Year: 2017
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Karl Urban, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Anthony Hopkins
Tagline: Thunder will reign.
Synopsis: Thor must enlist the help of Hulk, a Valkyrie, and the ever-mischievous Loki in order to save Asgard from Hela, goddess of death.
Tagline: Thunder will reign.
Synopsis: Thor must enlist the help of Hulk, a Valkyrie, and the ever-mischievous Loki in order to save Asgard from Hela, goddess of death.
Review
When I saw the first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok, I was nervous. I wasn't sure about the music or the retro 80s vibe. And after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, I wasn't so sure I liked the comedic direction Marvel was taking. Within a few minutes of the film, though, I was sold. Thor: Ragnarok is terrific. Terrific I say.
First off, this movie is perhaps the funniest Marvel film to date. From start to finish (and post-credits finish), there is humor. Thor has developed a sense of fun and irony, especially as he deals with Loki and Hulk/Banner. Loki is as wonderfully sarcastic as he ever was. And a number of other new characters steal whatever scene they are in. The comedic timing is spot on, including Stan Lee's obligatory cameo.
Thor finds himself on the far-off world of Sakaar, which is a long way from the noble and proper Asgard. The world is colorful and eclectic and personified by Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster. Such a manic place lends itself to the humor the film is going for. Thor's "journey" to first meet the Grandmaster is perfectly trippy and musically recalls another off-kilter character/film (but I won't spoil that).
Thor: Ragnarok has a terrific cast of characters. As I said, Thor is allowed to be more fun and humorous. But at the same time, we see how he has also matured since his first outing. His relationship with Loki is as complicated as ever. But pairing him with Hulk/Banner is what works so well.
The first Thor film had a very Shakespearean vibe to it (it was directed by Kenneth Branagh after all). While that tone is long gone for Ragnarok, this film has two characters who struck me as being very Shakespearean: Valkyrie and Skurge. Their character arcs are nothing new. Rather, they are more archetypal. And in both instances, that works.
Hela has the distinction of being Marvel's first main female villain. (Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy is only a secondary villain.) She is a scene-stealing, scene-chewing villainess with sharp knives and an equally sharp tongue. I got the impression Cate Blanchett loved every minute of it.
Dr. Strange has a brief role in the film (as teased in a mid-credits scene in Doctor Strange). Though the sequence isn't long, it is funny and works well to keep the every-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe connected to Earth and the myriad characters linked to each other.
Of the new characters, the rock-like alien Korg was my favorite. He's voiced by the film's director, Taika Waititi. Pretty much everything his unexpectedly high voice says is quotable and put a grin on my face. He possesses a dogged optimism and self-deprecating humor. Korg is the best.
Humor and good characters are one thing, but if you don't have a good story to tie them together, you've lost me. Fortunately, Thor: Ragnarok has a good story to go with it. Sure, it's another superhero tale and not Shakespeare. But it still has one of the strongest stories of a Marvel film. Nearly everything in the plot and story works together seamlessly. The story ties the zaniness, the sarcasm, the spectacle, and the impending world destruction all together. And it works. It works better than its predecessors. And it's a whole lot of fun along the way.
The film is rated PG-13. There is some language. I'll admit, I don't remember it being a lot, but then again, the film I'd seen previously swore quite a bit. So Thor might just have been mild by comparison. Still, it was nothing beyond what other Marvel movies have done. The level of violence is also about the same. Thor has a shirtless scene (because I'm fairly certain that is written into his contract). CGI Hulk has a brief bare backside scene. There are a couple more mature gags.
At this point, there are so many Marvel superhero movies, it's hard to pick favorites. But Thor: Ragnarok is definitely in my top 5. Maybe even my top 3. I look forward to seeing it again. If you haven't seen it yet, get to it. And be sure to stay through all the credits.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Thor loses an eye. I didn't see that coming.
My only complaint about the film was how Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were handled. Sif wasn't in the film because of scheduling conflicts with actress Jaimie Alexander. But they might have at least mentioned her and accounted for her absence. And I was sad by how unceremoniously both Volstagg and Fandral were dispatched by Hela. Hogun at least gets to die fighting. But the three aren't ever mentioned again. Yes, Thor has a lot on his mind, but it would still have been nice to have him acknowledge that three of his best friends are dead.
Given my (admittedly slim) knowledge of Norse mythology, the ending of the film felt appropriate. Ragnarok isn't something that could be avoided or prevented. It's something to rebuild from.
Lastly, the three cameos during the Asgardian play are terrific. Sam Neill is Odin. Chris Hemsworth's brother, Luke, plays Thor. And Loki is portrayed by none other than Matt Damon.
First off, this movie is perhaps the funniest Marvel film to date. From start to finish (and post-credits finish), there is humor. Thor has developed a sense of fun and irony, especially as he deals with Loki and Hulk/Banner. Loki is as wonderfully sarcastic as he ever was. And a number of other new characters steal whatever scene they are in. The comedic timing is spot on, including Stan Lee's obligatory cameo.
Thor finds himself on the far-off world of Sakaar, which is a long way from the noble and proper Asgard. The world is colorful and eclectic and personified by Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster. Such a manic place lends itself to the humor the film is going for. Thor's "journey" to first meet the Grandmaster is perfectly trippy and musically recalls another off-kilter character/film (but I won't spoil that).
Thor: Ragnarok has a terrific cast of characters. As I said, Thor is allowed to be more fun and humorous. But at the same time, we see how he has also matured since his first outing. His relationship with Loki is as complicated as ever. But pairing him with Hulk/Banner is what works so well.
The first Thor film had a very Shakespearean vibe to it (it was directed by Kenneth Branagh after all). While that tone is long gone for Ragnarok, this film has two characters who struck me as being very Shakespearean: Valkyrie and Skurge. Their character arcs are nothing new. Rather, they are more archetypal. And in both instances, that works.
Hela has the distinction of being Marvel's first main female villain. (Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy is only a secondary villain.) She is a scene-stealing, scene-chewing villainess with sharp knives and an equally sharp tongue. I got the impression Cate Blanchett loved every minute of it.
Dr. Strange has a brief role in the film (as teased in a mid-credits scene in Doctor Strange). Though the sequence isn't long, it is funny and works well to keep the every-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe connected to Earth and the myriad characters linked to each other.
Of the new characters, the rock-like alien Korg was my favorite. He's voiced by the film's director, Taika Waititi. Pretty much everything his unexpectedly high voice says is quotable and put a grin on my face. He possesses a dogged optimism and self-deprecating humor. Korg is the best.
Humor and good characters are one thing, but if you don't have a good story to tie them together, you've lost me. Fortunately, Thor: Ragnarok has a good story to go with it. Sure, it's another superhero tale and not Shakespeare. But it still has one of the strongest stories of a Marvel film. Nearly everything in the plot and story works together seamlessly. The story ties the zaniness, the sarcasm, the spectacle, and the impending world destruction all together. And it works. It works better than its predecessors. And it's a whole lot of fun along the way.
The film is rated PG-13. There is some language. I'll admit, I don't remember it being a lot, but then again, the film I'd seen previously swore quite a bit. So Thor might just have been mild by comparison. Still, it was nothing beyond what other Marvel movies have done. The level of violence is also about the same. Thor has a shirtless scene (because I'm fairly certain that is written into his contract). CGI Hulk has a brief bare backside scene. There are a couple more mature gags.
At this point, there are so many Marvel superhero movies, it's hard to pick favorites. But Thor: Ragnarok is definitely in my top 5. Maybe even my top 3. I look forward to seeing it again. If you haven't seen it yet, get to it. And be sure to stay through all the credits.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Thor loses an eye. I didn't see that coming.
My only complaint about the film was how Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were handled. Sif wasn't in the film because of scheduling conflicts with actress Jaimie Alexander. But they might have at least mentioned her and accounted for her absence. And I was sad by how unceremoniously both Volstagg and Fandral were dispatched by Hela. Hogun at least gets to die fighting. But the three aren't ever mentioned again. Yes, Thor has a lot on his mind, but it would still have been nice to have him acknowledge that three of his best friends are dead.
Given my (admittedly slim) knowledge of Norse mythology, the ending of the film felt appropriate. Ragnarok isn't something that could be avoided or prevented. It's something to rebuild from.
Lastly, the three cameos during the Asgardian play are terrific. Sam Neill is Odin. Chris Hemsworth's brother, Luke, plays Thor. And Loki is portrayed by none other than Matt Damon.
Quotable Quotes
- "That's a crown? I thought those were eyebrows." -- Thor to Surtur
- "I've been falling for 30 minutes!" -- Loki to Dr. Strange
- "I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets. So hardly anyone turned up." -- Korg
- "He's a friend from work." -- Thor about the Hulk
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