Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Thor: Ragnarok’

Written by Mike Cervantes

A funny thing happened to me on the way to this review. I actually read another review, which stated, and I’m paraphrasing, that the change in Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in this movie, has less to do with the progression of Thor in the storied continuity of Marvel Studios films, and more to do with Chris Hemsworth himself. Since the original Thor dropped in 2011, Hemsworth has been a leading man in deeper dramas, nuanced comedies, and nearly any vehicle the wild land of Hollywood could possibly think of. It makes sense, that once the third single-named Thor film was slated for production, with a new director and script writers, that we certainly wouldn’t see a retread of Thor: Son of Odin, invincible and Shakespearean-spoken god of the original film. Instead, we’d have Thor Odinson, the happy-go-lucky cross-dimensional gent who is just as comfortable punching a frost giant as he is rooming with an Australian office worker named Darryl.
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And while it might be unseemly for a film critic to get all mushy, this is precisely what puts these Marvel films on a grade above any other studio attempting the whole continuity thing. When we first meet Thor in this film, he’s caught in a net and being held aloft by a greater demon named Surtur. (Voice of Clancy Brown) Having not forgotten his lesson to keep his emotions inward, he essentially recaps where he’s been in continuity while projecting on a singed skeleton, then effortlessly dispatches the demon.

Believing he’s already thwarted the apocalyptic event known as “Ragnarok,” he then takes to handling family affairs, first by kicking his estranged brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) off their father’s throne, then by touching base with Odin (Anthony Hopkins) back on Earth. Odin, surprisingly, furthers the prophecy of Ragnarok by passing away of old age, thus releasing Thor and Loki’s third sibling, The Goddess of Death, Hela (Cate Blanchett). In a single, swift movement, Hela destroys Mjolnir and flings Thor and Loki into deep space.

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This is where, predictably, stakes are raised, and conflicts are brought into play. Thor and Loki find themselves on the Gladiator-esque planet of Sakaar, ruled by The Grandmaster, as played by Jeff Goldblum, as eccentrically as…Jeff Goldblum. Thor has to learn how to survive in a world where things aren’t as effortless as they usually are, and Loki has to learn how to seek a path that doesn’t involve his usual sneakiness and backstabbing. Meanwhile, Tessa Thompson enters the gathering as Valkyrie, a disillusioned former Asgardian who now prefers drinking and sport to her loyalty to the kingdom, and, famously we have Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, far estranged from Earth and happily exerting himself as Sakaar’s greatest champion.
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To speak any more than that about the plot would bring across too many spoilers, but suffice is to say, the mixing of all these different elements, along with the million dollar CG and original film’s cast (Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, and Karl Urban) you get the feeling that this film is a John Byrne-level takeover of the tones and themes that existed in the other two films. While Asgard was a place of gilded castles and floating waterfalls, the acid-tone aesthetic of this film juxtaposes that with visuals you’d expect to see on a Styx album cover. There’s also no escaping comparisons between this and Marvel’s OTHER current box office draw, Guardians of the Galaxy. That film has gone beyond the Thor series in shaping what the Marvel Comics version of outer space is supposed to look like, and it’s a thrill to see director Taika Watiti sip of the sweet rainbow water of that universe.

There really isn’t much more I can fill: it’s a great film. You should go see it, if you haven’t already. The Marvel Comics cinematic universe astounds again, and you’ll enjoy far more than your bucket of popcorn by watching it. 

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