Thor: Ragnarok picks up about two years after the events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron as Thor is following up on the visions he had regarding the destruction of Asgard, also known as Ragnarok. After seemingly stopping Ragnarok for good, Thor returns to Asgard only to learn Loki has been impersonating Odin since the end of Thor: The Dark World. The two adopted brothers then journey to Earth in order to retrieve the Allfather, but things don't go as planned when Hela, the Goddess of Death, escapes her eternal imprisonment, destroys Mjionir, and the two brothers wind up on the gladiatorial planet of Sakaar. Once there, Thor is made one of the Grand Master's champions and pitted in battle against one of his fellow Avengers, the Hulk. Thor must then find a way to escape Sakaar alongside his friends and make it to Asgard to stop Hela from bringing ruin and destruction to the Nine Relams.
Thor: Ragnarok happens to be the seventeenth installment in Marvel's ever-expanding catalogue of superhero films on top of being the God of Thunder's third outing, so naturally Marvel would want to shake things up, and they have done just that by bringing comedic director Taika Waititi onboard. The Thor franchise honestly needed a facelift, and Waititi rejuvenates the mighty Avenger by infusing his own comedic sensibilities and an electrifying eighties-vibe while fundamentally deconstructing the titular character. Ragnarok effectively integrates the cosmic fun of Guardians of the Galaxy with the world first established in Thor. It's the Marvel cosmos meeting Marvel's take on Norse mythology.
This change-up is made abundantly clear once Thor's mighty hammer is smashed to smithereens, his luscious locks are snipped, and he's thrown into an arena to battle the Hulk. Thor's also traditionally been the straight-man, but someone over at Marvel must have taken note of Hemsworth's natural knack for humor, so instead he spouts quips from the get-go. This departure is a tad unusual and admittedly jarring at first, but you'll settle into the adjustments as the film proceeds. In fact, that won't take too long due to the lightning-fast pacing of Thor: Ragnarok's opening.
Once the film starts, it doesn't take time to breathe, so the beginning portion of the film effectively feels very rushed with the intention of hurriedly sweeping many of the remaining franchise elements under the rug. For me, the film didn't totally find its groove till Thor arrived on Sakaar. At that point, everything slows down a bit and we spend some sizable time on a Jeff Goldblum-ruled, gladiatorial utopia, which is glorious.
One of the film's other predicaments was simply some ill-timed humor. Serious moments aren't permitted to hold the expected weight or gravity because Waititi or one of the screen-writers thought it'd be funny to throw in a joke. I feel Waititi missed the mark on providing appropriately-timed comic relief to match the more serious situations. Instead of inserting jokes as a source of levity AFTER the event, Waititi chose to throw them straight in the midst of these situations. I think this film is the prime example of what most DC fans point to when they say they dislike the Marvel brand of humor. I think previously, these jokes were more subtly incorporated in appropriate situations as opposed to their overt inclusion here straight in the middle of an intense moment.
In regards to action, Ragnarok is fairly low on that front when compared to the other Marvel-fare. The Thor-Hulk gladiator fight itself is enormously entertaining with a wealth of great moments, Hela invades Asgard in spectacular fashion, and the brewing third act showdown on Asgard has enough surprises and stunning spectacle to leave a favorable impression on viewers, but there simply aren't any other striking sequences in Ragnarok's arsenal. The film does however manage to make up for the lacking action in the technical arena.
Thor: Ragnarok is easily one of Marvel's most colorful films thus far with an array of splendid shots, wacky wardrobes, and some especially psychedelic sets tributing the considerably influential comic artist Jack Kirby. Mark Mothersbaugh also successfully composes one of Marvel's most diverse sounding film scores to date with both sweeping, grandiose themes and pulsating, electronic music to accompany the crazy cosmic side of things. The visual effects for the most part are also quite good, but there are a few noticeable inconsistencies (mainly some poor green-screening in moments), although casual viewers are unlikely to take notice of these insignificant imperfections.
My only other significant issue lied with the characterization of Hela. Prior to seeing the film, I believed Marvel was overcoming their villain issue in their third phase, and I had high hopes that Hela would rise to the occasion and be one of the very best. While she certainly came across as intimidating thanks to Blanchett's performance and her demonstrations of power, Hela's motivations seemed to fall in line with simply feeling entitled to the throne of Asgard. Even though I understand her reasoning, I found it to be lacking and simply didn't deem her a compelling antagonist. There just wasn't enough to her character aside from the obligatory lust for power in my opinion.
One very welcome change however, was a better balance between Thor and Loki. Previously, I felt Hemsworth was always overshadowed by Hiddleston, but I feel Waititi managed to successfully tip the scales in Thor's favor without undercutting Loki. On that note, Chris Hemsworth feels much more in his element now that he can hang loose and make full use of his comedic abilities. I wouldn't call this his best outing as Thor, but it's certainly the most fun. By his side, Tom Hiddleston continues to demonstrate Loki's reputation as the God of Mischief throwing tricks into the mix left and right. The duo's dynamic is just as charged as it has been previously, so any viewers craving more of the trademark witty bickering between the two will be more than satisfied.
Don't discount the big green guy though, because Mark Ruffalo smashes onto the screen with two-pronged portrayal of Bruce Banner and the Hulk. This is a very different Hulk than the one we're used to seeing as he speaks and throws tantrums like a two year old, which actually makes sense considering he's been Hulk for two years and therefore the Hulk's intelligence would have developed as such. Drawing ample inspiration from the Planet Hulk storyline in the comics, Waititi brings the mystery of what happened to Hulk at the end of Age of Ultron to a satisfying resolution and positions Hulk as a standout supporting character in ways previously unthought of. Ruffalo's camaraderie with Thor as both Hulk and Banner is one of the elements that really energized the movie. Otherwise, his take on Banner is rather relaxed when compared to his performances in the last two Avengers films because the script simply doesn't demand much from him in terms of acting.
Rounding out the Revengers roster is Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, who stands out as an impressionable newcomer and one of the coolest female Marvel heroes yet! Thompson remains a talent to watch as she adds Ragnarok to her list of standout supporting roles by granting Valkyrie an air of confidence comparable to the swagger of Han Solo. She also has great chemistry with Hemsworth, and I was relieved to see that a romance wasn't imposed on the two characters just yet, but I imagine I'd be accepting of it later down the line.
As for the Asgardians, most are dismissed fairly quickly with scarce screentime or none at all, but Idris Elba's Heimdall is given some more prominence in the plot and Elba rises to the occasion. Honestly, the only other one worth mentioning is Anthony Hopkins, who once again imparts ancient wisdom on our characters. I will say that the dangling plot-thread regarding his character's disappearance was resolved a little too quickly, but Hopkins' status as an actor carries through and grants Odin the necessary gravitas as per usual.
Elsewhere, director Taika Waititi voices the rocky gladiator combatant Korg. This is the character responsible for one of the most egregiously ill-timed jokes, but apart from that particular moment, Korg was a welcome source of soft-spoken comedic relief who would probably feel right at home in Waititi's other work (namely Hunt for the Wilderpeople).
All the while, Jeff Goldblum is clearly having a blast playing the Grandmaster as an especially over-exaggerated version of himself. If you love Jeff Goldblum, you'll be immensely entertained by his character because he's wacky, weird, and just about level of eccentric in between. Oh, I would also be remised if I failed to mention the wealth of easter eggs, references, cameos, and two post credit scenes lurking within Waititi's crazy cosmic comedy. Keep your eyes peeled, as per usual, and you'll be well rewarded with a Stan Lee appearance and substantial surprises.
On the antagonistic front, Cate Blanchett really elevates Hela through her performance despite the fact her character is especially underwritten. Blanchett ensures Hela is an imposing character, but the writing behind her character simply lacked the depth I was desiring. Karl Urban, on the other hand, interjects Skurge with a relatable viewpoint and surprisingly stood out alongside the superb supporting cast in a memorable stint.
Thor: Ragnarok successfully stimulates the franchise with a bolt of electricity that should satisfy any who were displeased with his previous entires, but falls prey to many of the common criticisms associated with Marvel productions in addition to some poor pacing. Thor: Ragnarok may easily be the best Thor film yet, but it's far from thundering alongside the top tier Marvel Cinematic Universe installments in my eyes.
