Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) written and directed by Taika Waititi

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. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) directed by Sam Raimi

 

Even though Morbius the Living Vampire was touted as the the first Marvel Universe horror movie, this movie fits that description much better. Sam Raimi is very restrained in this sequel to Doctor Strange but not completely tied down. Like most marvel films, violence is limited but very much present in this film and the presence of a zombie, scary deathly creatures and the return of the Scarlet Witch (whose performance by Elizabeth Olsen is one of the highlights of the movie) got right into the occult with no looking back on "scientific" explanations for what is happening on screen. 

Like all films form this studio... great effects, cheeky dialogue and a million easter eggs from other films and the comics abound. Sadly, like many of the latest marvel outings this film does not have a self contained story to tell and doesn't even really end. It just keep on going into the post credit sequence and leaves you not waiting for a new adventure but hanging on the one you just saw. 

Oddly the multiverse angle seems more constrained than in the last Spiderman movie which might be a good tactic. There is only so much batshit crazy audiences can deal with. It does have a very jack Kirby inspired monster and the new character America Chavez holds her own with the returning cast members from previous films. Sadly, even her story gets no resolution. 

Fun, visually stunning but in my opinion it's hard t care about movies the don't actually begin or end over the runtime. 

Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) directed by Jon Watts

 

The third film instalment with Tom Holland as the titular Spiderman is, once again another fun, fast moving film. Well, fun is mostly right, this film has a fair amount of pathos and outright tragedy infused into it. To avoid spoilers on a fairly new film I won't got too deep into that but this movie does change the lightness that has been a trademark of the first two film into something that gives the character more depth and actually brings him closer to the the tone of other Spiderman incarnations that focused on his guilt and loneliness as a superhero. 

Peter parker was exposed as the superhero in the last movie which has caused all sorts of trouble and he asks Dr Strange to cast a spell to make the world forget who Spiderman is and it goes terribly wrong, opening a rift in the multiverse which brings in not only 2 other Spidermans but villain from movies from other studios.  It's brilliantly done! The previous actors playing the crusader reprise their roles and while it has great comic effect it also give them a chance to bring the Holland's version in line with theirs... the three are connected by tragedy and they each help the other to learn to live with it. 

Classic villain played by the original actors bring nostalgia but also add a certain heaviness to the film I didn't expect. They go beyond fan service and are essential to the story.