As the review embargo lifts for Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder, reviews are starting to arrive and the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating has been revealed.

The previous film in the franchise, Thor: Ragnarok, rated the highest of any Thor film on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 93% “Certified Fresh” rating. With Taika Waititi returning to the series with Love and Thunder, many will be wondering whether the director can work his magic a second time.

While the film’s rating is likely to change as more reviews are added, this initial score should provide a rough picture of what to expect from Thor: Love and Thunder‘s critical reception.

Ragnarok: A Tough Act To Follow

Currently, with 81 reviews shared so far, Thor: Love and Thunder is sitting at a “Fresh” 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. While this is a respectable rating, it’s obviously a bit of a drop from 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.

2011’s Thor has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 77%, while 2013’s Thor: The Dark World is at 66%. This makes Love and Thunder the third-highest rated film in the series, only beating out the much maligned The Dark World.

Given the warm reception to Taika Waititi’s work on Thor: Ragnarok, which saw the franchise soar to new heights, it’s surprising to see the latest entry in the series rank lower than 2011’s Thor. Most critics seem to agree on the strong performances of the film’s stars, but feel it fails to capture the energy and originality of Ragnarok.

Of course, the opinions of critics don’t necessarily reflect the views of fans. When Thor: Love and Thunder is released to the general public later this week, a clearer picture may emerge of reactions to the film. Our own review of the film called it “one of the better MCU entries of not just Phase 4, but of any Phase.”

Here is the synopsis for Thor: Love and Thunder:

The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

Directed by Taika Waititi and produced by Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum, the upcoming Thor sequel stars Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Jaimie Alexander, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.

Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the film and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes