If there's ever been a character that Marvel Studios have struggled with, it's Thor, and the Prince of Asgard has had a rough journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the last six years. With two uneven solo adventures and two limited appearances in both
Avengers films, fans have wondered when the God of Thunder would truly live up to his namesake. It's not like Marvel hasn't tried, of course; Kenneth Branagh's
Thor successfully introduced the character in a story hinging on Shakespearean-esque family drama, even if it involved a rather tedious supporting cast on Earth. Alan Taylor's post-
Avengers follow-up,
Thor: The Dark World, was an aimless affair that leaned too heavily on world-building and MacGuffins instead of characters and plot. With all these elements in mind, it is likely not surprising to anyone that director Taika Waititi has made the best film of the trilogy with
Thor: Ragnarok. What will surprise you is the way Waititi subverts genre and expectation to deliver a film that's strong, smart, and really funny.
From the film's opening scene, Waititi makes it abundantly clear that whatever long-time fans think should happen in
Ragnarok probably won't. While the title refers to the apocalyptic end of days from ancient Norse mythology, a
Lord of the Rings-style epic, this is not. However, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is really allowed to cut loose here, and for the first time it feels like we're getting a true show of power and competency from the Son of Odin. That said, those hoping for a regal, composed Thor won't receive that either. It's been very evident over the years that Marvel and Hemsworth have attempted to adapt the “classic”, comic version of Thor with varying degrees of success, but what's equally clear is that Hemsworth has always excelled when he is allowed to bring his personality and comedic timing into the role instead of delivering weighty, old English monologues.
Ragnarok shirks the expected regality in favour of fully embracing Hemsworth's spin on the character, and the film is all the better for it.
For a film that's two hours and ten minutes long, the proceedings move as fast as a lightning bolt from Mjolnir. Waititi retains the elements that worked in previous
Thor films, while swiftly eliminating everything that didn't, in both a figurative and literal manner. The story is a simple one, but contains several surprising twists that shake up Thor's status quo much like
The Winter Soldier did for Captain America. Additionally, there's a very good reason this film has been hailed as Marvel's funniest, and it's not because the film is a
Guardians of the Galaxy rip-off (as some might assume from the film’s colourful 80’s aesthetic), but because Waititi's quirky and quick sense of humour feels natural alongside Hemsworth's adaptation of Thor. Unlike a lot of Marvel films, it's very rare that any jokes undercut dramatic moments here (and there are quite a few of those moments too, despite the outwardly goofy tone). Fans of Waititi's work on
Flight of the Conchords and
What We Do In Shadows will delight in the repartee, which is also cleverly utilized to call back to plenty of other details for those who have watched previous films.
The film's supporting cast (or should we call them the Revengers?) are undoubtedly excellent. Tom Hiddleston's Loki remains as charming and deceptive as ever, and the film uses a very clever, heartfelt lense to analyze the broken relationship between the two half-brothers. Tessa Thompson is a fantastic addition as Valkyrie, whose strength and confidence is a welcome change from the franchise’s previously underdeveloped female characters. As for the big, green elephant in the room, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is used to perfect effect, never outshining the title character but certainly getting his fair share of smashing. Having the jade giant articulate full sentences is one of the best moves this film could have made; the Hulk is finally a real character and not a grunting prop for destruction. Cate Blanchett plays Hela, the villain of the piece, and very clearly relishes her role as the Goddess of Death with a deep, dripping sarcasm. Jeff Goldblum turns up the Goldblum level to maximum in his role as the Grandmaster, and the film’s best source of comedy might just be Waititi himself, who has a minor – but hysterical – role as the rock creature Korg.
Many believed that
Ragnarok signified the end of Asgard, but at its core, it is far more symbolic of the end of Thor as you knew him and the beginning of a much more fascinating, confident and thoroughly entertaining iteration of the character.