THOR: RAGNAROK review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Thor: Ragnarok is a 2017 film directed by Taika Waititi, and of course released by Disney as all Marvel pictures are. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, and Cate Blanchett, it is the third Thor film but rather than being the fantasy adventures we saw in the first two, this is a sci-fi/fantasy comedy through and through. It was met with rave reviews and was a huge hit with audiences too. Now, I'm a big Waititi fan and am planning to review a few of his other films in the coming days including What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The consistent theme among these films of course being that they're all incredible.


Thor: Ragnarok is visually stunning, as Marvel movies just are. Its locales are sprawling and well-rendered, its costumes are splendid. The fight scenes are the fun, crowd-pleasing stuff you want from these kinds of blockbuster films--if you're watching a Thor movie, you shouldn't expect John Wick or Equilibrium action scenes, of course. This is not to say that Ragnarok's brawls are merely good for what they are, but that they are near perfect for what they are and your tastes when it comes to action will decide if this is the kind of thing you want in your fights. Visuals aside, the original music is engaging and the type you could see yourself listening to outside of the film even. The OST may not have Volkor X, Meteor, Hollywood Burns, or other synth favorites of yours truly, but it does have Magic Sword which is a definite plus. The existing vocal songs used consist of tunes from Van Halen and similar bands, and like the synth fits excellently with Ragnarok's rip-roaring spectacle.


This is not a film buoyed by its narrative, by any stretch, but the story on offer is executed well enough. It never gets in the way of what you're coming here for, which is what works for a film like this. The characters are all likeable and Thor has a good chunk of character development going on here. It's well written, with smooth dialogue. Also top-notch is the pacing, which never leaves you feeling bored because nothing is going on.


But this is a comedy, so it needs to be funny for it to be worth a damn. Now, your mileage will of course vary as humor is a particularly odd thing, but I personally found Rag to be brilliant on this front. A constant stream of jokes, all of them winners; the deluge of gags is so much that I forgot one after watching, went on Reddit, saw someone posting about it, and I just started giggling about it again. Further elevating the humor is a slew of great performances with great delivery and comedic timing.


Thor: Ragnarok is not the type of film that was ever going to win the big awards or win over every audience member. But it is the kind that I foresee becoming a hallmark people rewatch lots. A real good time, and maybe my favorite Waititi film yet. Thor: Ragnarok gets a 10/10.

Master-class

Summary:
One of the very best Marvel flicks out there, by far. It does what it does effortlessly.

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