Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Mini-Review — The Analytic Critic
Based on the previous two films, Thor had left a foul aftertaste with me which was permanently attached to his character. Imagine my surprise, then, when Thor: Ragnarok shattered my subjective world. Not only did it finally do the character justice, but it proved to be Marvel’s first genuinely funny film. Let’s take a look.
WRITING:
Returning to Asgard, Thor discovers that Loki has deceived everyone by masquerading as the king. All of the realms are thrown into disarray, which allows the release of a terrible prisoner: Hela, the goddess of death. She intends to conquer all of the realms at all costs. Meanwhile, Thor and Loki are trapped on another planet with the looming threat of Ragnarok growing closer. Between both evils, Asgard will never be the same…
There’s a lot more to the plot than this, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers. The story is absolutely excellent, taking ancient myths — and generic tropes — and applying a lovely twist on them. It begins with a simplistic story and organically evolves as more layers are added.
Lots of fun action setpieces complement the wonderful sense of humour the film has. Of course, not all of the jokes land, so it can be said that Ragnarok tries too hard at times. But for the most part, the movie had me laughing hard.
There is also one plot thread that we’ve all seen countless times before. Sure, it’s handled a bit differently, though it is predictable. But with a mostly dynamic cast of characters, Ragnarok delivers in ways no Marvel film has before.
CAST:
I’ll start with the good. Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum, and Tessa Thompson all play their roles pretty well, allowing the audience to become immersed with their characters. They are overshadowed by the best of the cast, but that doesn’t really take away from their acting ability.
Now let’s move to the better cast members. Karl Urban and Tom Hiddleston are both very good actors with an interesting constitution. Despite some “opportunistic bad guy”qualities, both illustrate that their charcaters have heart.
I saved the best for last. Chris Hemsworth and Cate Blanchett are brilliant. There’s no other word for them.
Hemsworth has really developed into an awesome actor, bringing a serious yet playful attitude to his role. Ordinarily, this sounds like a bad combination, but Hemsworth makes it work incredibly well. And Blanchett has always been one of the best, her theatricality unrivalled by any other actress.
I should also note that Idris Elba brings an impassioned theatricality that almost rivals Blanchett’s, believe it or not. Unfortunately, his character is never given that much screentime.
PRODUCTION:
Ragnarok is a visual masterpiece for the most part, the special effects and CGI wonderfully capturing an ’80s science fiction tone mixed with a fun modern fantasy atmosphere. It’s like Star Wars except on steroids, the vivid colour correction and vibrant costumes consistently catching your eye.
Taiki’s direction is immaculate, taking all of the elements of the production and making sure they cohesively fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
He also employs intriguing cinematography. For instance, an upside-down shot tricks the eye into thinking we’re not looking at the reflection of the floor until it tilts up to reveal the truth. Playing with reality like this in a fantasy film is most definitely a smart move in terms of immersion.
SUMMARY:
As you can probably tell, this movie is one of my favourites in the MCU. It’s a joy to watch and a pleasure to listen to, instantly lighting up the mood of whatever room it’s playing in. In fact, it’s one of the few Marvel films that balances humour and drama perfectly. I definitely recommend it.
Thor: Ragnarok gets an 8.5 out of 10.
