The end of the universe is upon us… and it is awesome! Yes, “Ragnarok” is the apocalypse in Norse mythology, where the hammer-wielding God of Thunder also originates; but this Marvel movie does more than incorporate the end-of-the-world storyline, it also mashes-up Planet Hulk, Contest of Champions, the Surtur saga and dozens of other Easter eggs for those sharp enough and comic-book knowledgeable enough to catch them.
If you are simply a fan of the Marvel movies (not the comics), then you are also going to have an epically fun time with this latest universe and dimension-hopping Marvel Studios effort. The scale of this movie is enormous and it is endlessly entertaining.
Like most of these Marvel films, the less you know going into it the more you’re going to enjoy it; so I’m going to try not to spoil anything for you here (a heroic task, indeed!)
Old frenemies Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are back, together with new characters like the woman-warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), a rock covered “Kronan” named Korg (played by director Taika Waititi); plus we have new super-villains: Hela (Cate Blanchett), Surtur (Clancy Brown), and the Grandmaster – perfectly played by Jeff Goldblum, in his best performance in years.
It all moves along quickly, but this is a long film, clocking in at around 130 minutes; so be careful how much of that delicious theater soda you drink before those end credit sequences finish. You don’t want to have to skip out and miss any of the action.
My only real complaints about this movie are that it, maybe, goes a little overboard on the humor. There is a lot of it and it is fun, but I think director Taika Waititi and his writers are trying a bit too hard to capitalize on the Guardians of the Galaxy formula. (Rumor has it that a lot of the script was improvised by the actors.) Additionally, the foul language in places is unnecessary and a little off-base for a superhero flick.
On the plus side, Thor: Ragnarok is action packed with huge battles and incredible fight sequences. It has insanely fun surprises and Waititi does a great job of piecing it all together to where it will make sense to even the most “comic-novice” of moviegoers.
The electronic beat styled score by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh is a fun and unique change for a Marvel flick, but the coolest thing about the soundtrack is the inspired use of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” which bookends the film as background to a couple of mighty Thor action sequences.
Marvel Studios has done it again by delivering superhero action the way it should be… heroic and fun! I can’t wait to watch it again. Grade: 9/10
Photos Copyright © 2017 – Disney/Marvel
