Movie Review: "Thor: Ragnarok"
“Thor: Ragnarok,” the seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), received raving reviews after its release in Nov. 2017. Directed by Taika Waititi, the film details Thor’s return to Asgard after his two-year search for the Infinity Stones, the greatest source of untamed power in the universe.
"Pitted in sadistic games against his friend the Hulk, Thor must escape with the help of his brother Loki in order to stop Hela from enslaving Asgard and starting Ragnarok, the end of all worlds."
However, when he returns, Hela, the Goddess of Death, escapes her bonds and takes over Asgard. As a result, Thor is imprisoned on Sakaar, the Battle Planet, ruled by the Grandmaster. Pitted in sadistic games against his friend the Hulk, Thor must escape with the help of his brother Loki in order to stop Hela from enslaving Asgard and starting Ragnarok, the end of all worlds.
The plot of “Thor: Ragnarok” is a major improvement over its two generic predecessors. The jokes are excellent, the story is well-structured and the character development, in accordance with the principles of the MCU, fits comfortably within the established lore and provides a strong foundation for “Avengers: Infinity War,” which comes out later this month.
One issue that I anticipated this film would have was the melding of the “Thor: Ragnarok” storyline with the “Planet Hulk” comic book storyline. Because the Hulk technically belongs to Sony, the Disney-owned MCU cannot create a solo Hulk movie and has not done so since 2008. However, the deal does not extend to films with multiple characters.
As a result, Disney and Sony made a deal where they would allow the Hulk to be a major character in the third Thor film, permitting the Hulk to appear in films aside from “The Avengers.” Originally, I believed this would lower the quality of the movie; however, Taika Waititi did an amazing job in seamlessly switching settings and manipulating the storyline.
Additionally, the soundtrack, a blend of 90s synth music and remixed 80s music, works well with the bold flavor that the film’s hair-raising scenery provides.
The film’s 92 percent “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes certainly doesn’t hurt its reputation either. “Thor: Ragnarok” reflects Marvel Studios’ recent favor for more comedic action movies, a strain of the adventure-fantasy genre that has woefully yet to be explored and provides brilliant and enjoyable entertainment for viewers of all ages.