Randy here with my review from the latest from the MCU- Thor: Ragnarok!
"Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok—the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization—at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger—the Incredible Hulk!"
Randy here with my review from the latest from the MCU: SHORT VERSION: Thor: Ragnarok is brings more humor than the last two outings, which is works for the most part. It balances between the mythology and the fantasy origins of the character. It’s is enjoyable, but far from the perfect Marvel movie.
LONG VERSION:
Right up front: I’ve been worried about Thor: Ragnarok since the first trailer hit at SDCC. I couldn’t figure out why, until the 2nd trailer, then I got it. Thor has the “wrong voice.” It was bothering my ear, as a writer. He basically didn’t sound like him; especially “He’s a friend from work!” It is a GREAT line… but it isn’t a Thor line, at least to me.
But as time went on, it seemed like I was in the minority. Whether a response to the DCEU films, or maybe people were coming off the high of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the majority of people I was hearing loved the lighter tone of the third Thor film.
So going into it, I tried to suppress that comparison to what I thought he should sound like and let the movie work on its own terms. I was pleasantly surprised by Thor: Ragnarok and enjoyed the movie, more than I expected.
Written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost , directed by Taika Waititi , the film has a brisk pace for its 130 min runtime, waning a little in the middle. It brings up and deals with many loosed ends from previous Marvel films quickly, dropping the audience into this movie’s plot as quickly as possible.
One of the things I thought worked was embracing the fantasy elements, both mythological and Marvel Comics. No talk of Advanced Science is like Magic here. Gods, demons, magical items, and mythical creatures are all over the screen. This goes for the introduction of classic Marvel characters like the Grandmaster, Skurge and Hela. And Ragnarok is a very real threat here.
Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston have established their rapport with each other, adding a new layer with each new movie. The time out, their Thor and Loki have both changed and a different from when first introduced, less fighting, more brotherly bickering. Mark Ruffalo plays both sides of the spectrum with Hulk and Banner, going from overstimulated frat boy to neurotic worrier. Ruffalo enjoys them both Cate Blanchett is having enormous fun as Hela, even if the character could’ve used a little more for her to be about. Teesa Thompson is the real breakout here, getting to swagger and fight alongside Hemsworth’s Thor and easily keep up with him-if not outdo! I’d be happy to see her character return or get her own film.
While the humor worked more than I expected, it was a detriment to the overall tone of the movie. There are several major dramatic elements that are less dealt with as much as used as punchlines to jokes. Without giving anything away, several characters’ fates are nearly forgotten between the humorous bits, turning several dramatic & dark moments into a visual gag. The treatment reminded me of how ill-treated Marcus Brody and Sallah were badly used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, nearly unrecognizable as characters from the first Raiders film.
Thor: Ragnarok is enjoyable and fun movie that I’m sure most people (myself included) will enjoy. But it’s not likely to stay in your head very long after leaving the theaters. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book.
WORTH PAYING: Evening prices, if you'rr an MCU fan, and/or just looking for a fun film. WORTH MAKING TOYS: Well, Hasbro and Hot Toys figures are already out there!
NOTE: There are 2 post-credit scenes.
More films to review as we start picking up steam to the end of the year!
Be seeing you! RANDY