I’ve never really been a fan of Thor. I know this may make
me a blasphemer, but I’ve never been much into the whole god’s thing or
gladiators for that matter. You can probably add dragons to that list with the
exceptions being Harry Potter and Bruce Lee. So it wasn’t really a shock that I
wasn’t into the either of the first two Thor films. The only word that comes to
mind when talking about those films is forgettable because I don’t really
remember them. Maybe it’s just me, but they are the weak links in the MCU.
I have a feeling that the producers and creators of the
third outing from the Son of Odin felt the same way because Thor Ragnarok really
swerves into something that the previous films did not have. It’s an adventure that’s
tongue in cheek, not taking itself too seriously, which is quite refreshing in
the film landscape we have today.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns from high adventure to find
his father being mimicked by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and forces him to find and
return their dad to his rightful place. After a bit of cameo by Dr. Strange
(Benedict Cumberbatch) that could have been awkward, but actually works in the
tone of this film, they find Odin (Anthony Hopkins) preparing for his death and
the eventual return of Hela(Cate Blanchett), the hell beast daughter who wants
total control of Asgard, meaning she needs to get rid of her siblings.
They’re sidetracked on a world that is dotted with junk and
ran by The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum in full Goldblum mode) who uses Thor as a
plaything to compete against his champion, The Hulk. Along with the fallen hero
Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) they embark on stopping Hela and regaining control of
Asgard.
What’s great about Thor Ragnarok is that it veers off into
territory that is rarely charted with success being even more fleeting. Instead
of the typical comic adventure story, this time the camp button is pushed a
little bit more than usual delivering a feel reminiscent of Flash Gordon or Big
Trouble In Little China. The film is comedic without making the heroes and
villains bumbling idiots, which is a tightrope act when making a movie such as
this. Even though this is his third solo outing, Thor as a character feels as
though he grows the most in this third chapter. He goes from being quite full
of himself in the beginning to modesty as a leader during a tragic time for his
people. Director Taika Waititi almost reboots the character into something more
entertaining for the audience.
The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and even keeps
running during the Dr. Strange cameo by making the scene fun instead of the
typical advertisement. “Hey, we have other superhero movies!” Sure, the scene
wasn’t really needed, but it still works. It could have bogged down, but didn’t. I had reservations seeing this film since I
didn’t care for the first two, but this one surpassed my expectations. Thor
Ragnarok has really set up a track for future films that makes them a bit more
interesting and more importantly, a bit more fun. I dare say that at this point
this is one of the best films from the MCU.
