It is fair to say that out of all the Marvel superheroes, Thor has not had the best run, commonly seen as having the worst solo outings. However, that all changes with the recent release of Thor Ragnarok, his third film, proving that the character still has life in him yet.

The film follows Thor, played by returning star Chris Hemsworth, as he attempts to take on Hela “The Goddess of death”, portrayed by Cate Blanchett. We see Thor join up with a wide multitude of characters including Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and The Hulk/ Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Although the standout is newcomer Korg, played by the director Taika Waititi, who steals every scene he is in. The film is very reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy due to the fact that a large portion takes place on alien planets and relies on a very similar type of humour – a formula that is proven to work.

Thor Ragnarok is primarily a comedy. It is hilarious. Anybody could go into this film and then come out of the cinema with a huge smile on their face. Being a superhero film, there are several highly stylised and well shot action scenes allowing Waititi to show his skill, the most memorable being the fight between the Hulk and Thor, which is a true spectacle, something that holds true for most of the film. Granted, it is no Blade Runner, but every scene is packed with so much colour that you can’t help but admire it.

Being the 17th Marvel movie, it is fair to say that a lot of people are feeling the “Marvel fatigue”. I know I did with Guardians of the Galaxy 2. However, Ragnarok, thankfully, breathes new life into its characters and its universe, as there are events that will have consequences in future Marvel movies. Before Ragnarok, Thor was very much a background character, for example; if someone asks you to name a superhero, you would probably say quite a few before even considering Thor. But Ragnarok increases the characters likeability immensely, doing for him what the first Iron man film did for Iron man. That being said, it is not perfect. If the film has to choose between a serious scene, or a joke, it will choose the joke. This can affect the flow of the film and the gravity of a situation, but it by no means ruins the film. With a stellar cast, spot on action, hilarious jokes and a surprising story, Thor Ragnarok is the Marvel movie to see.

Categories: Arts Theatre

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