Review of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) by Mrmoviebuff — 03 Nov 2017

I think it's fair to say that, of all the franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the "Thor" franchise, to put it short, is passable. While 'Thor' (2011) was a better-than-your-average introduction to the God of Thunder, many did feel that it didn't spend enough time showing him as such, instead they had to make him human in order for us to get to know him.

I liked the spectacle, the emotion and the effort for it... it was an entertaining film, but nothing special. 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013) did have bigger action sequences, and more funny chemistry between the brothers Thor and Loki, but the comedy and final act dragged it down, and became forgettable and uninspired, but I still had some fun with it.

So, it's easy to understand that with the third movie about the mighty God of Thunder, Marvel needed this one to be good. And, luckily, with director Taika Waititi ('What We Do in the Shadows'), it seems this franchise has been brought some life.

'Thor: Ragnarok' is easily the best chapter in this saga. It's vibrant, entertaining, action-packed, sometimes dark, and, to many's surprise, very funny. I know the word "funny" is odd, since the story of "Ragnarok" is meant to be dark and apocalyptic, but the humor does hit when it needs to.

We see that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been imprisoned, still searching for those Infinity Stones, but as he returns to Asgard, he discovers that his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the God of Mischief, has been ruling the kingdom and Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is nowhere to be seen.

They discover that Asgard is in danger when they meet Hela (Cate Blanchett), the Goddess of Death, and sister of Thor and Loki (wasn't she supposed to be Loki's daughter? Then again, Ego was never meant to be Peter Quill's father.

..), who wants to rule Asgard and banish those who wrong her. Thor ends up on Sakaar where he meets Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), and he is told that he must fight in the arena in order to get to where he needs.

His opponent happens to be the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), which is seen as not much of a challenge for him. Thor tries to reason with the Hulk and manages to persuade him to help fight Hela before all of Asgard is in ruins.

What makes this movie work is that it seems Chris Hemsworth has more fun in the role of Thor than in previous films. Thor has always been seen as the more "boring" Avenger simply because he is an all powerful god who holds a hammer.

There's nothing more about him to make him sympathetic, only when he is rid of those powers, does he become interesting. Taika Waititi has a unique vision on the characters of Thor and the Hulk, they really get a chance to shine in this movie than previous ones.

They are more interesting here, than before. Plus, the comedy is used effectively. Unlike in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017) where the humor stretches beyond the first act, and the characters joke, even when they're in danger.

.. here, Waititi only uses the humor when its needed. During the final battle, no spoilers, there is little-to-no joking around, especially when the whole world could end. Plus, the replacing of Kat Dennings with the charismatic Jeff Goldblum is also inspired.

.. he is great as the Grandmaster, and I cannot wait to see more of him, if Marvel decides to put him in more upcoming films. Overall, this is a fantastic "Thor" movie, and it works because it ticks the boxes that the other two films forgot to tick.

Hemsworth really shines as the God of Thunder, and the supporting cast all do a terrific job in their respective roles. It's funny... but not too funny. It's a blast.