By MARK
O’CALLAGHAN
Contributing Writer
“Thor: Ragnarok” marks the third film in the Thor franchise and the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the first two Thor movies have been a little on the bland side, ”Thor: Ragnarok” gives it a well deserved spice. Not only is this movie a beautiful action flick but a hilarious one as well that’s sure to entertain.
We see Thor (Chris Hemsworth) return to his home Asgard to find his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has ruled in Odin’s (Anthony Hopkins) absence. When both of them try to find Odin, they instead find Hela (Cate Blanchett) a powerful figure that wants to destroy Asgard. After she breaks his hammer, he gets stranded on the junkyard planet, Sakaar where he finds the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Now he must get back to Asgard to stop Hela from annihilating his world.
The positive elements of Thor make a strong impression as the returning characters shine once again. Thor and Loki still command the screen with such charisma and humor. Along with familiar faces, we get some great new characters. Although not new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Hulk brings some great energy to this movie. He’s amazing during fight sequences but what’s surprising is how much he gets to talk. To expand Mark Ruffalo’s acting chops in this movie, the filmmakers gave him a lot more dialogue when he’s the Hulk. This works out because he’s hilarious as there is more of a childlike simplicity to him that’s funny but a little heartwarming as well. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie is definitely a standout as she has so much charm to her. Burdened by her past, she gets by with drinking and fighting. Hopefully, Valkyrie will come back in future MCU movies.
Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster is really good because he can do any role and still bring his unique glamour that dazzles the viewer. It doesn’t hurt that the writers gave him really good lines. Hela is a great villain that is not only interesting but also very threatening. It’s the perfect balance that helps make her shine as one of the best villains in the MCU.
What helps makes this movie the strongest in the trilogy is they finally got rid of the weak elements in the previous two. That being the characters on Earth which took up a good chunk of screen time, are finally gone. There’s no forced romance with Natalie Portman or awkward comic relief with Kat Dennings. We only spend around five minutes on Earth when the brothers try to find Odin and it’s very entertaining. The rest of the movie is either on Asgard or on the junkyard planet.
Besides the new characters that were introduced, the director Taika Waititi brings a great new charge to this franchise. He’s known for more comedic movies like “What We Do in the Shadows,” as well as “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “Thor: Ragnarok” is no exception. He fits naturally to the quippy and wise cracking atmosphere that Marvel has set up. This movie is so funny at some points, you’ll crack up so hard that you need a breather. He helps strengthen the chemistry between all the characters in a way that will make you care for everyone on-screen.
In a visual sense, “Thor: Ragnarok” is such a beautiful movie. Taika Waititi makes great use of the color wheel with bright neon colors. The splash of color and visuals becomes so enticing that you don’t even need sound, just the sight alone will entertain. It’s like a combination of old greek paintings, classic rock album cover art and neon.
The only criticism that comes to mind is bad CGI and green screening. It doesn’t happen too often but it occurs during some important scenes. During a critical scene early in the film, there’s some bad green screening that can be distracting. Either you’ll be invested in the drama or wonder why would they put something so off-putting in a scene.
Even with that flaw, “Thor: Ragnarok” is overall a great addition to the MCU. All of the positive parts from the previous two films are amped up and the new additions add to this magnificent movie. Check out this movie immediately.
