Written by: Kevin Berge
It's the end of the world as we know it, and all we care about is Hulk. (Image Courtesy of: marvel.com)
Quick Take: Thor: Ragnarok may be the funniest movie Marvel has produced and is certainly the strongest Thor movie so far. However, it does spend too much time delivering jokes and sometimes struggles to deliver the dramatic punch of a potentially powerful story.
***This is a review of the recently release Thor: Ragnarok and will not include any spoilers as the reader is not expected to have seen it yet. However, to discuss the set-up, some spoilers revealed in the trailers will be discussed. Do not read ahead if you want a completely clean viewing of the movie. Also, note there is a spoiler section after the grade for the film.***
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown so large that it has multiple film franchises within it that have gone through difference quality trajectories. To this point, no franchise has struggled more for the MCU than Thor. While Thor and Thor: The Dark World are not terrible, they are inconsistent and sometimes flat out boring.
Finding a balance between the typical superhero story, Norse mythology, and science fiction dynamics has been tough for Thor storytellers with Thor: Ragnarok perhaps finally finding the right balance by primarily leaning on the potential of the science fiction.
Haunted by a vision of Asgard's destruction, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finally returns to Asgard, hoping he has averted the fabled Ragnarok only for the arrival of Hela (Cate Blanchett) who sends both Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tumbling into a world where Thor is forced to fight by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) including his friend Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
This story has dark undertones, coming from its comic book roots, but director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) was brought in to add some fantastic comedic elements without having to add in unnecessary human elements. In particular, he thrives in creating and shaping Thor's strange journey in this new world.
The comedy is fast and furious throughout especially thanks to a friend Thor makes while fighting, Korg, who is voiced by Waititi. It also helps that we finally get to see more from Hulk outside of the Avengers films who almost steals the show from Thor.
The cast of this movie is top notch including some surprise cameos. Chris Hemsworth in particular is perfect working with Waititi. Tom Hiddleston also looks and feels comfortable with Waititi's comedic flair. Tessa Thompson (Creed) is the top standout though in this film, making Valkyrie instantly likable.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown so large that it has multiple film franchises within it that have gone through difference quality trajectories. To this point, no franchise has struggled more for the MCU than Thor. While Thor and Thor: The Dark World are not terrible, they are inconsistent and sometimes flat out boring.
Finding a balance between the typical superhero story, Norse mythology, and science fiction dynamics has been tough for Thor storytellers with Thor: Ragnarok perhaps finally finding the right balance by primarily leaning on the potential of the science fiction.
Haunted by a vision of Asgard's destruction, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finally returns to Asgard, hoping he has averted the fabled Ragnarok only for the arrival of Hela (Cate Blanchett) who sends both Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tumbling into a world where Thor is forced to fight by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) including his friend Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
This story has dark undertones, coming from its comic book roots, but director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) was brought in to add some fantastic comedic elements without having to add in unnecessary human elements. In particular, he thrives in creating and shaping Thor's strange journey in this new world.
The comedy is fast and furious throughout especially thanks to a friend Thor makes while fighting, Korg, who is voiced by Waititi. It also helps that we finally get to see more from Hulk outside of the Avengers films who almost steals the show from Thor.
The cast of this movie is top notch including some surprise cameos. Chris Hemsworth in particular is perfect working with Waititi. Tom Hiddleston also looks and feels comfortable with Waititi's comedic flair. Tessa Thompson (Creed) is the top standout though in this film, making Valkyrie instantly likable.
All she wants is to make Asgard the best. What's wrong with that? (Image Courtesy of: theverge.com)
While this story is ripe for dramatic exploration, the film struggles on that front often. Perhaps due to a disconnect in direction, Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings) and Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs), seasoned professional, feel off occasionally with the fast-paced rhythm of the film. Blanchett is great as the frightening lead villain but occasionally does too far over the top.
The whole concept of Ragnarok is fascinating, and the Norse mythology deepens here. However, it just feels like background dressing for a fun sci-fi romp. The action in the climax is more enjoyable than intense and played up mostly for the excitement of the moments.
There is still clear room for growth in this franchise, but this is the high mark so far because it is simply fun. Eric Pearson (only known for writing the Marvel one-shots), Craig Kyle, and Christopher L. Yost (both mainly known for writing Marvel's direct to DVD animated films) write a solid foundation for the story.
However, it is clear this movie is heavily improvised (as Waititi has stated). The back-and-forth flying jokes can be overwhelming sometimes but are mostly just joyful fun. Even Guardians of the Galaxy does not match this level of improvisational comedy.
With each new Marvel release, the question is: how does it stack up? While I enjoyed this one throughout, it does not stand at the pinnacle for the franchise. I would say it was the weakest Marvel product of the year, in a clearly light-hearted adventure, but that is only a testament to the strength of this MCU year.
I do hope this is not the last chance we are given to explore the world of Thor which has such a wealth of potential left. If it is though, it was a worthy finish for the Norse god, adding to his legacy what may be the funniest movie the MCU will ever produce.
The whole concept of Ragnarok is fascinating, and the Norse mythology deepens here. However, it just feels like background dressing for a fun sci-fi romp. The action in the climax is more enjoyable than intense and played up mostly for the excitement of the moments.
There is still clear room for growth in this franchise, but this is the high mark so far because it is simply fun. Eric Pearson (only known for writing the Marvel one-shots), Craig Kyle, and Christopher L. Yost (both mainly known for writing Marvel's direct to DVD animated films) write a solid foundation for the story.
However, it is clear this movie is heavily improvised (as Waititi has stated). The back-and-forth flying jokes can be overwhelming sometimes but are mostly just joyful fun. Even Guardians of the Galaxy does not match this level of improvisational comedy.
With each new Marvel release, the question is: how does it stack up? While I enjoyed this one throughout, it does not stand at the pinnacle for the franchise. I would say it was the weakest Marvel product of the year, in a clearly light-hearted adventure, but that is only a testament to the strength of this MCU year.
I do hope this is not the last chance we are given to explore the world of Thor which has such a wealth of potential left. If it is though, it was a worthy finish for the Norse god, adding to his legacy what may be the funniest movie the MCU will ever produce.
Grade: B
***Given how much of this story is drenched in spoilers, I feel inclined to include a spoiler section to discuss some of more clear issues with the movie as well as talk about where it succeeds most prominently. Do not read past this point until you have not seen the movie.***
You don't know what a Norse goddess truly looks like until you see Valkyrie struts into battle. (Image Courtesy of: wegotthiscovered.com)
Ostensibly, Thor: Ragnarok is about the end of Asgard. However, it is much more about WWE's take on Planet Hulk. Waititi is clearly having a ton of fun riffing with characters that barely matter as Thor struggles to find his way home. Unfortunately, this makes it hard to want him to get home.
Hela's story is fascinating from a lore perspective. She is Odin's daughter who was hidden away she helped Asgard gain control of the Nine Realms. There is clear dramatic storytelling here particularly with the carnage she causes in her return to Asgard.
Hela is only unleashed through the death of Odin which is so oddly delivered with Thor and Loki never having time to mourn him. Thor also never gets to mourn the sudden and unnecessarily quick deaths of the Warriors Three. The deaths of Fandral and Volstagg are basically joke deaths, killed in a millisecond.
While this works to establish Hela, it would have been far more effective to showcase their deaths, having them fight together to the end. Only Hogun gets an honorable death as he is the last warrior standing after Hela rips apart the Asgardian force.
This is just the problem with Waititi's heavy comedic focus. There's nothing wrong with joking around, but there are many important moments in this film that are just shuffled past. Even the ultimate destruction of Asgard is played off as a joke (a really good one to be fair) rather than letting the moment settle.
This is why I liked Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2 more than Thor: Ragnarok. It was clear Guardians had a heart and emotional core. Thor: Ragnarok lacks that dramatic flair even if this leads to a more consistent product. It is clearly all comedy, a great comedy but not one that is a bit irreverent with its characters and world than I would have liked.
Hela's story is fascinating from a lore perspective. She is Odin's daughter who was hidden away she helped Asgard gain control of the Nine Realms. There is clear dramatic storytelling here particularly with the carnage she causes in her return to Asgard.
Hela is only unleashed through the death of Odin which is so oddly delivered with Thor and Loki never having time to mourn him. Thor also never gets to mourn the sudden and unnecessarily quick deaths of the Warriors Three. The deaths of Fandral and Volstagg are basically joke deaths, killed in a millisecond.
While this works to establish Hela, it would have been far more effective to showcase their deaths, having them fight together to the end. Only Hogun gets an honorable death as he is the last warrior standing after Hela rips apart the Asgardian force.
This is just the problem with Waititi's heavy comedic focus. There's nothing wrong with joking around, but there are many important moments in this film that are just shuffled past. Even the ultimate destruction of Asgard is played off as a joke (a really good one to be fair) rather than letting the moment settle.
This is why I liked Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2 more than Thor: Ragnarok. It was clear Guardians had a heart and emotional core. Thor: Ragnarok lacks that dramatic flair even if this leads to a more consistent product. It is clearly all comedy, a great comedy but not one that is a bit irreverent with its characters and world than I would have liked.