Thor: Ragnarok Review

Third time’s the charm. After two bland, formulaic movies, the God of Thunder finally hits his stride. The cosmic hero, after fruitlessly searching the cosmos for Infinity Stones encounters the giant Surtur who warns him that he will destroy Asgard. In an effort to save his homeland and people Thor is assisted by the Sorcerer Supreme Dr Strange, his brother and the god of mischief Loki, fellow Avenger and brute The Incredible Hulk, and a whole other cast of cosmic heros that rival the characters of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

This is by far the most original Marvel film since the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Taika Waititi directs this film wittily, and the result is comedic and enjoyable. However, my favorite scenes come when Thor interacts with his father Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins. They highlight their relationship, and provide beautiful moments of character development for Thor.

The cast is filled with many great characters including the aforementioned heroes and also Korg, Miek, the Grandmaster, Valkyrie, Heimdall, Scourge and the Villainous Hela. All of these characters add something interesting and unique to the movie. Often times in a Marvel movie a character will feel shoehorned in for the purpose of fulfilling a contract or introducing a hero, but in Thor: Ragnarok this is not the case. There are also many great cameos from actors like Luke Hemsworth, Matt Damon, and Sam Neill.

The film has an excellent soundtrack, it has a very distinct 80’s feel that makes excellent use of the synthesizer. In addition to the music composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, there is “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, and “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Both of these songs are used excellent and fit the film thematically. “Immigrant Song” starts the movie with a bang and returns later on. The verse “Valhalla I am Coming” is especially appropriate.

As far as Marvel movies go, this is one of the best.

10/10