Taika Waititi is an odd choice for a Marvel Universe superstar but this and his last Thor film has elevated the series with its quirky humour and fun.
Following a lead from the comics this film has Thor discovering that his ex girlfriend is now also a Thor and the two awkwardly rekindle their romance. As in the comic, she has been diagnosed with cancer and each time she uses the mighty hammer it hastens here death. Natalie Portman reprises the role, having skipped the second film and is pretty damn good. So is everyone else and I had to be told that Gorr the God Butcher, the piece's villain, was Christian bale. I had no idea.
As light and action packed as this movie is, it stands out to me for a reason we often don't see in this ginormous blockbusters. Whenever a serious or emotionally poignant scene comes up there is always a quip to knock it out of the film and be forgotten about. Not this time. Waititi does not skimp on the feelings or hide them when talking about the cancer. It's not overdone or thrown in to make yu cry but it does ground the film like no other marvel spectacular and it's all the better for it.
Funny, touching where it needs to be and full of fun performances makes me look forward to the third.
