Review of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) by Eleanor S — 07 Feb 2018

I found this movie to be a huge disappointment compaired to the previous two in the Thor franchise.

Whilst it's great to see Marvel taking a more comedic lighthearted take on their films it really only works when seriousness hasn't already been established.

In every iteration of Thor in the MCU so far he has been serious and so has the story been, but with Ragnarok we see a complete 180* in Thor's character and many others just so the comedy can work. Thor goes from being serious, brooding, caring and strong with an adorable lack of sense on midguardian behaviours, to jokey, sarcastic, thick at times. Basically nothing like the Thor we've seen in Thor 1, 2, or Avengers 1/2.

The first 20 minutes of film feel rushed as if they had so much they needed to put in that they just crammed it all into the first act and hoped for the best. A half baked cameo for D/S, finding out Loki is alive, Odin dies. It all just whizzes by with no emotional connection. Just getting it out of the way.

The overwhelming feeling with this film is that I had no love of any of the characters. There was no development that had any real meaning. The Valkyrie spent like 10 minutes saying she hated everyone then hopped back into her uniform and went team good guy with no apparent motivation other than the screenwriter said it was time for the climax.

Hela was an underdeveloped villain with no clear motivation. She wanted to rule all the realms but wasted time killing peasants and throne-chilling.

There was no tension about any of the characters fates because we all knew that only the character cannon fodder was going to die (bye bye Executioner).

The Warriors Three straight up were murdered when Hela arrived but did the movie take any time to grieve? To take stock of it? No? Back to Hulk penis? Okay.

And don't even get me started on what a phenomenal waste of Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba, acting the rest of the cast under the table with the pathetic roles given to them. Heimdall just hangs around reminding us there bad things happening in Asgard like duh, and Loki has a reuinion with Thor, making them bros again because...? Because he watched Hulk smack him around? Because he's trying to save Asgard and Loki decides he actually does care for.. reasons?

The comedy is on point. The fact is I was laughing all the way through the film because every joke landed and was great. But in a series already established as serious and powerful with the emotions (still crying over Friga and Loki x2) it's disconcerting and pulls your right out of the suspense to suddenly make Thor a light hearted comedy.