REVIEW: Thor: Ragnarok is a funny, visually stunning, and action packed film.
By Maxen Olvera, Staff Writer
Thor: Ragnarok is the 17th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This film was directed by Taika Waititi and stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. The plot centers around Thor as he goes through a journey of self-discovery without his all-powerful hammer. Thor spends most of his journey trying to escape the planet Sakaar where he is forced to fight his friend from work, Hulk for the Grandmaster’s pleasure. Once Thor and his fellow Avenger escape Sakaar they realize they must become allies with Valkyrie and head to Asgard to stop Hela the goddess of death and prevent Ragnarok, a term in the film used to describe the end of all things.
This is a superhero film that benefits from its amazing actors and the phenomenal direction of Taika Waititi. What makes this film special is the comedy, that has audiences laughing with nearly every line. Characters such as Thor, Hulk, and Korg provide most of the humor for the movie. Waititi plays the character of Korg. Most of those clever lines were a result of the film being 80% improvisation. This also stems from the great vibe on set with the director encouraging the actors to show their comedy chops. The quick thinking of the actors and Waititi’s direction makes Ragnarok MCU’s funniest film.
The visuals in this movie categorizes it as Marvel’s most colorful film. The planet of Sakaar contains astonishing sights within its environment. The buildings on Sakaar are vibrant with colors and the characters on the planet have a unique color and pattern . All the visuals are reminiscent of the classic marvel comics that were originally drawn by Jack Kirby. Kirby co created Thor and drew iconic scenes within the comics. Some of those very visuals are displayed perfectly in this film.
Thor: Ragnarok is one of the greatest superhero films of all time. That is a phenomenal accomplishment for a third installment of a franchise to do. On the other hand, Thor’s previous films did not receive as much praise from fans or critics and were considered some of the worst films of the MCU. This movie is the highest rated of the Thor trilogy with a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Marvel’s decision to allow Chris Hemsworth to improvise his lines and give Taika Waititi the director’s job makes Ragnarok the most amusing and the most unique Thor film in the franchise yet.