By Jalyn Bolyard, Online Editor
It is safe to say I have been waiting for the third installment of Thor since 2013, after I saw “Thor: The Dark World” in theaters. Finally, the time has come and “Thor: Ragnarok,” was released nationwide on Nov. 3, did not disappoint.
The last time we saw Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) was in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in 2015. A lot has happened since then (aka “Captain America: Civil War,” where all his buddies, and new superheroes, were fighting with each other).
However, the God of Thunder wasn’t the only Avenger who was missing during that crusade— Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Incredible Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo), has also not been seen since then. In fact, the last we knew, he flew off in the quinjet, a plane, off to the unknown. In this movie, we finally figure out where he went when Thor stumbles upon him, accidentally.
I will try to keep this review spoiler free, but Hulk was shown in the trailer previews, so that’s a gimme.
This movie centers on Thor trying to save Asgard from the prophecy of Ragnarok, where it says his home, Asgard, will be destroyed. A lot of doom and gloom for a movie that is full of comedy.
Of course, the Goddess of Death, Hela (played by Cate Blanchett), has her own plan up her sleeve for Asgard. Thor’s mission is to save Asgard, and he sets on this journey with Banner, his mischievous brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), and a new friend he meets along the way, Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson), nicknaming themselves the “Revengers.” So clever, Thor, so clever.
As expected, Loki also has some tricks in regards for his brother— at this point, you kind of expect it. Even Thor acknowledges it! But, maybe there’s some hope for the trickster after all (heavy on the ‘maybe’). Throughout the film, we see the two work together more than we have before. Maybe a threat to Asgard is what was needed to bring the two brothers back together.
Sadly, there are a lot of characters that we’ve grown to see in the “Thor” movies that just aren’t in this one to help Thor with his journey. However, this movie only briefly takes place on Earth, so it makes sense as to why Thor’s human friends aren’t there. Some of his Asgardian friends are shown briefly, but it frustrates me with how their storylines go.
I also still don’t like how apparently Thor and Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman in the two previous installments) have broken up, which is addressed early on in the movie to explain why she’s not there.
That is one part that bummed me out, along with seemingly forgetting or throwing away several key characters that have helped Thor beforehand.
Regardless, the plot still is spectacular in its own way, but those missing elements just didn’t sit right with me.
“Thor: Ragnarok” also features some familiar, along with new, faces in Odin (played by Anthony Hopkins), Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), Skurge (Karl Urban), Heimdall (Idris Elba), and Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) pops up as well.
Unlike previous Thor movies, this one sets up more as an overall comedy. In fact, if you don’t laugh before the title screen shows up, I’d be shocked.
It definitely isn’t set up as serious as the previous installments, but there are still some moments that make you pause and think “did that just happen?”
Inevitably, this movie quickly takes a turn early on and drops a couple of plot twists quickly, which sets Thor out on protecting Asgard.
I thought the trailer gave away a lot of the plot initially, but there was still a lot that surprised and shocked me along the way. It also leaves you asking questions, which may or may not be answered until “Avengers: Infinity War (Part 1)” when it comes out next year, which of course, is frustrating. I guess that is better than waiting four years though!
This movie has a lot of moments that seem to be somber and serious, and then boom– you’re laughing at something that catches you off-guard. Eventually, during one scene I could guess what was going to happen, but other than that, I kept getting caught off-guard and laughing. But, even when I guessed what was happening, it still played out hilariously!
The music, worth noting, is simply phenomenal. It plays along perfectly in almost every scene, and helps amp up the audience, of course, in the action sequences. Led Zeppelin, anybody?
I also have to say, Stan Lee’s cameo in this is easily in my top 5 favorites of his – possibly even number one.
All in all, “Thor: Ragnarok” did not disappoint. There is a lot of comedic gold, regardless of somewhat frustrating plot points. I simply loved the movie. It was definitely worth the wait.
If you decide to go see it, don’t leave early! There are two bonus scenes during and after the credits. If you love superhero movies, this is a must-see. Even if you don’t, this movie has a little bit of everything for everyone and it’s bound to make people laugh, over and over again.
Photo credit: IMDb.com
