Thor: Ragnarok

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Taika Waititi, Rachel House, Clancy Brown (voice), Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Zachary Levi, Luke Hemsworth (cameo), Sam Neill (cameo), Matt Damon (uncredited)
Directed by: Taika Waititi
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must fight his sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) who wants to bring about Ragnarok, the destruction of Asgard.

Review:

Tim: I've always enjoyed the Thor movies quite a bit, possibly more than I should have. I don't feel any guilt in loving Thor: Ragnarok, which takes a much more comedic and fun approach. They finally nailed exactly what these movies should be. This is the best film of the trilogy and one of the most fun times I've had in a Marvel movie. I really, really loved this film.

Director Taika Waititi creates something truly special here. The humor and the fun are prevalent in the film, but that's not all. The colors and the visuals are stunning- this is a big, bright, exciting movie. Waititi also uses music exceptionally well- this movie features one of the best uses of music in any Marvel movie (although it'll be hard to ever beat Guardians of the Galaxy in that aspect). Still, Waititi pulls all these elements together to create one of the most entertaining films I've seen in recent years. I just had so much fun watching this movie.

I loved how this film felt important and meaningful. It's not just all jokes. Thor faces arguably his greatest challenge in Hela and what's at stake is all of Asgard. This is helped by a terrific performance by Cate Blanchett. The MCU needs more female villains. She's such a good actress and just makes the role so memorable. I had a great time watching her in this antagonistic role. It felt like so much happened in this movie. Different MCU movies have different impacts- many are self-contained (mostly) stories. Movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier change the whole landscape of the MCU. Ragnarok felt like one of those major shift movies, which I appreciated. The story was enjoyable but it was also important in the larger MCU.

The cast features an embarrassment of riches. Chris Hemsworth has grown into this role in an extraordinary way. He's never been better as Thor. His comedic timing was impeccable and it was obvious he had great fun in the role. Tom Hiddleston continues to amaze as the best villain/sometimes hero in the MCU. He added a great supporting turn here. I just marvel at what he does with the role. As mentioned, Blanchett is formidable and a strong villain. Jeff Goldblum added some great comedy and was a welcome addition to the cast. I loved the pairing of Mark Ruffalo with Hemsworth. This is a buddy movie in many aspects and that dynamic works so well. I have to mention Tessa Thompson, who steals nearly every scene she's in. I didn't expect Valkyrie to emerge as such an amazing character, but Thompson makes her such a great character. Thompson's performance was a standout. It was also fun to see Taika Waititi bring Korg to life (who's one of the funniest characters we've seen). I love his humor and what he did. I do have to say I was a bit disappointed to see Karl Urban wasted on such a weak character like Skurge. I wish Urban would have been given a better role in the MCU. And, I always love getting to see Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins. The cast as a whole was truly impressive.

I have to give the Marvel Cinematic Universe credit for continuing to reinvent itself, to give us different versions of the characters and the films. While Thor has always had humor in his films, this is almost a comedy in many aspects. And yet, the action is there, too. The dynamic works perfectly, although this film feels tonally so different to Thor and Thor: The Dark World. I know the looming Infinity War is going to change everything, but I'd sure love for there to be another Thor movie. It feels like Waititi finally perfectly the tone and approach, and I'd watch a dozen more of these movies. I have to admit, I've been a bit harder on the last three MCU movies- granted, I really enjoyed them, but none of them were "great" movies in my estimation. I'm relieved that Thor: Ragnarok is.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Thor, Thor: The Dark World, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron