OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD YOU GUYS. Taika Waititi did what many might have thought impossible and directed an actual entertaining, captivating, rip-roaring Thor film that makes you want even more of the God of Thunder than the speedy two hours and ten minutes you just watched. Since this movie came out Nov. 2, I’m going to keep this review spoiler-free and only stick to bare bone plot points and general comments.
Thor: Ragnarok finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the God of Thunder and self proclaimed “Strongest Avenger,” trapped on a garbage planet called Sakaar, forced to serve as a gladiator for the zany Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), fight for his freedom against the champion of Sakaar who just so happens to be the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and manage to get back to his home world of Asgard before Hela the Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett) can destroy it and the other nine realms.
I was very unsure going into the movie theater last night. I had seen all the trailers, I had read a couple reviews, and I was not persuaded that this movie was going to be a knockout. The previous two Thor films, in my own opinion, are definitely on the lower end of the Marvel totem pole, so I think my apprehension was justified. The trailers looked intriguing at least, but I didn’t really know what direction they were going with the film and the characters; I didn’t want the same drab and angsty tone of the second Thor film, Thor: The Dark World, but I also didn’t want this one to be a farce. It turns out that any concern I had was completely unfounded.
Courtesy: International Business Times UK
Ragnarok is a fresh take on a well-established character, breaking the molds that both the audience and the previous movies had placed him in. And not only does that apply to Thor, but to pretty much every returning character we see. Loki, Hulk/Bruce Banner, Odin, and Heimdall (among others) all make their returns in this film and none of them are as you have seen them before. I think the key vehicle for such a divergence is the humor. Thor is not normally known to be a humorous character, but he will be now. The light and comical tone of this film keeps you engaged and feeling great the entire time you’re watching, even during some of the heavier moments (which do exist and, damn, they’re well executed too). Taika Waititi’s directorial style is known to be a bit kooky and very funny, and he most definitely leaves his mark on this movie. Honestly, I hope the rumors about him returning for future Thor films become a reality because I can’t imagine anyone else doing what he did and pulling it off as successfully.
Everything about Thor: Ragnarok is fresh. The performances are spot-on. The directing is confident and clean. The cinematography was fun yet simple so you had a clear idea of what was happening. The score is amazing and this movie has one of the most fitting soundtracks I’ve heard since Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2. All in all, I freaking loved this film and I’m so glad that Thor finally has a movie in his franchise that really knocks it out of the park because he deserves it. There is no way you won’t have the time of your life in the theater when you sit down to watch this movie. And if I haven’t convinced you yet, there’s a good minute long scene of the camera just slowly panning around a shirtless Chris Hemsworth.
Go see this movie.
Rating: A+