(spoiler free)
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ sees the God of Thunder join Iron Man and Captain America in having his own film trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Now at a tally of seventeen this cinematic universe is well into it’s third phase and showing no signs of slowing down. In this installment Thor must fight the Goddess of Death, Hela, in order to save Asgard.
As you might have worked out by the trailers ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is rather unique in comparison to the rest of the MCU, probably being closest to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, if any of it’s predecessors. It features an awesome synthy soundtrack from Mark Mothersbaug giving it a fantastic 80’s vibe. Furthermore the set and costume design contribute to this even more so delivering wonderful colour and creativity. The use of Led Zepplin’s ‘The Immigrant Song’ injects an electric pace into the action sequences resulting in some of the most badass moments the MCU has ever seen. Overall the action is great, the Hulk/Thor fight is joyous and the film is filled with plenty more action to keep audiences entertained.
Whilst the basic synopsis for the film may present quite a basic story there is actually a hell of a lot going on here. This is an incredibly ambitious narrative which has to juggle new and established characters, fresh plot points but also franchise long ones. What is really evident here and should never not be appreciated is the amazing work already achieved in the MCU which allows films like this to exist. The story of ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ can only be told thanks to the previous films in this universe due to the careful establishment of characters and settings – us comic book movie fans are incredibly lucky, let’s not take this for granted.
There’s no doubt that this is one of the most fun Marvel films to date, and that’s no mean feat considering the fun factor is one of Marvel’s staples. Directer Taika Waititi brings his trademark humour, another Marvel staple, in abundance to this chapter of the MCU. It’s comedy is effective much like the predecessors in the MCU which have used this as a main element in their storytelling. Like them, at times it can be hit and miss, however when this comedy hits it hits hard and this is the case more often than not. Both in terms of the drama and comedy though ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ would have benefited from a more restrained trailer. Nonetheless Waititi has done a tremendous job of bringing this grand story to the screen.
There’s very little to take issue with in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ but unfortunately there were a couple of shots that let this otherwise gorgeous looking film down. You’ll know them when you see them but these couple of scenes really stick out as they simply don’t match the quality of the rest of the movie. Thankfully they don’t linger too long but at this stage in the MCU I really can’t see why this should be happening.
Flaws aside, one thing that certainly doesn’t let the film down is the massive cast. Chris Hemsworth continues to nail his portrayal of the son of Odin. He’s simultaneously funny, charismatic, dramatic and kick-ass confirming why he’s one of the best casting choices in MCU history, like always he’s a joy to watch here. Whilst in no way the main villain of the film Tom Hiddleston returns as God of Mischief, Loki. The brothers’ chemistry is as good as always and just the right amount of screen time is devoted to this relationship. Although there’s no sign of a solo Hulk movie, Mark Ruffalo gets plenty of the spotlight here which should somewhat console Hulk hungry fans as his involvement here is wonderful. His character is taken in a new direction that we’ve not seen on screen before. He manages to offer, humour, heart and action and I thought the character was handled very well here being a superb addition to this story.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ of course welcomes some fresh characters into the MCU and pretty successfully too. Tessa Thompson feels straight at home as Asgardian warrior, Valkyrie being more than a match for Thor. Jeff Goldblum is just delightful as the Grandmaster, his best role in years and he’s largely responsible for why the second act to this movie might just be it’s strongest. Taking up the mantle for the third act though is Cate Blanchett who plays the resident baddie, Hela. She has a tremendous villainous presence and one of the better back stories we’ve seen in the MCU, however Blanchett is always better than Hela. This is a trend we’re not unfamiliar with and whilst Hela is by no means a poor villain there was potential for much more. Probably due to the crowded narrative I found her to be a little under-developed and lacking in screen time. Regardless of this she makes for a good adversary in the final moments and it’s refreshing to see a female villain. There are numerous other new and returning cast members, but too many to discuss individually. The team behind ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ have done a largely stellar job in managing them all and the performers did not disappoint.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is a superb addition to the MCU and certainly one of the more memorable entries. It’s combination of characters and storylines is very impressive and it’s stylish aesthetic makes for a remarkable visual experience. It both progresses the MCU as a whole but most definitely takes time to tell it’s own stories too. Most likely set to be a favourite amongst the trilogy ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is a glorious cosmic comedy adventure offering a riotous cinematic experience.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 8.5/10
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