The Thor franchise has been fine on the whole. The first one introduced us well to the God Of Thunder and the world he lives in. It also gave us what will probably end up being the best villain within Marvel, Thor's adopted brother Loki.
Then while it's sequel 'The Dark World' has universally been labelled as one of the most forgettable features within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is still a perfectly fine film that expands this magical world even more.
Now we have highly talented New Zealand director Taika Waititi at the helm of part three. I have heard many great things about Waititi for a few years now. However the only one of his previous films I have seen was the 2016 comedy Hunt For The Wilderpeople which was one of the years best. I will certainly be discovering his others works when I have time, and I think everyone else should do to.
As for Ragnarok, from the opening action set-piece, you can tell we are in something much different to other Thor films. Then the film just gradually more and more strange, and yet it all works and you go with the tone.
You could just say it's bonkers, but in the most fun way. There's a hint of Guardians Of The Galaxy in certain aspects. But I will say that Flash Gordon is a much stronger comparison. That is mainly due to the outlandish costumes, the style of acting at times and the world building involved.
The performances are strong and that is mainly how they all executed the style of humor this film possesses. Chris Hemsworth is still great as Thor and just don't get tired of him swining that damn hammer around. I could say exactly the same for Tom Hiddleston who returns as Loki. The dyanmic chemistry between the two is the core strength of all of these Thor films. For me, that is the secret as to why the character Loki will always be the best villain Marvel films have to offer.
Speaking of villains, Cate Blanchett was ok as the main villain. I was fine with her being over-the-top and being aware of the weird source material. But sadly, I would still put her in the bargain bin of disposable Marvel villains.
As you may know from the trailers, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk features in this fairly heavily and I think it is the best portrayal of that character that I have ever seen. It was a perfect mix of the usual smash action, as well some welcomed comedic chops.
Jeff Goldblum was a top choice in casting. His natural sweet quirky nature just added to the film at the right time.
I could be cruel and say that Tessa Thompson was forgettable. However, her physical performance was pretty solid.
There are plenty of surprises. I was happy to see Karl Urban back doing another project. We certainly don't see him that often and I hope this is another surge of Urban action in major new releases.
Waititi is known for his cameos in his films, and this one is quite different to what he usually does. But it works rather well. There were also some of his regular cast members involved which was great to see. A big mention to Rachel House who seemed to have the most involvement out of all of them.
Speaking of cameos there were plenty of ones no one knew about. That included two towards the start that really shocked me and made me smile.
Everything from the technical side was as you expect. The visual effects are really nice and bright for the most part, including some imagery that looked more like a tapestry. Also, the almost 80's-esque techno and synthesizer score by Mark Mothersbaugh enhanced the the overall feel of the film even more.
There are no major negatives, it is just the ones that I usually get from superhero films. I very rarely rank these types of films exceptionally high despite usually enjoying them. I think it is just the franchise formula that it has just lacks a certain depth and stakes that can't compete with other films that I feel are superior. I know it can't be helped, so those negatives are just a personal thing.
Despite all of that, I was impressed at how Waititi and his team brought all of this together and make it work.
This is by far the best Thor film, and one of the funniest Marvel films we've had. It has a lot of bold moves, some bigger than others and none of them felt out of place. It is a wonderful mix of fantasy and humor, the comedy is smart and flows beautifully with the tone and it really makes of the most of our familiarity with the characters and just makes it as silly as possible, but in the best possible way.
There are two scenes during the credits to look out for. The one in the middle gives us a little hint as to what the next big Marvel installment is leading up to. Whereas the scene at the end of the credits is just a bit humor that did not quite work for me. But it is still mildly amusing.
Rating: 7/10
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