Posted in: Movies | Tagged: film, HRL, marvel, movie, Review, Thor: Ragnarok

Thor: Ragnarok Review: The Best Of The Thor Films

Thor: Ragnarok is one of those all-too-rare comics-inspired films that work amazingly well on their own. You don't need to have watched the preceding 16 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies nor be a longtime comic reader to enjoy the heck out of it. It's part buddy-cop adventures (along the lines of 48 Hours), part family struggles (Oscar), part getting the diverse band together (Blues Brothers, maybe), part Gladiator, and part Superman.

It's all those constituent parts, but at the same time it has a solid narrative. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been out running around the universe hunting for the Infinity Stones when he's picked up another cursed demonic object (this time a skull/crown combo), and needs to bring it the vaults back home on Asgard (kind of like a gods-version of Warehouse 13). He discovers that Loki (Tom Hiddelston) isn't really dead (boo), but that means Thor still has his adoptive brother (yeah!).

They find Odin (Anthony Hopkins) lounging in Norway overlooking the sea waiting for them. He drops the bombshell on them that they have an older sister (the goddess of death no less, Hela, played by Cate Blanchett). Who is handily stronger than either of the brothers (which she proves by stopping Thor's hammer midflight with one hand without a twitch).

Thor and Loki both know when it's a good time to cut and run, and Thor winds up captive and forced into fighting gladiatorial style against his old friend from the Avengers, The Hulk. This is the first time we get Hulk as Hulk for an extended period of time rather than just when in the midst of a battle. Mark Ruffalo is still only of the most under-appreciated actors in the Avengers lineup and it's nice to see him finally get some time to have something to work with.

Though watching him mop the ground with Thor is pretty priceless in any event.

The breakout performance in this film, however is the fallen Valkyrie (the only name given for her in the film is Scrapper 142), played by Tessa Thompson. The Valkyries are even on Asgard a near-mythic elite guard who ride on Pegasi to defend the realm. The flashback scenes when Scrapper tells her story is worth a film all on it's own. Having that force in tandem with the Amazon army from Wonder Woman would be something epic to throw against any opponent. Pity we only get glimpses of both in flashbacks and brief moment in both of their respective films.

It's a fun film, and it feels more like a comic film than nearly any of the recent MCU entries. The character of Thor is pivoted a bit to the point that he's far more engaging than only being the pretty-boy Viking with the big hammer. This time he's not invulnerable, and in fact, he's the one coming into most of the film's acts as the underdog trying to keep one step ahead from being crushed like a grape.

The film has two credit scenes (one of which is at the very end).

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