Home Video Review: Thor: Love and Thunder

Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder is now available digitally and various disc formats.   In this film Thor sets off on a cosmic adventure to stop Gorr the God Butcher who is seeking the extinction of the gods.   He is joined by King Valkyrie, Korg and Mighty Thor on his quest.   The film is directed by Taika Waititi who also directed Thor: Ragnarok.   For more on the film here is Maggie’s review from the theatrical release.

This initial home video offering includes an assortment of disc formats and digital release choices.  Bonus features can vary based on the offering, but the core set is about a half dozen features in familiar categories – featurettes, commentary, deleted scenes and a gag reel.  For more on the technical specifications of this home video offering, here is the original press release.

I was sent the Blu-ray/Digital Code package to review.  Here are the bonus features that were included:

• Hammer-worthy: Thor and The Mighty Thor (5:36) – Traditional featurette showcasing Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman’s talking about their roles in the film and the preparations for it.
• Shaping a Villain (6:11) – A look at Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. How he came to take on the role and shape it into the character we see on the screen.
• Another Classic Taika Adventure (7:53) – A look at Taika Waititi’s impact on the Thor franchise and how he reinvented the character.
• Gag Reel (2:45) – A traditional gag reel from the set.
• Audio Commentary – A full length commentary of the film by Taika Waititi who was the director and writer for it.   Taika being himself and talking as you watch the film with him.
• Deleted Scenes (7:45) – Four scenes (Looking for Zeus, Wasting Time, A Safe Vacation, Fighting For You) that did not make the final cut.

This initial release includes about 30 minutes of bonus features and a full length audio commentary track.  This is about average for a modern release and none of the features really stood out to me or offered an in depth look at the creation of the film.  The three featurettes seemed to just scratch the surface of their subjects.  The deleted scenes just play back to back with no commentary or introduction.  I thought they missed an opportunity to talk more about some of the unique creation aspects of this film and share some of the production insights.  The 56 minute long Marvel Studios Assembled The Making of Thor Love and Thunder on Disney+ touches on these subjects such as the use of the volume which I found more interesting.

If you have seen the Marvel Studios Assembled show on Disney+ you have seen most of the three traditional featurettes included in this offering.  The Gag Reel, Audio Commentary and deleted scenes are unique to this offering.  If these bonus features are high on your priority list you will find the home video versions worth considering to add to your library. If you subscribe to Disney+ and those do not interest you and/or you do not want a physical copy of the film then you may be disappointed by this offering.