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Thor: Ragnarok

Thor Ragnarok: Best Marvel Movie Yet?

  • Cate BlanchettChris Hemsworth...
  • FantasyScience Fiction
  • Taika Waititi
reviewed by
Marija Loncarevic
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Thor Ragnarok: Best Marvel Movie Yet?

Following the relatively lukewarm reception of 2011’s Thor and its dark and somewhat dull 2013 follow up, Thor: The Dark World; the God-of-Thunder returns for a third solo-feature in Thor: Ragnarok. The visually dazzling and refreshingly-witty offbeat installment to the seemingly unstoppable MCU franchise proves to be a third-time charm for the charismatic hammer-loving superhero.

The story opens up with the prince of Asgard, Thor (Hemsworth), stealing the skull of the fire demon, Surtur, to prevent the prophesized destruction of Asgard, Ragnarok, from happening. Returning to Asgard, Thor is surprised to see that his adopted brother, Loki (Hiddleston being his scene-stealing self), has not perished after all and the two brothers soon travel down to Earth, to look for their missing father, Odin (Hopkins). However, what the boys soon uncover is the return of Hela (Blanchett in a devilishly-biting performance) a.k.a ‘Goddess of Death’; Odin’s first-born-daughter, whom, having helped him conquer worlds, he locked away for proving to be too dangerous.

Losing a battle with her in the Bifrost, the burning rainbow bridge that connects Earth to Asgard, Thor soon finds himself thrown over Sakaar; an alien junk planet that is run by the eccentric and mischievously-creepy Grandmaster (Goldblum), who puts The God of Thunder to work as a gladiator, challenging him to fight Sakaar’s currently unbeatable champion, Hulk (Ruffalo). Also in Sakaar is Valkyrie (kick-ass Teesa Thompson); a no-nonsense bounty hunter, to whom Thor soon reaches out for help in order to return to his kingdom and put a stop to Hela and her army of the dead, for good.

Taking a step onto a new direction, Thor: Ragnarok is not your everyday MCU movie; unlike the rest of the installments, this one delivers the material with a certain lightness, reminiscent of what was seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy for example, but only richer in terms of foundation. And with the heavy dose of comedy throughout, the movie has a catchy vibe that is hard to shake off.

More like a rendition of an 80’s space-opera film, like Flash Gordon or Logan’s Run, than a straight-up Marvel’s film; the visuals and the setting, of Sakaar in particular, are outstanding. However, there is one particular flashback scene, which portrays the Valkyries facing off Hela in a battle, which stands out the most, stretching the movie’s undeniable and stupendous quality even further.

The performances are equally giving with Hemsworth proving to be more than just a muscle-flexing superhero, whilst Blanchett is a true force to be reckoned with; the Oscar-winning actress was clearly having the time of her live as the first MCU female villain ever. Also, the green ball of fury, Hulk, is a cherished presence, while Goldblum is a real hoot as the whacky Sakaar Grandmaster.

Adding value to an already-solid outing, Mark Mothersbaugh’s mesmerising synth score, as well as the two fitting uses of Led Zeppelin’s classic Immigrant Song, is what gives the movie its undeniable edge. Exhilarating, funny and visually superior to all of the other previous MCU entries, Thor: Ragnarok is a real treat and a movie that definitely proves to be yet another successful entry into the forever-expanding Marvel Comics Universe.

Like This? Try

Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), The Avengers (2012)                                    

360 Tip

Most of the dialogue in the film was improvised.

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