Review | Thor: Ragnarok (2017 / 130 minutes / US)
Follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe long enough and you will be familiar with the details that define each movie. For the Thor series: gods, a magic hammer, Loki, sibling rivalries and Chris Hemsworth’s well-formed torso stand out.
But come expecting another Thor adventure steep in its mythological setups and you may be disappointed (or not) as Thor: Ragnarok, the third of the MCU’s focus on its only superhero-deity takes inspiration from Guardians of the Galaxy, the property’s quirkiest series to date. There is, as a result, never more fun and humour in the last two installments than what this latest one has to offer, and this is considering the ominous plot in which Ragnarök, the Norse legend’s Doomsday, is about to fall on the celestial kingdom and Thor’s home world, Asgard.
The Herculean protagonist quickly finds himself in an uneasy alliance with his wayward brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) as they face Hela (Cate Blanchett), the malevolent daughter of Asgard king Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Thor’s older sister who seeks to forcefully take the throne. Blanchett easily conveys the malice of a she-devil who would have to be one of MCU’s most menacing villains though the capable cast should not be less regarded. Loki, particularly, has matured credibly in a course of four films to cement his place as everybody’s favourite anti-hero.
The supporting roles are nothing short of engaging personalities, namely, the bounty hunter Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), whose nonchalance and hard drinking break the typecast of strong women with Spartan resolve, thereby a breakout character in her own rights. Director Taika Waititi is not only taking charge the execution of Ragnarok but is also voicing and motion-capturing the computer-generated Korg, a likeable made-of-rock alien gladiator with a kooky ataraxia of a Polynesian accent. Jeff Goldblum, in his Jeff Goldblumish droll, plays the devious and eccentric Grandmaster, ruler of the planet Sakaar.
Essentially, the weight of Ragnarok’s narrative rests on it eponymous hero; yet, rather to portray again a divine hunk of chivalrous might, Hemsworth and Waititi reportedly took liberty with what Thor’s traits would not have permit — by fashioning a swashbuckler (his hammer destroyed and hairdo made shorter as revealed in the film’s promotion) who is at times goofy and yet still charming. This refreshing update is the delightful premise for some bromancing, specifically, Thor’s complicated relationship with the Hulk — last seen leaving the Avengers in Age of Ultron — as well as the latter’s human incarnation, Bruce Banner. The other purpose is to afford the big green guy more real estate for character development — in his so-called ‘perma-Hulk’ form — which is high time that the alter ego is allowed to be more relatable.
The banters of Ragnarok underscores its effective jocularity and feel like a natural progression for all characters concerned; it may as well allude to the future dynamics between both Thor and MCU figures in the yet-to-released Infinity War movies. Even then, the large-scale battles, while customary, are starting to become a run-of-the-mill affair. But just as the ubiquity of high-octane combat and big explosions runs into excess, Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” — an ode to Viking conquests (and another victim of overuse in recent films, TV shows and ads) - taps into its Norse chemistry with the Norse legend-based Thor, turning Ragnarok’s key skirmishes into a intoxicating theatric of fighting mythical warriors appearing to bring to life the climax of a vivid folklore.
With these creative strokes, Waititi’s gamble to ease up Ragnarok from the otherwise somber tone of recent MCU films pays off. The sequel to Dark World (2013) is enlivened to be a funky space adventure not unlike Guardians of the Galaxy: notably, a closer look of Sakaar, where a conspicuous amount of the story occurs, shows a world where Peter Quill and his merry crew are likely to drop by, rather than an otherworldly domain for duelling gods and demons.
And that, after a season of broody comic character flicks which follows the successful Nolanverse Dark Knight series. Ragnarok, along with Deadpool and Guardians, provides the needed alleviation from the intense grittiness that has afflicted the genre of late, most especially with Zack Synder’s moody Superman features.
Sometimes, superheroes need only to be tough and not stoic, firm and not dour, self-deprecating and not contemplative. It makes the business of “saving the day” feel awesome once more.
Correction: The article earlier identified Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi as the director of Doctor Strange. This is an error. Doctor Strange’s director is Scott Derrickson. The correction has been made.
