"Thor: Ragnarok" makes an unconventional take on the Marvel formula. Risky? Definitely. But does it work? A resounding yes. Not everything is smooth-sailing with its heavy-handed, story-driven first half but the all-too-familiar smash-fest second half mightily delivers in terms of spectacular superhero entertainment.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is accidentally imprisoned on the other side of the universe at a planet called Sakaar led by a whimsical leader called the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). With his mighty hammer destroyed by a new and all-powerful threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett), Thor finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization. But first, he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest against the Grandmaster's champion - his former ally and fellow Avenger — the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
"Thor: Ragnarok" is a film with two clear-cut identities. The first-half is an introduction that swiftly wipes out all past histories we know about Odin and a second half that culminates into the large-scale fights that ramp up from fight to fight. The second one is a hit of familiarity for any superhero films. At this point, these CGI-filled scenes still haven't gotten stale in our books and with an intermix of jokes, puns and one-liners that's more akin to a "Guardians of the Galaxy" production, these sequences are just awesome and fun in "Thor: Ragnarok". Unfortunately, as colorful and lively the second half was, "Thor: Ragnarok" takes a tumble in its story-driven first half. While the mystery of Odin's past is intriguing, the film's approach on moving back and forth between Thor and Hela to reveal all of its secrets was mostly uneven and kept the momentum from building up. Imagine the film leading up to something big but suddenly transitions to another character and to another scene. This cliffhanger approach happens countless times and was jarring and frustrating. Luckily, once we get the much-anticipated gladiatorial battle between the God of Thunder and Hulk, the film snowballs into fun.
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
Plot-wise, as we mentioned, Odin's real backstory was great. It sort of reboots whatever happened before. The actual plot of the film is likewise the same. It has its own surprises and more importantly, sets the mold for a slew of films for Thor, Loki, Hulk and a bunch of new interesting characters. On the acting department, everyone was simply top-notch. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo are definitely loving their roles at this point while Cate Blanchett was hella fun to watch as the Hela. Overall, "Thor: Ragnarok" is another great film from the guys at Marvel Studios. It's not their best but is unique enough to be a great experience.
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
Rating: 4 reels
Why you should watch it:
- unique comobination of fun and hilarity
- tells the real tale of Odin and his background
- the action is still mesmerizing as ever
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the story-driven first half was slow and uneven
Why you should watch it:
- unique comobination of fun and hilarity
- tells the real tale of Odin and his background
- the action is still mesmerizing as ever
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the story-driven first half was slow and uneven
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