Thor: Ragnarok a film that has it all

Thor: Ragnarok is the fifth chapter of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is also the first Thor film which takes place in the other realms besides just Earth and Asgard. When we last saw Thor in The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), he left to find the remaining Infinity Stones as four have now turned up and he senses a greater plot afoot. The official synopsis reads: “Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela.” There are many things I liked at the film, a few things I didn’t and I will respond to a few of the critics’ issues with the film.

First, what I liked about the film. First, the cast. Every actor filled their role very well. Chris Hemsworth as Thor as always brings the God of Thunder to life. In this film, Hemsworth was allowed to show more of his comedic side as well as the dramatic and action packed sequences. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie was great. I knew very little about the character when I saw the film and I was pleased to see how she fit in the story. Thompson brought great heart and depth to the character. Cate Blanchett as Hela was amazing! She seemed to be tailored made for this role. Her portrayal of Hela is definitely an improvement in Thor villains over Malekith in The Dark World. Second, the story with all the humor (there were a few laugh out loud moments), the drama (which I will not discuss in case you haven’t seen it yet) and the action from beginning to end kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat. The movie didn’t feel like it was over two hours which is good. If I watch a movie and I am aware of how long it is, then it didn’t hold my attention. I should be so engrossed in the story that I am unaware of the passage of time and Thor: Raganrok did that. Lastly, the music. I loved the use of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song which fits perfectly with the Viking/Norse mythology which inspired Thor and his adventures.

Second, there wasn’t much I didn’t like about this film. However, what I didn’t like about the film were a few of the comedic scenes which were uncomfortable to watch. I cringed like “ewww really?!?” There is one joke in particular which features how Thor returns to Asgard and every time they said it, I cringed. I was glad when he finally returns to Asgard and this particular joke could stop. These types of jokes are so juvenile and unnecessary. They belong in a different comedies like Dumb and Dumber. Thankfully they weren’t the majority of the jokes in the film. While Jeff Goldblum is a great choice for the Grandmaster, some of his scenes were a bit tedious and cringe worthy. However, these awkward scenes were really few and far between so it’s something I could overlook when enjoying the film.

Third, many critics both professional and viewers had quite a few things to say about this film. One criticism I read is that the plotline of Ragnarok was an afterthought and wasn’t central to the film. I didn’t see that at all. While Ragnarok isn’t discussed at length in the film, it is Thor’s motivation to free himself from the Grandmaster and return to Asgard and defeat Hela. So I feel Ragnarok was not a side plot especially in the final act, when you see the final you may understand what I mean. Sometimes I think people wanted the Ragnarok storyline to be used to bash the audience’s head and remind them over and over that the end was coming. Not necessary. I think it worked in the film as they portrayed it. Second, many critics had a problem with the humor. There was too much. While I enjoyed the majority of the humor and didn’t enjoy some of the jokes, I don’t see why a superhero film can’t have humor. Iron Man did. Both Avengers films did. Captain America: Winter Soldier did. Maybe not to the extent of Ragnarok but it was there. Looking back on the first two Thor films, there were quite bit of humor in those films too.

In conclusion, I loved Thor: Ragnarok. It had great acting. The story was good and for the most part the humor fit. Despite finding some of the humor awkward and hard to watch, I look forward to watching it over and over again as part of the MCU. In my opinion, every movie will have flaws. No matter how much they try to cover all the bases, mistakes will be made and ideas will falter. However, this film is a great film which its flaws can be ignored. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it.