‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Review By Brian CoSign
Not even the loss of a hammer can steal this god’s thunder. (In my ‘Rock’ voice) FINALLY…Thor has come back…to theaters everywhere! “Thor: Ragnarok” stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, and Cate Blanchett. Now, if you recall in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Thor jumped in a pond, had a vision that things back in Asgard were about to get wild, and leaves to find out what’s going on. “Thor: Ragnarok” picks up from there. According to Asgardian folklore, Ragnarok is a prophecy of the Apocalypse, and Thor is trying to prevent that from happening. Unfortunately, preventing Ragnarok will be difficult for Thor.
However, watching Ragnarok will be easy for you. This is without a doubt the best sequel in the Thor franchise. “Ragnarok” mixes comedy with action better than your mom’s Kool-Aid with sugar. Hemsworth has taken Thor to another level. His comedic timing is dayum-near perfect when he shares the screen with co-stars or by himself. Yeah, the destruction of the world is no laughing matter, but Thor’s dialogue blends seriousness with lightheartedness so well, you won’t mind a joke or two while watching a city crumble. “Ragnarok” answers the question of what happened to Loki and Odin.
Hiddleston’s performance is dope as usual, but this time around, Loki becomes the unlikely, and I mean VERY unlikely hero, forced to fight alongside a team whom he despises. The God of Mischief lives up to his moniker. Nah, he doesn’t immediately accept his role as nice-guy so willingly. Ruffalo as The Hulk/Bruce Banner shines in this movie more than any previous ones. The Hulk has more screen time of course, but when Banner steps on the scene, he is hilarious! His dialogue isn’t dry at all. He and Hemsworth go back and forth like a comedy duo. Newcomer Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie holds her own with the other superstars both mentally and physically. Her progression from start to finish is interesting as she goes through a sort of rebirth.
No Marvel movie would be complete without a menacing villain, right? Blanchett as Hela is the toughest opponent Thor has faced. How do you stop the goddess of death? Her performance is awesome but sometimes, she’s a bit emotionless. You have all these characters with big personalities but Hela slows things down a bit, although she is by far the best villain of the franchise. The hidden gem of “Thor: Ragnarok” is Jeff Goldblum. He plays the Grandmaster of the planet Sakaar, and this dude is hee-lar-i-ous! He’s an eccentric villain who really wants to be liked, but the way his oppression of others is set up, that’s not happening.
“Thor: Ragnarok” is full of comedy, but it is strategically humorous. There’s no corny improv like you see in the “Transformers” movies, thank God. The comedy accentuates the action like seasoning on a steak. Speaking of action, oh, there’s A LOT of action! The fight between Thor and Hulk is EPIC. The film dedicates just enough time for the major battle between two of the mightiest Avengers and you will NOT be disappointed! Not just this battle, but all the battles are grand. This is the Thor movie many of us have been waiting for. The storyline of Odin and Hela is intriguing, all the characters have amazing arcs, including Heimdall, played by Idris Elba, the score is incredible, and this is just a fun, entertaining piece of work. “Thor: Ragnarok” may be the beginning of the end, but the afterlife will be one helluva journey!
I was sitting next to one of those comic book purists and he was analyzing the movie more than me. Listen, “Thor: Ragnarok” the movie is different from the comic, no doubt. It’s supposed to be that way. You want the casual fans to enjoy themselves. Not everyone knows the name of Thor’s hammer, and they don’t care about what a character normally eats for lunch. They want to see a quality film, and “Ragnarok” delivers without compromising the integrity of the comic book storyline.
This film was worth the wait, and I’m co-signing “Thor: Ragnarok” to the fullest! If you have the funds, check this out in IMAX, it’s super dope! Stay for the end credits because there are some scenes you don’t want to miss. Thor Ragna-rocks!
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