Review of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) by Jack W — 03 Nov 2018

Thor: Ragnarok decided to make a switch from the previous films to comedy after Thor 2 dropped the ball, and it pays off wonderfully. Hemsworth has a natural comic touch and he really drives the whole thing.

Not to say that the film feels completely disconnected from the last two films. The dramatic and human moments really work here as the film is still about the characters. The relationship between Thor and Loki reaches a natural evolution as Thor has given up on trying to save his brother and Loki has run out of ways to manipulate and deflect from him. Only downside is that since this is a soft reboot, there are a few characters that are written out too quickly, jarringly and disrespectfully. (They could've had more scenes).

All the new characters work really well here. This may be Tessa Thomson's best performance as Valkyrie who's likable from the get-go. Cate Blanchett is a good villain here, both intimidating and dry-witted when need be, but it's actually Jeff Goldblum who steals the show as the supporting villain The Grandmaster, a wacky Caligula-esque character.

In costumes, sets, and special effects, this is one of the best looking films I've ever seen. I've heard this movie was inspired by seventies sci-fi and it really shows. The whole thing has this very colorful, flashy and retro style.

I highly recommend this.