With Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel continues their 2017 streak of making fresh and exciting superhero movies.
It is important to clear any misconceptions about the movie now at the beginning: it is a comedy first, then a superhero movie. This could be seen as a bit of a disappointment considering that Marvel has not really done a conventional superhero movie since Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Instead, this shows that Marvel is able to adapt to avoid franchise fatigue. Some of the movies following Age of Ultron are more superhero-like than others, but Thor: Ragnarok feels like the first one that really deprioritizes the superhero element.
Tonally and visually, Thor: Ragnarok is most similar to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. However, Guardians of the Galaxy feels more like a funny superhero movie, while Thor: Ragnarok is actually a comedy.
This is obvious through how meticulously each scene is filmed to maximize the comedic potential. There is a general and fun storyline, but it pairs nicely with the humor. It clearly takes the time to tell jokes, no matter how lengthy they are. Thankfully, the payout is incredibly rewarding.
The major element that suffers as a result of this is the character development. Characters such as Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) have minor character arcs. However, these arcs are more superficial and in service to the greater story rather than genuinely developing character.
Meanwhile, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are essentially the same throughout the movie. Thankfully, both of these characters have been significantly improved since previous Marvel movies. As the trailers indicate, Hulk is able to speak. Because Hulk is present for much of the film, this change was necessary to allow him to communicate with the characters.
With the addition of speech, Hulk still feels true to character. Instead of just being a weapon, Hulk actually feels like a character, and it is entertaining to watch him interact with others. Additionally, Bruce Banner even has a chance to do more in the film as he actually feels involved in the story outside of having to mope about being Hulk and use his science skills.
It should be frustrating how significantly Thor changed between Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron. He goes from being a relatively dull character who is only funny by being unfamiliar with his surroundings to a genuinely humorous character. It is such a drastic shift that he almost becomes a different character. But this change was much needed to turn him into a compelling and interesting character, and he only improves with Thor: Ragnarok.
Cate Blanchett portrays Hela, who is remarkably the first female primary villain in a Marvel movie. Blanchett’s performance is outstanding, as usual, but unfortunately, Hela is not one of Marvel’s strongest villains. Thankfully, Hela also gets to take part in the humor, and even though some of her scenes are incredibly dark, these scenes still maintain the comedic momentum. Hela is an entertaining villain due to the performance and humor, but she is just not compelling.
The real all-star of this movie is Thompson’s Valkyrie. Valkyrie easily becomes Marvel’s most interesting female superhero and even one of the most interesting superheroes overall. Despite hailing from a class of warrior women, Valkyrie’s character does not rely on gender at all.
Valkyrie is thankfully not subjected to becoming a love interest, and is a fantastic addition to the team. Valkyrie is so incredible mostly because her demeanor is unusual for a character in a superhero movie, particularly for a female character.
Another standout character is Korg, whose voice and motion capture are performed by the director, Taika Waititi. Korg is a joy to watch and adds a little extra silliness, which significantly elevates the humor as a whole. It also goes without saying that Jeff Goldblum’s performance as Grandmaster is hilarious as well. Additionally, Thor: Ragnarok has some of the best cameos of any Marvel movie.
Thor: Ragnarok is the first Marvel movie that is simply pure fun. It does drag a bit toward the end, but the ending is nothing like any other Marvel movie which, for the most part, redeems it. The ending is courageous for a superhero movie because it is shockingly practical. Thor: Ragnarok is silly throughout and it never takes itself seriously, which is the best result after the mess that was Thor: The Dark World.
Grade: A-