Thor: Ragnarok Review: The God Of Thunder Sparks With Laughter

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been built on a mixture of tongue-in-cheek references and world changing stakes. This trend continues with Thor: Ragnarok, which sees the God of Thunder take on the Goddess of Death for the future of Asgard. Along the way, Thor is joined by his self-serving brother Loki, a cynical Valkyrie and a smash-happy Hulk. This turns the film into a surreal, intergalactic road trip that makes Thor: Ragnarok one of Marvel’s best movies in years. Here is a spoiler free review.

When Thor arrived on Earth, he came across as a fish out of water, which made for some hilarious situations. In his third outing, the God of Thunder is far more self-aware. Chris Hemsworth has always shined when injecting his performance with a loveable oafishness. But he’s given the chance to play off a variety of weird and wonderful characters to maximise the comedic effect. His interactions with Hulk and Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster are some of the best moments of the film.

Thor soon meets his sister Hela and he’s quickly outmatched. Cate Blanchett is the female villain the MCU has been waiting for. She’s regal, biting, powerful and nigh unstoppable. Hela takes over as soon as she arrives and the film is split between her conquest of Asgard and Thor’s road trip across the stars.

The bromance between Thor and Hulk is at the heart of the story, with Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo getting in some of their best lines together. It was interesting to see the Hulk side of Banner get to be in control and create a life for himself. During the events of the film, Banner has been the Hulk for two years, so that’s bound to takes its toll.

Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is always a treat when he’s on screen. You can never be sure of his motives as he goes from stabbing Thor in the back to being on his side at any given moment. Tessa Thompson also deserves praise as Valkyrie. Her character is an outcast and she makes the most of every scene she’s in.

Thor: Ragnarok is in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy, with off the wall humour and self-deprecation. It’s very different to the other Thor films and the strongest of the three. Every actor delivers and the story is made even better by their efforts. Comic fans and casual viewers won’t be disappointed when they see the film.

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