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Summer Blockbuster Season may be over, but that doesn’t mean that Marvel’s superheroes need to go into hibernation for the cooler months. And the latest action-packed, planet-hopping Avengers adventure, Thor: Ragnarok, manages to heat things back up in theaters.
Thor: Ragnarok opens with Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian God of Thunder imprisoned on a distant planet. When he discovers that Asgard is defenseless and about to be destroyed, he fights his way back home, only to find that his troublemaking brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), has banished their father to Earth and taken over the throne. But things go from bad to worse for Thor and his people when the ruthless Goddess of Death, Hela (Cate Blanchett), returns to stake her own claim to the throne of Asgard.
Audiences have seen Thor in action numerous times since his 2011 debut—but the character never gets old. He may be a powerful god, but he also has a playful sense of humor and a kind of childlike sense of wonder. And Hemsworth once again shines in his latest adventure. The supporting cast here is different—Natalie Portman’s Jane and her colleagues remain back on Earth—but there are plenty of fun new characters to take their place.
Thor: Ragnarok is undeniably Marvel. It’s explosive and visually stunning, visiting a variety of eye-catching sets as it travels from the grand and glorious Asgard to the streets of New York City and the cliffs of Norway to the far reaches of the universe. And it’s all done with the kind of fun-filled playfulness that fits with both the franchise and the character.
At the same time, though, director Taika Waititi brings an extra eccentric flair to the adventure. Not only is it big and thrilling and action-packed, but it’s also wonderfully quirky. In his quest to save Asgard from Hela, Thor ends up on a strange side trip to the planet of Sakaar, where Jeff Goldblum plays the wacky Grandmaster who hosts massive gladiator-style battles. There’s something about the planet that’s reminiscent of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, with its deadly battles and its wildly eccentric characters. Though it’s a pretty rough planet, Sakaar has its own cool style—and it’s given a fun, electronic score to match (courtesy of Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh). Granted, most of this latest Thor adventure is a lengthy side trip. But despite the randomness of it all, it’s all so entertaining that it just works.
It may be November, but that doesn’t mean that it’s time to settle into slower, heavier winter films. Because not only is Thor: Ragnarok a whole lot of fun, but it’s more fun than most of this year’s summer blockbusters.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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