When it comes to Marvel’s list of movies that are an instant success with fans, the previous Thor films don’t make the cut. Outside of the lack of a solid villain & slow & dry plots, Thor & Thor: The Dark World just didn’t feel like the other Marvel films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, with Taika Waititi helming the film & Marvel taking a brighter approach to Thor: Ragnarok, could this be the Thor film most fans have been waiting for since 2011?

Thor: Ragnarok focuses on the return of Hela (Cate Blanchett), who was the secret & locked away child of Odin. With Hela pushing Thor (Chris Hemsworth) & Loki (Tom Hiddleston) aside to take her rightful place on the thrown off Asgard, Thor & Loki are left with no other option but to find their way back to Asgard with a team that can help them take down Hella for good.

I will say that this is hands down the best Thor film in the series & will even go as far as to say that this was better than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. What makes Thor: Ragnarok better than the previous films is that Thor is no longer this brooding, lovestruck, & one-trick pony character. It’s clear that Hemsworth is enjoying himself in this movie, which brings a welcomed energy to the character & film. The film has definitely embraced humor as its main theme & has molded this into the Thor, Loki & Hulk characters. Speaking of Hulk, like Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, stole the show. Surprisingly, Hulk brought the laughs & added some much needed energy that was necessary to keep the film afloat. Sure, Hulk wasn’t in the film as much as I would’ve liked, but he still held down the movie in every scene he was in. Hiddleston’s Loki was definitely more relatable in this film & was more fleshed out in this film than he was in any previous Marvel film he appeared in. I guarantee you that you will find the scenes that contain Thor/Loki & Thor/Hulk are heart-warming & hilarious.

At first glance, Blanchett’s Hela came off as being a big change, in a good way, for Marvel’s lackluster villains, but she ultimately fell right into place in the lame villain circle. The last battle between Thor & Hela was a huge lackluster & was over before moviegoers got to cheer for a victor. Skurge/Executioner (Karl Urban) was a waste of space & honestly didn’t contribute to the progression of the story at all. Newcomer to the MCU Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) was a hit & miss at times, but she is a breath of fresh air & can easily see what Marvel wants to do with her in the future. As for Jeff Goldblum‘s Grandmaster, he put a funny spin on the character & is someone I am actually interested in seeing more of.

Every 80’s movie lover will feel right at home with Thor: Ragnarok. It’s clear that Waititi is a huge fan of Flash Gordon & Led Zeppelin, & I am right there with him. The film has a lot more high points than low points but the low points are still visible. The dismissal of Anthony Hopskins send-off was also incredibly lazy & without much emotion.

Waititi was an excellent choice to helm this film! His mixture of comedy, action scenes, Hulk & brotherly love made this film damn nesr perfect! The screenplay from Eric Pearson and the writing team of Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost really gave us something special with this film. I saw this in IMAX 3D, so I will say that you’d be better off paying the regular admission price than paying for an IMAX 3D experience that won’t deliver.

In all honesty, I feel that Thor: Ragnarok felt like a soft reboot & is somewhat negating the  previous two films to bring our focus in this much fun spin on the Thor character. I’ve had the most fun with Thor: Ragnarok than I’ve had with the previous Thor films & the two Guardians of the Galaxy films. Yes, I am saying that Thor: Ragnarok is much better than both Guardians of the Galaxy films. This is a must-see & for any comic book reader or moviegoer. Go see it!

Editor-in-Chief
Sean is known as one of the toughest film critics from New York City. If you ever wanted to know what a time capsule stuffed with pop culture looked like, Sean is it. Anime, movies, television shows, cartoon theme songs from the 80s to the early 2000s, video games & comics this man knows is all. Sean created 4 Geeks Like You back in 2012 as a platform where every form of pop culture could be discussed. Sean has his Bachelor of Science in Nursing & is a film enthusiast.

Thor: Ragnarok Review

9.4

Story

8.0/10

Character Development

9.5/10

Acting

10.0/10

Cinematography

10.0/10

Pros

  • The comedy in the film was genuine & spot on
  • Hulk made this film worth seeing
  • Feels like a soft & subtle reboot
  • The cinematography is spot on

Cons

  • The villains were dry
  • The final battle was lazily written
Sean Marshall

Sean Marshall

Sean is known as one of the toughest film critics from New York City. If you ever wanted to know what a time capsule stuffed with pop culture looked like, Sean is it. Anime, movies, television shows, cartoon theme songs from the 80s to the early 2000s, video games & comics this man knows is all. Sean created 4 Geeks Like You back in 2012 as a platform where every form of pop culture could be discussed. Sean has his Bachelor of Science in Nursing & is a film enthusiast.

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