Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is captured by Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) on a gladiatorial planet ruled over by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). In order to win his freedom, he must fight the champion, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). And he must escape quickly as back on Asgard, his sister, Hela-Godess of Death (Cate Blanchett), has taken over, with only the trepidatious Skurge (Karl Ubran) at her side, and she plans a bloody conquest of the universe.

Marvel can’t fail. At least for their theatrical films, it seems they can do no wrong. Every one of the now seventeen MCU films is a winner and in this case, I’m sure not tired of the winning. And this one wins big. It is the brightest, fastest paced entry. It’s one of the best, and for pure joy, it is the best

Thor: Ragnarok is unusual in a franchise that, more and more, is allowing itself a bit of freedom. The biggest difference is the editing. There is no wasted time. There are no pauses for you (or the characters) to dwell on things, or pout, or gaze off at nothing particular (making this THE anti-Bats v Supes film). There are no travelogues. Thor says we’re going to Earth, and we are immediately on Earth. Hela hears a summons in the throne room, and she is immediately in the throne room. This allows for a great deal of story in two hours. If Ragnarok was cut like other MCU films, it would be four hour long. If it was cut like your typical indie drama, it would be around ten. This has lead some to say that it isn’t an emotional a movie, but that’s wrong. It has the emotional beats; it just doesn’t lay there, sinking slowly into them. It squeezes as much emotion—and as much action and humor and meaning and plot and sheer fun—as possible into two hours.

The difference with Ragnarok that everyone notices is that it is a comedy. That doesn’t put it too outside the norm as it is standing close to Guardians of the Galaxy in tone. But this is the first time that I’d call an MCU movie a comedy first, and an action picture second. The humor alone is enough to make this a great time, but the jokes serve the characters as well. Thor has always been pompous, both as a character and as how he is presented. He speaks like he’s a stand-in at a Renaissance faire and he’s accompanied by dramatic music. His arc has been that of an ass, who was completely full of himself, learning humility. But he only learned so much. Thor: Ragnarok takes him down several pegs. Time after time, as he tries to show how awesome he is (or where the previous films would have focused on his power and majesty), he’s tripped, zapped, and made to look like a fool. It’s hysterical, and does a great job of taking him further in his arc.

Director Taika Waititi, known for his indie comedies, pushed the actors to improvise, and has said that 80% of the end dialog was invented while filming. It’s no surprise that Tom Hiddleston is a riot or that Jeff Goldblum is a good time doing basically the Jeff Goldblum shtick. I’m a bit surprised how funny Cate Blanchett can be. But the revelation is Chris Hemsworth. Sure, he’s had some good light moments before, but now I’m ready for the Hemsworth Standup Comedy Tour.

So Thor: Ragnarok is funny. But doesn’t that leave it wanting in action and drama and power? Nope, because after “comedy” the word I’d use to describe this film is “METAL.” And I don’t mean hair METAL or even Metallica METAL. I’m talking Dethklok METAL. This is the most METAL movie ever made. Ground zero is Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song—present in the trailers, but far more powerful in the film. The phrase “Hammer of the Gods” is used literally. Ragnarok then adds the imagery from a metal-head’s dreams. This is gods and monsters and trolls and devils. Shot after shot could be pulled for an ‘80s album cover. This is head-banging, devil-horn signaling METAL. That means that this is epic in a beautifully over-the-top fashion and isn’t embarrassed about it. The battles aren’t introspective narratives; they are heroic poems of mystic legends. The genius of Ragnarok is its ability to weave the self-deprecating comedy with a larger than life, legendary saga.

And I haven’t mentioned half of the reasons to see this film: Mark Ruffalo and Hulk give you everything you’ve ever wanted from the green rage monster. Tessa Thompson brings a sorely needed powerful female hero into the MCU with the hard-drinking Valkyrie. Benedict Cumberbatch’s long cameo as Doctor Strange is better than the entire Doctor Strange movie (and leads me to believe that perhaps the Sorcerer Supreme is best used in a supporting role). Anthony Hopkins makes Odin his most sympathetic. Taika Waititi put himself into the film, doing the voice of Korg, the rock gladiator; he is a full clown character that elicited roars of laughter from the audience. Only Idris Elba’s Heimdall doesn’t give us anything interesting or fun, but I suppose someone had to make sure the plot moved along.

Karl Urban’s Skurge demonstrates how brilliantly crafted this film is. He doesn’t get that much screen time, yet he has a meaningful and satisfying arc. In only minutes, he becomes a wholly realized character, and one I will remember.

Thor: Ragnarok even has thematic elements dealing with the past and how that creates personal and cultural identity, sometimes for the good, sometimes not, but it can never be ignored. So yes, this is a smarter film than most reviews realize, but I’ll agree with others that depth isn’t what captured me: It’s comedy and METAL. Thor: Ragnarok is a great addition to the MCU and the best film I’ve seen this year.

 

(Thor: Ragnarok Trailer, but see the film first–the trailer(s) give away too much)