THOR RAGNAROK REVIEW: Is Thor finally worthy?

Does lightning strike thrice for the god of thunders third solo outing?

“DING DING!” It’s round three for one of earth’s mightiest heroes and boy does he pack a powerful punch. Thor: Ragnarok hits theatres, with resounding praise, as the comedic take on The God of Thunder goes down a storm.

Thor has always been the runt of the MCU (Ironic, I know…). With a lackluster introduction to the character, I felt Thor’s solo adventures had run out of juice. But behold the power of laughter! Despite the attempt of the previous two directors in the Thor franchise, Kenneth Brannagh and Alan Taylor, to bring the Asgardian to life. Its Taiki Waititi’s indie quirks that really make Thor zing. Brannagh and Taylor’s grandiose take on Thor can be forgiven though; he does hail from Norse mythology after all. But with a naturally comedic, golden haired hunk such as Chris Hemsworth in the titular role, comedy is a no-brainer.

Christ Hemsworth is perfect as Thor. Not just because to his godlike stature, but also his endearing charm. Thor is the quintessential ‘nice-guy’ jock; The vain, endearing, champ with a heart of Asgardian gold. Hemsworth finally gets the material he deserves to bring Thor alive.

Now, no Thor movie is complete without Loki. Tom Hiddleston himself likes to cause mischief, but this time it actually works. Loki is relevant and welcome to the story, adding a brotherly bear hug to the movie. Thor and Loki’s dynamic proves you can’t choose your family, and sometimes that’s a good thing. Loki’s role is smaller, yet pleasant. It does beg the question however; do we need Loki in other MCU offerings?

With good guys a plenty across the MCU it’s time we got a worthy villain. Cue Hela. With a killer look and unshakeable confidence, Cate Blanchett exquisitely breathes life into the Goddess of Death and there’s nothing you can do about it. Female villain haters be gone, Blanchett’s performance is impeccable. She’s dark, evil, seductive and deliciously self-assured. She epitomises the tiresome tyrant who just wants to rule the cosmos already goddamit! more Hela please.    

The remaining cast is suitably stellar and all with surprising comedic talent. Mark Ruffalo as Banner is less boring when buddied with Thor and even funnier as the ‘Big Guy’. Hulk doesn’t just smash this time around, he talks! With bozo wit, Hulk made me actually want another solo chapter from the green guy. Particularly as his iconic story, Planet Hulk, was stolen and sadly reduced to a  bit-part in Thor’s adventure. World War Hulk anybody? Additionally Tessa Thompsons, rumoured bisexual, portrayal of Valkyrie also adds new life to the buddy comedy. Even with the overused alcoholic character trope. Really Marvel?  Thompson is a welcome addition to the team. Of course a special mention must go to THE Jeff Goldblum. He is simply genius as the grandmaster and would make a welcome return to any future Marvel space adventures. Guardians 3 hmmm?

Thor: Ragnarok really is the tale of the little director that could. Taika Waititi is a truly talented individual possessing a natural proclivity for simplistic excellence with his delivery of wit-tastic dialogue. A form of tangent comedy that incorporates charming rapport and one- liners, which I find endearingly charismatic. His ability to conduct dialogue is impeccable and really bought the space adventure back to earth. His use of character is superb and offers some of the best cameos ever seen in the MCU. Waititi isn’t all chat though, his action sequences reek awesomely of 90’s video game nostalgia. He proves he truly is ready for the big league blockbusters. I hope he doesn’t lose his indie quirks along the way, but with Ragnarok a roaring success its clear to see Waititi is headed for the stars.

To conclude… Thor Ragnarok is a triumphant addition to the MCU. Bringing a refreshing dose of laughter back to the seriously saturated and somewhat stagnant realm of superheroes. Taika Waititis effortlessly showcases his big budget prowess with action, adventure and almighty laughs. The god of thunder is back!

Thor Ragnarok 

In theatres now!