Movie Review: Thor: Ragnarok
Chris Hemsworth as the titular character Thor. Image courtesy of Disney Video.
"Yes! We Know Each Other! He's a Friend from Work!"
Thor: Ragnarok is the third installment of the Thor Trilogy and the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Cate Blanchett (Hela), Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, Karl Urban, and Jeff Goldblum and Anthony Hopkins. The film was directed by Taika Waititi. The film is about Hela, the Goddess of Death, taking over Asgard, while a captured Thor assembles a team to stop Hela from starting Ragnarök: The end of everything.
Thor: Ragnarok is a perfect example that a superhero film doesn't need to be dark and gritty like most superhero films and that's what Taika Waititi showed us with this fun action-packed, hilarious film. Thor: Ragnarok is a comical movie and an improvement from "Thor: The Dark World" which featured a weak villain, poor character focus and a dull plot, along with forced humor.
By the time we reached the third film in a trilogy, it was speculated that is would be "dull" or "Boring". Take for example example, The Godfather Part III, Spider-Man 3, Back to the Future Part III, etc. But Marvel has improved with their third films. After the mixed reviews received by Iron Man 3, Marvel stepped to the plate on Captain America: Civil War and now Ragnarok.
The greatest thing this film has is the actors' performances. Chris Hemsworth as Thor is a joy to see, his energy and love for this character gives the movie heart and he was incredibly funny in this film. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is great. Hiddleston and Hemsworth's chemistry is what has made these films enjoyable. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk is a nice edition to the movie, and it was fun seeing Hemsworth have more dialogue with Ruffalo. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie is great as the new female lead. She is strong, funny and entertaining. Cate Blanchett as the villainess Hela was amazing. She is a worthy villain for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) following Loki Blanchett's a badass. "Nuff said!" as Stan Lee would put it.
Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster — who by the way is The Collector's brother from Guardians of the Galaxy — is extremely fun. Why, you ask? Jeff Goldblum, that's why. If Goldblum is on screen then you know it'll be fun.
Director Taika Waititi as Korg was hilarious It's nice knowing the director is heavily involved with the actors.
In conclusion Thor: Ragnarok is a great addition to the MCU. It has great humor, great performances, great story, a great villain, great directing, and most importantly it has heart. It's a fun movie and I highly recommend you watch it. The excitement grows with Marvel's The Punisher set to premiere on Netflix on Nov. 17, 2017, Black Panther on Feb. 16, 2018.
On May 4, 2018, it all comes together with Avengers: Infinity War.
Grade: A