Limelight's Review of Thor: Ragnarok

Posted Aug 13th, 2018

"Thor: Ragnarok" is a great superhero film and a solid addition to the Marvel universe. Packed with action, special effects and loads of humor, it has a lot more personality than "Thor: The Dark World." The movie starts off strong with Thor's encounter with fire demon Surtur in Muspelheim. Upon his return to Asgard, Thor finds Loki impersonating Odin and he presses his brother to help search for Odin. There is a brief encounter on earth with Dr. Strange which is visually interesting, but seems a little extraneous. When Thor and Loki meet their powerful and destructive sister Hela, played by Cate Blanchett, they barely escape with their lives, ending up on the garbage planet, Sakaar. The visuals and world-building of planet Sakaar are colorful and quirky which I found reminiscent of the Bruce Willis sci fi film "The Fifth Element." Jeff Goldblum plays the planet's whimsical psychopathic ruler, the Grandmaster, however much of his dialogue and interactions seemed indulgent and pointless to the story.
The film really finds its legs with the brilliant introduction of fellow gladiator, Korg, a hilarious, soft-spoken rock monster played by Waititi. Thor's gladiatorial battle with the Hulk is epic! The suspenseful, action-packed escape laced with humor keeps up the pace until the incredible bridge battle with Hela's army set to Led Zeppelin's rockin' "Immigrant Song." The special effects in the fight scene and Thor's final showdown with his evil sister Hela are solid. The only real weaknesses in the film stem from Cate Blanchett's over-the-top caricature of Hela and the extraneous addition of Tessa Thomson as alcoholic Valkyrie, Scrapper 142, who isn't given much of a character arc or pivotal role in the plot. Overall, this film is entertaining and funny. If you're not yet a Thor fan, you will be after you see this film!

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