ROAD TO INFINITY WAR:
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Film Review
Stuck between a Ragnarok and a hard place, Thor must find a way to save Asgard and his franchise from annihilation
I remember watching the first Thor film and being pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t absolute crap. I never got around to watching the second but from what I’ve heard… I’m not missing out on much!
Thor: The Dark World is currently the worst ranked film of the whole MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) sitting at 66% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Marvel was hoping for a change in Thor-tune this time around and all… my… God of Thunder did they get it, because Thor: Ragnarok has finally landed and it Thor-ken Ragna-ROCKS!!!
It seems like the third time really is a charm for this underper-Thor-ming franchise. Some are even calling it THE BEST MCU FILM EVER… and they’d be WRONG!!!
Hey, it’s still a good film… but not the best one ever. I remember when I was a dumb kid leaving every cinema shouting, “THAT’S THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!!” I don’t do that anymore… mainly because no one cares what I think!
However, I would say it’s the funniest film from the studio yet.
That’s not surprising; you don’t hire the guy responsible for such comedies as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and expect a profound meditation on the superhuman condition.
But enough with the Thor-play, you’re probably wondering what it’s all about so…
The Story
It begins with Thor fighting some fire demon, there’s a family reunion, a quick Doctor Strange cameo and we get to meet the villain of the piece, Hela the Goddess of Death, who’s Hela-bent on winning Asgard’s Game of Thrones.
Before you know it, Thor’s sent spiralling halfway across the galaxy landing on Sakaar, a WALL-E inspired trash planet, covered mostly in One Direction CDs and other useless junk…
The God of Thunder is immediately captured and brought before the ruler of the wasteland, a Celestial known as the Grandmaster. Meanwhile, all Hela is breaking loose on Asgard. Thor’s lost his hair, his hammer and now his freedom.
To win it back, he must go hammer and tongs against a rampaging Hulk in the most anticipated battle of the brutes since Floyd took on McGregor! Only this time, you can understand what they’re saying!
Unbeknown to the Grandmaster, the two have met before and decide to go on a buddy road trip together. Along for the ride is Thor’s sometimes good, but mostly evil brother Loki and the embittered Valkyrie…
Thor’s new team, an Avengers knockoff titled the Revengers, must get back to Asgard in time to stop Hela and prevent the upcoming Ragnarok, the end of everything and the start of something new.
Think of it as the Asgardian version of the Big Bang. Not to be confused with the TV show… even the Goddess of Death would never condone such cruelty…
The Thor-cast is good
In interviews leading up to Ragnarok’s release, Chris Hemsworth, the star of the film, admits to being fed up with playing the character and wanting to try something different. Marvel answered the call by hiring a comedian to direct.
The result is a Thor who’s not only the butt of most jokes, but can also dish them out. As usual, the humour comes from Thor’s greatest opponent… his ego. And it constantly gets Hulk smashed for a laugh.
Hemsworth has really come to embody the role, not only physically but also in spirit. It’s perfect casting… like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Jackie Chan as The Foreigner…
What makes Hemsworth’s portrayal work is how endearing he can be. He reminds me of the lovable school jock, the Johnny Bravo of the Avengers, with a heart of gold.
He’s also got a bit of that spoilt, rich prince about him. Which is understandable. When you get told every day since birth that you’re destined to rule the Nine Realms, you’re bound to develop a complex…
On the subject of bad tempers…
Mark Ruffalo is back as the mild mannered Bruce Banner and his enraged alter ego the Hulk, now with talking parts! Yes, the Hulk’s finally got a grasp of the English language, although he’s still a little green around the edges.
The bromance that blossoms between the two leads is something to behold. I can watch them bicker for hours and hours over which one is stronger. I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z so I’m kind of used to it…
Ruffalo has the Incredible task of playing up Banner’s science credentials when he’s not the Hulk, and behaving like an angry, 8-foot toddler when he is! The personas couldn’t be any further apart yet Ruffalo somehow pulls it off.
Sadly, a new standalone Hulk film “will never happen” according to Ruffalo because Universal, who owns the rights, “doesn’t want to make money.” Which is no way to run a business and means we’ll never get to see that coming of rage story.
Tom Hiddleston returns as the duplicitous God of Mischief, Loki, in a low-key role but a good one nonetheless. The chemistry between him and his brother Thor is better than anything you’ll find on The Bachelorette.
By far Hiddleston’s best asset is that he does face acting real good. In particular, the first time he lays eyes on the Hulk since getting the crap beaten out of him in the first Avengers film. That alone is worth the price of admission.
The Trickster God’s arguably the best villain of the whole MCU, but we may have a new contender…
Cate Blanchett looks like she’s having a Hela of a good time playing the MCU’s first major female villain.
You get the feeling she’s been dying for an opportunity to let her hair down, jet-black this instance. Whatever shade of evil she’s wearing, it sure looks good on her.
It’s a far cry from her days playing the virtuous and impossibly white Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings franchise. This time she’s ditched the pointy ears for a mangled garden rake…
It’s a flamboyant performance from the highly acclaimed Aussie actress who struts around in a skin hugging dominatrix outfit that’s quite fitting for a queen whose only demand is that you get on your knees.
Tessa Thompson plays Valkyrie, an ex-soldier with a chip on her shoulder and one of the most badass heroines to ever grace a Marvel flick. She’s Asgard’s answer to Yara Greyjoy from Game of Thrones. Just look at that swag…
Thompson’s beer-swigging antics almost steal the show. It completely overshadows a pretty Thor-gettable performance by Keith… Karl Urban as the Executioner.
But of all the crazy creatures thrown at us, including one enormous pooch, the most over the top has to be Jeff Goldlum as the Grandmaster, equipped with blue chin-stripe and an amazing technicolour dream coat…
The script calls for an actor who can play an out of this world deity, who has a penchant for theatre, and happens to be immortal. In other words, Goldlum just plays himself… no method acting required!
But the real star of the film is none other than the director himself… Taika Waititi. His signature Kiwi humour is all over this film, especially when he’s voicing the walking rock formation known as Korg, who gets all the best lines…
Some technical stuff
The sound in Ragnarok is pumping. There’s a sweet 80’s synth score that pulsates throughout the film like something you’d hear on Stranger Things. Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song is also used to great effect.
While there are elements from retro video games on display, the costumes and set designs draw the bulk of their inspiration from legendary comic book artist, Jack Kirby…
It all comes together to form a rich, Sci-fi fantasy world, ripped straight out of comic book pages and built in Nintendo’s honour.
The CGI is all top-notch too and what you’d expect from a big budget movie of this calibre. However, there was one scene in Norway that stuck out for having the kind of sloppy green screen usually reserved for weather reports.
Conclusion
Thor: Ragnarok is a fun, quirky adventure that offers a well-balanced mix of self-mocking humour, solid performances and big action set pieces. It’s a light-hearted, all-ages space romp that’ll have you laughing your Ass-gard off!
Waititi embraces all that is weird about Marvel’s cosmic universe, never missing an opportunity to poke fun at it. The change in tone is as subtle as a magic hammer, like going from the Mighty Thor to The Mighty Boosh…
It reminds me a lot of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film with its playful vibe and emphasis on humour. Unfortunately, the sequel took a more scattergun approach to joke-making that was truly hit and miss.
Ragnarok does a far better job landing the punch lines.
I left the cinema with a big, goofy grin on my face, a side effect of being thoroughly entertained. I don’t know about you, but I like being entertained. It’s the driving force for why I go to the cinema in the first place!
Much like the fabled Ragnarok, the latest Thor marks a renewal for the character and the franchise. It took some intestinal Thor-titude from Marvel to hire a less established director, with an offbeat vision, and allow him to make the film we see today.
To use the most overused of all hammer puns… they really nailed it!
Thor out of 5 Stars
Thanks for reading. This was originally published on the Creator.co website that has since shut down. Medium now hosts my latest Marvel Film Review found here…
