“Thor: Ragnarok” is great because it doesn’t try to be something that it is not. My issue with the first Thor film is that there was a major disconnect between the mythical, fantasy appearance of Asgard and the realism of Earth. This was especially apparent in the costumes. Thor is completely out of place on Earth and every time that the story shifted back to Asgard, it felt fake. “Ragnarok” takes a different approach. Rather than intermingling gods and scientists, this story is set completely in the mythical world (save one scene with Dr. Strange). This eliminates the disconnect and allows us to accept the setting as realistic fantasy. The incorporation of Norse mythology into the film is clever as it transports Thor to the realm of fire and cleverly brings the legendary Valkyries into the mix. The most important part of the film is its tone. The dark realism of “Batman Begins” does not fit well with this realm of fantasy, which caused issues when the first Thor took itself too seriously. It is not that the film needs to make fun of its fantasy elements, but its light-hearted tone creates fewer jarring moments that remind us that it is clearly not real. Director Taika Waititi embraces this idea and approaches the film as a straight-up comedy. The soft-spoken rock monster is hilarious, the Hulk fandom on Sakaar is a great way to celebrate one of the less popular Avengers, and Jeff Goldblum’s post-credits scene may be the best part of the entire film. They even throw Matt Damon in with an obvious cameo just because we all love him. I also found this to be the best-acted of the Thor movies, with Chris Hemsworth giving my favorite portrayal of Thor after playing him many times in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Tom Hiddleston gives his best Loki performances and Cate Blanchett steals the show with her turn as Hela. The story works well as both a standalone film and a preparation for “Avengers: Infinity War.” It was also interesting to see the opposing personalities of Thor and Hulk paired together. Hulk's inclusion is the one thing that seems out of place if you haven't been following along with all of the MCU films but it works because everybody recognizes the character, regardless of their experience with this film series. I would definitely recommend “Thor: Ragnarok” as a standalone film if you enjoy superhero films and it is a must if you want to be well-informed for “Infinity War.” I’m glad that Disney finally learned their lesson that Norse gods aren’t meant to intermingle with humans in the first few films, and this lighthearted film within their own realm makes for a riveting story.
[Pictured: Thor with short hair is my favorite version of the character yet!]
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