Thor: Ragnarok - Review
This post contains minimum spoilers for Thor: Ragnarok.
The Thor films are a divisive topic among MCU and Marvel fans alike. Some people find the original Thor to be one of the best MCU films to date, while others point out the shortcomings and view them as the weakest points in this giant film franchise. With Mark Ruffalo's Hulk entering the fray of the Thor franchise, can Thor: Ragnarok bounce back after two sub-par outings?
One of the weak points of the previous Thor films is their relentless usage of attempted drama to create plot. The fault here is that this drama just never works, we as viewers never get invested in the issues facing Asgard and it's favorite son Thor. Thor: Ragnarok makes a necessary change to the Thor character, which is tapping into Chris Hemsworth's natural skill of comedic timing. Right away at the beginning of the film the comedy hits hard, and never stops throughout the entire movie. There were a few gags in my mind that may have overextended, but in general it didn't let me down.
Visually, the planet of Sakaar looks great. From the moment Thor lands on this trash-heap, you can tell it's nothing like seen before in the Thor franchise. We're used to the bright and shining landscapes of Asgard, and their natural look of Earth. Sakaar takes a different tone, almost looking like something out of a Blade Runner film. This was the start of what confused me about Thor, and it only grew as the film continued.
Outside of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston's Thor and Loki, two fantastically portrayed characters are that of The Grand Master (Jeff Goldblum) and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Jeff Goldbum is of course Jeff Goldblum in this movie. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, as The Grand Master was written FOR him. With this in mind, he plays the role well and performs his common niche well. The Hulk takes on a form of his own and has perhaps the best arc throughout the entire film. With Bruce Banner's story just beginning and continuing over two more films, this was a great start to the battle between The Hulk and Bruce. The Hulk himself becomes a character and not just a mindless monster. You realize quickly in this movie that Hulk is just a child, and feels like everyone else around him dislikes him and the only way he can be happy is by doing what he does. Again, with Hulk experiencing the most adversity throughout the film, I again get the strange feeling that the Thor franchise is moving in the wrong/but right direction.
My concerns about Thor as a film series are focused on the aspects of Thor: Ragnarok that aren't connected to Thor. Two thirds of this film are essentially a Planet Hulk film, with Thor fitting in as a supporting character. We spend a majority of the time away from Asgard and on Sakaar, further cutting the tie to Thor's mythos. With this in mind, I am beginning to see the method with which Marvel will attempt to continue this franchise. In order to create a good Thor film, stories from other major characters must be implemented and retrofitted to include Thor in a major way. While Marvel is smart to do this, I believe the smarter plan moving forward would be to make Thor the new Hulk: an excellent supporting role in any other film.
With those concerns out of the way, and seeing that they don't reflect on the appeal of Thor: Ragnarok I can recommend this movie wholeheartedly. The comedy alone makes it worth the price of admission, and the new Thor/Hulk dynamic keeps you watching and by the end you can't believe how much has changed in such a short amount of time. Thor is finally done right.
