Critics Say Chris Hemsworth 'Dials Up The Ham' In 'Thor: Love and Thunder'

On Friday, “Thor: Love and Thunder” finally hit theaters.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, and even Taika Waititi himself as Kong.

The synopsis for the film reads:

“Thor embarks on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced -- a quest for inner peace. However, his retirement gets interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods.”

But is the movie everything that fans and critics expected it to be?

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a critic rating of 68% and an audience score of 85%.

Most of the critics gave the film positive reviews.

Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com wrote, “The new, fun Thor probably drives comic book enthusiasts crazy, but he does marvelously on the big screen, with Waititi understanding the bigness of the character, the colorfulness of his world, and the universal feeling of his uncertainty.”

Jeff Nelson of Showbiz Cheat Sheet called the film “a pop-rock visual extravaganza told through a series of legends that plays right off the Ragnarok chord.”

Carla Hay of Culture Mix wrote, “Thor: Love and Thunder could also be called Thor: Grief and Comedy, because how of this superhero movie sequel balances these two themes with some results that are better than others. The movie goes big on showing bittersweet romance and true friendships.”

Jana Monji of Age of the Week wrote, “This is by far the best Thor film from the MCU yet, even without Loki. Waititi has blended screwball comedy with big action scenes and deftly balances the humor with the emotional content. Even Thor's weapons become characters in this film about love.”

Fico Cangiano of CineXpress wrote, “Love and Thunder is pure rock 'n' roll adventure fun. Hilarious quite often, dark in some instances, and surprisingly emotional as well. That said, overall story and tone aren't as sharp as Ragnarok.”

Although it did earn some positive reviews, the big-budget blockbuster failed to sway all critics.

David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote, “A collision of competing tones, subplots, conceptual big swings and chaos masquerading as pathos, this new addition to the Asgardian-gods-and-monsters corner of Marvel Cinematic Universe is a holy mess.”

Emma Stefansky of Thrillist wrote, “Love and Thunder is badly paced, green-screened into oblivion, and the constant dribble of jokes and jabs undercuts any attempt at plotting an emotional arc.”

Nate Adams of The Only Critic wrote, “Not even Russell Crowe’s campy version of Zeus raving about space orgies, a running gag involving screaming goats, and a pride-inclusive subplot can elevate a half-baked character piece where the sitcom-style humor runs afoul quickly.”

Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail wrote, “Ragnarok may have anointed Waititi as the MCU’s eccentric cinematic savior, but the sequel only reveals the crushing reality of toiling in the superhero factory: bigger, bloat-ier, and bwah-wah-wah-wah-ier, in that Guns N’ Roses way.”

Dan Tabor of Cinapse wrote, “Thor: Love and Thunder is okay at best, not really offering much by way of story or character development for Thor or the MCU. Hemsworth dials up the ham and dials down the drama for a film that once again makes Thor the least interesting Avenger.”

Considering how many Marvel fans were critical of the “Hawkeye” Disney+ series, that’s clearly saying something! It’s unclear when “Thor: Love and Thunder” will eventually hit the streaming service, but until then, fans will just have to head to a theater to watch “Thor: Love and Thunder” and draw their own conclusions!