Thor: Ragnarok
Composite Score: 82.54
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Taika Waititi, Rachel House, and Anthony Hopkins
Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher L. Yost
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Superhero
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material
Box Office: $853.98 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Thor: Ragnarok is the third installment of the Thor franchise of films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Taika Waititi, this film sees the “God of Thunder” facing off against his previously unknown sister, Hela, the Goddess of Death, as he tries to prevent Ragnarok, the foretold destruction of his homeworld of Asgard. The film features Chris Hemsworth in the starring role, supported by Tom Hiddleston as his trickster brother Loki, Mark Ruffalo as the dual personalities of Bruce Banner and Hulk, and the new additions of Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Taika Waititi as Korg. In terms of superhero films, few can match the wild combination of humor, action, and visuals that comprise Thor: Ragnarok, which is why it stands out among the plethora of releases in that genre from the past twenty to thirty years. Ragnarok blends those elements beautifully into a uniquely great film that will regrettably be poorly emulated for years to come.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
There are two major gripes against Thor: Ragnarok that I’d like to address here, which are legitimate issues with this arguably surprise hit of a film. Firstly, there are those who point out that Ragnarok, while more original than some of its predecessors in the MCU, still feels for the most part like your standard Marvel fare. There’s a new villain, related to the hero that the hero has to find new powers within themselves to defeat. Along the way, there’s a colorful cast of supporting characters (a blend of old and new) and plenty of quippy one-liners to keep the audience distracted from some of the film’s more dire stakes. These detractors would follow-up by pointing out the ways that this format limits Waititi’s filmmaking and that the film lacks the originality of his more “indie” films What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. To some extent, this gripe holds water. Now, in hindsight (post-Love and Thunder), we can see that these limitations probably brought this film the relatively universal acclaim that it currently enjoys, but it’s near universal for a reason, and not everyone is going to be pleased.
Secondly, Ragnarok has a similar issue to many of the Phase 3 and on Marvel films – namely, that it requires some knowledge of the wider MCU in order to fully enjoy it. Jokes about Thor using Black Widow’s lullaby on Hulk, Tony Stark’s nickname for Thor, and even brief references to the prior two Thor films will fly over the heads of any viewers choosing Ragnarok as their first MCU dabble. While this is again a legitimate gripe, the rest of the film’s relative originality and plentiful original characters, locales, and jokes more than make up for any brief confusion on the part of a new viewer.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Firstly, Thor: Ragnarok has some of the most stunning visuals in the MCU. The effects artists, costume designers, and production designers use color, light, and shadow beautifully to create several specific scenes that look like pieces of art in the midst of a psychedelic light show. The embrace of the brightness of so many of the Thor comic books and the constant contrast between light and dark create a beautifully enthralling piece of film to watch. Ragnarok is a refreshing dip into a tonal brightness away from the darkness and monochrome of its first two predecessors, and it has been rewarded with both critical and audience approval.
In addition, Ragnarok utilizes some particularly entertaining action set pieces to cement itself among the greatest superhero films of all time. Starting with Thor’s daring escape from Surtur’s realm that ends with the Bifrost beheading some kind of hell-dragon, this superhero film lets its audience know exactly what is in store in this film. Hela’s conquest of Asgard showcases the villain’s seemingly insurmountable power in a way that leaves the audience in total awe of this new player in the Thor saga. Obviously, the Thor vs. Hulk fight delivers on a much-teased conflict between the two in a way that doesn’t feel overly shoehorned or forced. The final battle on the Bifrost in Asgard brings the culmination of all the action pieces of the rest of the movie, delivering stunning visuals, a fun soundtrack, and completing its characters’ story arcs all in one swoop. From front to back, the action pieces of Ragnarok consistently deliver and leave the audience satisfied.
Finally, you can’t talk about a Taika Waititi film, and specifically Thor: Ragnarok, without mentioning the constant barrage of jokes that land, in this case, right around 80% of the time. Waititi is known for an irreverent sense of humor and filling serious situations with defusing humor, and it works brilliantly in this film. By allowing Hemsworth, Thompson, Hiddleston, Ruffalo, Goldblum, and even Urban to showcase their comedic chops, Ragnarok does what none of the other Thor films had done up to this point – make the audience really like Thor from start to finish. The original had moments (drinking with Selvig and the “ANOTHER!” scene) that showed Thor’s potential as a lovable character, not just a beefy action star, and its sequel gave some emotion to the character, but nothing had quite given audiences reason to care about Thor like Ragnarok does by showing his human sense of humor. People love Tony Stark because of his wittiness, not the suit. People love Captain America because of his unintentionally funny man-out-of-time comedy. Ragnarok gave Thor that same lovability.
By utilizing its director’s brand of comedy for Thor, showcasing consistently entertaining action sequences, and delivering a consistently beautiful visual tableau, Thor: Ragnarok cements itself not only as one of the best superhero movies of all time but also one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Its external MCU references, though limited, and hesitancy to deviate too heavily from the “Marvel formula” might keep some people from fully embracing its greatness, but it remains a highlight in Marvel’s lineup for sure. This film is currently available to stream on Disney+ if you are interested in checking it out.
