(No spoilers are contained within this review.)
Premiering in theatres last Friday, Thor: Ragnarok marks the first on-screen appearance of Thor since 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, and returns Loki to an audience quite eager after a four year wait. The film also introduces us to new characters such as Valkyrie, Korg and Miek, and the delightfully over-the-top Grand Master.
The film, directed by Taika Waititi, centers around the attempts of Hela to rule over Asgard, along with Thor’s mission to stop her. Despite the obvious severity of the situation, Ragnarok thankfully manages to maintain a much lighter tone than Age of Ultron, and averts the at-times forced drama that clouded Ultron‘s already cramped plot, achieving a tone more similar to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy than any MCU film since.
Ragnarok uses humor expertly, diffusing tense situations while still maintaining their impact. Director Waititi has stated that “probably 80 percent of the film” was improvised, which show through in the film by way of allowing the character’s conversations to appear natural and realistic. This improv also allowed for one of the most memorable lines from the film, in which Thor, upon seeing Hulk for the first time in several years, declares him to be a “friend from work.”
The film’s lack of forced conflict allows for more character development than several previous Marvel movies, while keeping the film fast-paced and engaging. Overall, Thor: Ragnarok is likely the best film to come out of the Marvel universe, and is definitely worth the 2+ hours necessary to take in it’s full run-time.
anjemm 