Posted in: Kaitlyn Booth, Marvel Studios, Movies, Review | Tagged: film, HRL, marvel, Review, Thor: Ragnarok

Thor: Ragnarok Review: Funny, But A Structural Mess And Lacking Heart

Thor: Ragnarok has plenty of visual flair and some laughs, but is a structural mess and lacks the heart of other Marvel movies.

Director: Taika Waititi
Summary: Imprisoned, the mighty Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.

The first two Thor movies are two of the weaker entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not that they're bad, but they've had a hard time finding their footing in a way other Marvel movies haven't. So when it was announced that Taika Waititi was taking over the third Thor movie to send in a radically new direction, people were interested. The cast, the part of those movies that has worked flawlessly, was still there — so now it was time to try something new.

In a year that featured two other (quite good) Marvel movies and a DC movie that nearly changed the world overnight, it was time for Thor: Ragnarok to close out the Marvel year with a bang. Unfortunately, while Thor: Ragnarok is good, there are some parts of it that just don't work and keep it from being great.

The main problem with this movie comes down to structure — there really isn't one. There is a lot going on, and it all bounces around so much that it's hard to keep any of it straight half the time. It's a mess, and to say that it gets a bit chaotic would be generous. And the chaotic nature of everything about the movie makes the admittedly large stakes — in this case the literal end of the world for Asgard — feel like they don't really matter.

The movie overall, while it will have a major impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, still comes across as inconsequential. Perhaps the humor makes everything feel like it doesn't really matter — or maybe there isn't any time for the movie to slow down, take a breath, and let the magnitude of what just happened really sink in for either the characters or the audience.

There are also elements that really just don't fit together. While it's fun to see Jeff Goldblum in the MCU, he's really, for lack of a better word, too Goldblum in this movie. His scenes come across as overly irreverent toward Goldblum. While all of the scenes on Sakaar work, they still come across as a lot of meandering.

While all of this comes across as overly negative, there is a lot to like here. Hela (Cate Blanchett) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) both elevate the movie to an entirely new level. Blanchett is a born villain, and the way she chews the scenery is just fantastic to watch. Thompson is not only a born movie star, but a born action star. Valkyrie quickly becomes one of the most interesting characters in Marvel right now, and if they are smart, they're going to give her more to do in the future.

The dynamic between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) continues to work, even if it's becoming more and more apparent with each film that Loki is only here because he's a fan favorite. The final reveal of the third act is not what you'll expect, and it's pretty ballsy for a family movie. Finally, the humor mostly works — even if it does diminish the overall impact of the film.

Thor: Ragnarok is not a bad movie — not by a long shot. But compared to the other work this director has done and how good those first trailers were, it is a bit of a letdown. It's almost hard to come up with a way to describe the problems with the movie without coming off as overly negative when the movie itself is fine. So here's Mark Seifert hitting the nail on the head:

"It's developed comic book problems. It's got a lot of history it needs to honor, and it's got a specific place it needs to lead up to. Very common comic book problem."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!