrically, the latter happens to be Thor’s sister, recently returned from the exile after the death of their father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins).

Before the final confrontation, set ablaze by the presence of the fire demon Surfur, Thor becomes trapped in a garbage planet ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), a sadistic loony that dominates everyone through a controlling chip implanted on their neck.

Waititi makes a proper use of the technology available to create an enormous visual spectacle on several scenes. The highlight is a ravaging fight between Thor and Hulk who, completely out of control, didn't recognize the Avengers teammate. 
I know! By now you must be thinking you really have to watch this, right? But there's more! 

There is lots of space for silliness here, yet “Thor: Ragnarok” is one of the most absorbing, even unpretentious Marvel-based films in years, and that’s because Waititi, in a bold move, did not take it too seriously. He just needed Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” fueling the furious, heroic confrontations and Cate Blanchett, who was absolutely marvelous in her evil role.
Have a ‘Thor-o-ly’ fun matinée!