Movie Review - Thor: Ragnarok

From director Taika Waititi, the zany filmmaker behind such projects as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, comes probably his boldest endeavor yet, in possibly the funniest Marvel film to date, Thor: Ragnarok. Pitting the likes of the God of Thunder against that of the Incredible Hulk, all boiling down to an unforgettable intergalactic romp, the third film in one of the more weaker tangents of the Marvel Cinematic Universe managed to not only boast a colorful cast and an exciting space adventure, but also blend together its leading heroes in such a way as to make them ten times more compelling than they once were. Easily the most enjoyable time at the theater I've had this fall season, Thor: Ragnarok used its director's ambitions to its advantage, and crafted a wonderfully-epic, wholly-unique follow-up.

Returning to his home of Asgard, after a lengthy yet unsuccessful search for the remaining Infinity Stones, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds the throne taken over by his mischievous adopted brother Loki  (Tom Hiddleston). While on a desperate search to find their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), banished to Earth by Loki, the brothers encounter the deadly goddess of death Hela (Cate Blanchett). After destroying Thor's trusty hammer Mjolnir with ease, Hela casts the brothers into the far reaches of the galaxy. Finding themselves stranded on the planet Sakaar, under the rule of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), Thor enters the gladiator ring against Sakaar's premiere champion, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). As the God of Thunder quickly cooks up a plan to escape Sakaar and save Asgard from Hela's rule, he, the Hulk, Loki, and their newest ally Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) must use their combined wit and strength to prevent the end of days for Asgard.

While the fall of 2014 might have promised another dark storyline for the third Thor film, its title in Ragnarok teasing "the end of days" for the God of Thunder and his homeworld of Asgard, the following year would shake the core of the trilogy closer and tease an entry very unlike its predecessor in 2013's Thor: The Dark World. With director Taika Waititi taking over for The Dark World's Alan Taylor, the film began to take an intriguing turn towards a game-changing sequel like no other. While I might have been initially reluctant to see the Thor films dive head-first into a more light-hearted, 1980s-infused space romp, easy to compare to the Guardians of the Galaxy films, the direction the third solo Thor feature took managed to make the sequel one of my most anticipated films of late 2017.

While 2011's Thor and 2013's The Dark World might have delivered self-serious epics with shades of Shakespearean tragedy, it was clear from the start that Thor: Ragnarok would be a hugely different flavor of film. With its tone channeling Guardians with its retro aesthetics and blasphemous action, and the likes of Deadpool with its self-referential humor, Taika Waititi's imprint on the sequel ultimately made the film feel altogether distinct. Limited no more by a required love story (sorry, not sorry, Natalie Portman), nor by an over-powered antagonist that strived to destroy the universe, the film lent itself to explore more compelling tangents of the franchise. With Waititi transporting the franchise into a greater realm of high-stakes action and unpredictability, the third film managed to elevate from your average "end of the world" scenario to a more concise, and personal, story. Exploring further into not only Chris Hemsworth's naive titular deity, but the compelling worlds that surround him as well, Thor: Ragnarok differentiated itself from its preceding chapters, while also retaining the emotional significance at the heart of the franchise.

Waititi's unique brand of satire, present in his obscure but hilarious projects like 2014's vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, was undeniably infused in not only the writing of Thor: Ragnarok, but in the sensational performances of the blockbuster's star-studded cast as well. With Hemsworth's striding charisma shining through his once-stoney demeanor, the cast of the film managed to further my appreciation for not just the radical new feel of the sequel, but also the evident confidence in the film's zany characters. As the film began with an imprisoned Thor mulling over the dangerous situation he's found himself in, I knew right then that these characters that were once overtly-serious have suddenly become aware that they are in a blasphemous comic-book movie. Playing into this, the rest of the cast -- including a kick-ass Tessa Thompson and a colorful life-sized replica of Jeff Goldblum in real life -- leapt into their respective roles and never let the sporadic tone of the film sway their performances.

As Ragnarok allowed me to once again appreciate Thor's jocular interior, much of the fun in the character drained in his brooding sophomore solo effort, the film also gave a renewed hope for Mark Ruffalo's Hulk. Following an impressive entrance to the MCU in 2012's The Avengers, Ruffalo's Bruce Banner remained a compelling member of the team just waiting to be explored further. While Avengers: Age of Ultron might have given less focus to Banner's character than it did the rampaging beast within him, Ragnarok managed to give us a near-perfect merging of the two. With Ruffalo's tart charisma shining through the green skin on his Hulk counterpart, we began to see a convergence between man and monster. Pit against his trusted ally in Chris Hemsworth's Thor, the fluent chemistry between the two offered some fantastic new promise for a more fleshed out, sophisticated green rage monster.

Overall, while the Thor film were never my favorite chapters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok was an exuberant change-of-pace for the God of Thunder and his adventures. Blending the sci-fi thrill and retro nostalgia of Guardians of the Galaxy with a self-referential playfulness all its own, Ragnarok lent director Taika Waititi to craft one of the most exciting and gut-busting superhero films of the year.

I gave Thor: Ragnarok an 8.5 out of 10 for its bold and satisfying approach to the Thor franchise, its whimsical cast that painted its titular characters in a new light, and its riveting premise of gladiator battles and star-hopping hijinks.

(The extra .5 is for Waititi's lovable turn as Korg, the rock creature that befriends Thor and ultimately makes the movie for me.)