Best Marvel movie ever made – Thor Ragnarok : Review

Thor: Ragnarok
Director – Taika Waititi
Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins
Rating – 4.5/5

It is astounding, frankly, that Thor: Ragnarok got made. It’s astounding that presumably thousands of people saw bits and pieces of it during the two odd years they spent in production, and didn’t slip into a full-blown, shrieking panic. It is astounding that at no point did the bosses get a bout of cold feet, and hurriedly pull the plug before too many people noticed.

But with Ragnarok, not only has Marvel learnt its lesson, but in a fit of underdog ambition, they’ve produced a movie that eclipses some of this iconic franchise’s best works. Everything from the font used in the titles, to the synth-infused rock opera score by Mark Mothersbaugh, to the gloriously retro set design and visuals clearly inspired by the art of Jack Kirby, there is no Marvel movie quite like it, and there is no Marvel superhero who has starred in such a disconnected, and seemingly spontaneous series of films. Each of his solo outings – Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespearean first movie, Alan Taylor’s blatant Game of Thrones ripoff, and the live-action cartoon that is Ragnarok – feels like it is aggressively distancing itself from the others, like a brother scorned.

And to express our eternal gratitude, we can all kneel at the feet of director Taika Waititi and pledge our undying allegiance to his genius. As charming as Chris Hemsworth is in the title role, a scoundrel cousin to the versions of Thor he’s played before, and as venomously over-the-top Cate Blanchett is as Hela, the Goddess of Death; Taika Waititi is the star of the show. He’s the man who brought this almost cartoonish, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe vision to a series desperately in need of retooling, and he’s the man who had the courage to see it through. It’s heartwarming to see the darling of New Zealand’s indie scene take on such an immense behemoth and emerge victorious.

And it would probably be best if you were to prepare yourself in advance for a couple of scene-stealing performances: Jeff Goldblum at his most Jeff Goldblumiest as the Grandmaster, and Taika Waititi (he’s everywhere) as a mild-mannered rock monster prone to stating the obvious.

But that’s about as much as you need to know.

I loved Thor: Ragnarok. Loved, loved, loved it. Loved every glittery moment of it, loved that big, goofy smile permanently plastered on its face, loved every dumb joke it insisted on making, and loved the unabashed sense of joy it left behind. End times might well be headed our way, and as always, we turn to the movies for escape. Thor: Ragnarok is our saviour. Because that’s what a hero does.

Source – HT