Thor: Ragnarok
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Directed by: Taika Watiti
Rated: PG-13
You know you're in for a good time when a movie about Thor uses Immigrant Song in its opening action sequence. Led Zeppelin and Thor? Has there ever been a more perfect usage of that song in a movie? I can't think of one. The awesomeness only continues from there.
Last time we saw Thor, he was helping the Avengers defeat Ultron. It's been awhile, but the god of Thunder is back to stop Ragnarok, an apocalyptic event that will destroy his home planet, Asgard. In order to stop it, Thor must defeat Hela (Cate Blanchett), the goddess of death. As Thor sets out to stop her, he gets caught on a planet where he is forced to become a gladiator against...the Hulk? Yep, Thor and the Hulk meet up on a strange planet for discarded beings led by a man called The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Will Thor and Hulk fight each other? Where is Loki in all of this drama? Will Thor get back to Asgard to stop Hela? I can't tell you the answers to all of these questions without spoiling the movie.
What I can tell you about Ragnarok is that director Taika Watiti (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) has done a fantastic job balancing just the right amount of humor, story, and action. I often complain that superhero films rely too heavily on action sequences and, in turn, end up neglecting the story or characters. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Waititi explores Thor's character more deeply in this film, but adds a lot more humor to the character. If you've ever seen Hunt for the Wilderpeople, you know Taika Waititi has a very quirky sense of humor. Ragnarok is no exception. This is very quirky humor for a Marvel film, but it works so well for Thor.
As a proud Thor supporter since his first movie, can I just take a moment to say that Thor is the most underrated Avenger? He's never gotten to the popularity level of Captain America or Iron Man. Let's change that. Let's all make Thor more popular. He deserves it. He has lightening hands.
Anyway, Chris Hemsworth gives a fantastic performance here as Thor. He's hilarious, quick tempered, but always wants to do the right thing for his people. I really appreciated the film's focus on Thor's relationship's with his fellow characters including The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) newcomer Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and his mischievous brother Loki.
Of course, Tom Hiddleston is back as Loki. The god of mischief causes a lot of trouble as we've come to expect (can Loki exist without making a mess of things?), but some of his decisions may surprise you. Hiddleston has several humorous moments in the film. Plus, we get to see more of the sibling dynamic between Loki and Thor which is always entertaining.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Cate Blanchett can play any role. She proves it yet again as Hela, the goddess of death. Set on taking control of Asgard and conquering as many realms as possible, Hela is pure evil. She's probably the most terrifying and memorable villain Thor has battled.
Mark Ruffalo appears in the film as The Hulk/Bruce Banner. Thor meets up with The Hulk on the planet Sakaar where he has completely abandoned the Bruce Banner personality. In previous films it's been clear that Bruce Banner has been losing control of The Hulk, but here he has completely lost the ability to control the persona. Ruffalo does a great job balancing the two polar opposite personas. It's a difficult situation that includes interesting characterization for Bruce Banner.
Visually, this is one of the most impressive Marvel movies I've seen. The Thor films have always had a distinct visual style, but Ragnarok really raised the bar. The scenes on the planet Sakkar are bursting with eye-popping color while the battle sequences look like a painting that's come to life.
Thor: Ragnarok is my favorite Marvel movie since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. (And I love that movie a lot.) It's everything that a comic book movie should be: vibrant, funny, action packed, and memorable.
My Rating: 9/10