Thor: Ragnarok - Review - Mind on Movies

R: November 3rd, 2017 | R: 112 minutes | R: PG-13

Thor: Ragnarok brings the god of thunder back to the big screen along with several other familiar characters. The previous two movies struggled with bringing Thor into the modern world and not really utilizing how funny it could be since he’s so out of place. In fact they were easily forgotten among the popular Marvel movies but did Ragnarok changed this?

Thor: Ragnarok brings a new storyline where Thor realizes how much Asgard has changed since he last left. In fact there are two people fighting to overthrow Asgard, Hela the goddess of death and the demon Surtur who wants to fulfill his prophecy of burning Asgard to the ground.

In true Marvel Studios fashion there are numerous subplots that help keep the plot dynamic. In most other films it works but in Thor it usually meant Loki overpowered Thor and/or we never really got to see his character other than in 99% battle mode. This is not the case in Thor: Ragnarok despite there being so many well known characters and actors surrounding the titular Avenger. Even though there are many antagonists, they take a back burner to the more hilarious scenes which they continuously flip to. This works because the battle scenes are done well in this film and we really get to see what Thor is made of while getting lots of laughs as well.

I think what really sets this movie apart is the time spent on the planet Sakaar where viewers meet the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who collects warriors across the universe to fight gladiator style. His antics are of a goofy psychopath calling Thor “Sparkles” and emphasizing the front phonetic sound of Asgard. Also the battle that takes place here (I won’t give any spoilers away I promise!) is sure to be memorable because of the huge change we see from Thor which left me excited to see what will come from him in the future.

I would say that this is Thor’s best film yet. He seems to have found his niche in Marvel’s lineup and wants out of being arguably the most boring Avenger based on his previous two movies. He still has the “I am a god” aura about him but is more humorous and powerful in this installment making him a force to be reckoned with.

Worth mentioning, there were ties into the upcoming film Infinity Wars so make sure to brush up on your Marvel Movies. In addition there are two post-credit scenes so make sure to stick around!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ashley (Senior Contributor) is an Orlando native who loves watching movies. Her favorite genres include comedies, thrillers and sci-fi.
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The God of Thunder (played by Chris Hemsworth) has been imprisoned and forced to fight gladiator style against his formal ally, the Incredible Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo). But while all that madness is going on, Hela (played by Cate Blanchett) is on a mission to attack and rule Asgard as well as the rest of the Cosmic Universe. This leaves hammerless Thor all to himself to escape prison and save his home world.

This film is directed by Taika Wait (who previously directed “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows”) and while he did do a good job on the film, I had one major flaw with it. It simply was not creative. What I mean by that is it uses the same formulas as the majority of the other Marvel films. It left me leaving the theater simply satisfied, but there was not much to talk about. To dive in deeper, I will start with the acting. Chris Hemsworth (previously seen in “Thor” and “Rush”) did a good job, he added plenty of humor and action to the film. Tom Hiddleston (previously seen in “Crimson Peak” and “Kong: Skull Island”) and Anthony Hopkins (previously seen in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Elephant Man”) did good jobs playing their characters, as seen in the previous films. Cate Blanchett (previously seen in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) honestly gave a dry and forgettable performance (Just like many other Marvel villains). Now there are two characters that I absolutely adored in this film. Korg (played by the director himself) was absolutely hilarious, and I would love to see him back in the MCU again. Benedict Cumberbatch’s (previously seen in “The Imitation Game” and “Black Mass”) Doctor Strange was fantastic. It was his normal self, but his scene with Thor was absolutely fantastic.

This film has many throwbacks to the 90’s, and while I felt like it was stealing the Guardian’s thing, it was still very fun. And the music was great. “Thor: Ragnarok” also included some great expansion of the Cosmic Universe. It also had some of the best fights in the MCU. Now the humor I am very conflicted on, half works and half does not. But it has a large amount of comedy, almost enough to classify this film as a straight up comedy with some action in it. This is another thing that had me mixed about. It does not feel like a Thor film. I mean it works, It just is nothing like its counterparts. Now two major flaws that also hindered the score were that there was a lot of explanation as to what was going on, and quite a bit of noticeable CGI.

To conclude this review, “Thor: Ragnarok” is a good movie. If I saw it five years ago I would have been very impressed. But I have seen this formula many other times, It felt very unoriginal. But do not get me wrong, It is a fun ride with awesome action and plenty of humor. Keeping all of this into consideration I think that you can wait to see it in theaters once they calm down or wait until it comes out on streaming services.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Cabell (Contributor) is a filmmaker from Tampa, Florida. He will watch just about any film but when he's not reviewing the latest hits he spends time directing films of his own.
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