Thor: Ragnarok Movie Review
Grade: B-
Review:
Film Info:
Thor: Ragnarok is about Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the God of Thunder, who, after returning to his home of Asgard, finds Hela (Cate Blanchett), attempting to take over Asgard and expand its reach beyond the nine realms that are already under its control. Thor gets thrown out of Asgard (again) and ends up on Sakaar where he must team up with a whole slew of old and new characters to get back to Asgard and stop Hela.
The one thing you’ll notice right away about Thor: Ragnarok is its insistence on humor. Everything in this film is a joke. The film makes fun of previous Thor films and other films in the Marvel universe. Chris Hemsworth’s physical comedy proves to be great source of laughs in the film as do several of the supporting characters, including a big rock monster named Korg (voiced by the director, Taika Waititi). Thor’s chemistry with his supporting cast, including Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Korg, and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) all prove to be great. There are tons of cameos in the film which each make it seem more and more ridiculous.
While there are so many scenes in which this comedic tone proves to be incredibly entertaining, I couldn’t help but feel like this film had absolutely no emotion or depth whatsoever. And this would be acceptable if the plot of the film was devoid of beats that could be emotional if the film wanted them to be. The problem is that there are a lot of scenes in this film in which I did not feel a thing when I should have. Multiple characters from previous films die in Thor: Ragnarok and I felt nothing. These moments are played straight, as if they were insignificant. To me, this just shows a complete irreverence for the other films in this series and what they’ve tried to build up. If I’m ever going to feel like I’m invested in the now seventeen-film-strong franchise that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I should care when characters die. Captain America: Civil War did this perfectly last year. I just feel like the comedy in this film was too overbearing and ended up detracting from what could have been some emotion in a film that otherwise feels very one-note.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time watching this movie - I just wanted to connect with it. I wish these films had more personal stakes so I could really cheer on a character when they actually succeed. The majority of people who go into this film, regardless of whether they have seen the previous films in this series, will thoroughly enjoy this film. It’s colorful, features great performances, fun music choices, funny dialogue, and a lot of physical comedy. It’s a good time! I just wish it would take itself a little more seriously in places because I want to care about what’s happening. The tone of the film just doesn’t want me to.
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tesse Thompson
Writer: Eric Pearson
Director: Taika Waititi
Genres: Comic Book
Release date: November 3, 2017
