The
Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to have completed its makeover that shifts the focus away from sincerity and gravity and pushes all its chips in for spectacle and humor. As a result, discussions must now take place that center on the fact that fans of Marvel who initially gravitated towards the former are going to feel alienated by Marvel's transition to the latter and vice versa. Enter
Thor: Ragnarok.
Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a comedic approach and Marvel's box office returns prove it (this review is not a knock or take down of the MCU). Yet, in 2011, we were delivered a
Thor film from Kenneth Branagh that wasn't without its own shortcomings but still had characters and a plot with emotional stakes, complicated relationships and an impending sense of looming calamity.
"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy."
"And you are an old man, and a fool!"
There were plenty of sniffles and teary eyes in the movie theater that opening night during that pivotal scene. In six years, we've went from that, to---
"We know each other. He's a friend from work!"
It's funny. It's cute. But it's not something that will stick with most viewers for the long haul. Do you recall any specifics from Guardians of the Galaxy or is it all just a hazy recollection of a dance-off and '80s rock music? Furthermore, is that second line even capable of being uttered by the Thor from the first film? Lets not forget that Thor has been around for a 1,000+ years and such a radical character transformation in six years or so is a hard pill to swallow.
Was it the runaway success of The Avengers and its comedic stylings that's led to this tonal shift across the overall MCU narrative (the Captain America trilogy withstanding)? Who can say for sure? Prior to that film, the MCU delivered its laughs in comedic situations and specific moment but the characters themselves weren't pure comedy. But Phase 2 saw Iron Man 3 (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Ant-Man (2015) all tinged with a greater emphasis on satire and farce in lieu of drama and theater. The misfire of the more serious (drab) Thor: The Dark World (2013) certainly didn't help matters. Again, there's nothing wrong with this approach and the MCU arguably has more fans today than it ever has before but something must be said for the loss of rewatchability that's largely absent from the latest batch of MCU offerings. When the stakes don't matter to the characters and the film and the main characters never takes themselves too seriously, how many times will the audience stomach to watch it? How much of the film after that initial viewing sticks with you once you leave the theater? A week later? Six months?
Tonality aside, the film excels in virtually every other department. Its visual aesthetic is anchored by a color palette of rich detail that evokes the Jack Kirby Thor comics of old. It's truly a beautiful film, perhaps the most eye-pleasing of any Marvel film to date. The rapid fire pacing of the film and the numerous transitions across the myriad of locations visited in the movie work well to disguise the fact that you're following one character for the greater majority of the entire film. There's quick cutaways to Hela and Heimdall that serve to move the plot along but they're kept to the absolute minimum amount of screentime. The VFX are another strong point, aside from a scene featuring Loki, Odin and Thor that looked more like a PS4 game than movie. That slightly detracts from the seriousness of the moment in that particular scene but when it's time to battle fire demons and giant wolves, the Marvel VFX team brings their usual A-game. The score and music also leave a little more to be desired but that's also typical of a Marvel film.
Last year, rumors speculated that Thor: Ragnarok shared a similar tone to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Just last month,executive producer Brad Winderbaum reinforced that exact sentiment by making that same comparison. Captain America: The Winter Solider it is not. Is that a bad thing? Does it ultimately matter? Perhaps the real question is what's the "real" Marvel formula and whether there should even be a thematic/systematic approach to shared universe storytelling? The only factual discourse available in this topic is that it's all "a matter of personal preference." However, my personal prediction is that similar to how popular opinion went from loving The Dark Knight trilogy to ragging on it; a similar fate is awaiting the MCU if they don't find their way back to equilibrium between drama and comedy.