You may have read the Marvel comics on which this film’s
story is based. You may know the Norse myths of Ragnarok. You may be one of
those people that watches trailers and TV spots and think you’ve seen enough to
know the story and its outcome. You may even be one of those few and fortunate
fans that have seen the Avengers Infinity
War teaser and say, “Well because I have seen this person and this person
in the footage, I know exactly what is going to happen to Thor.” Well you are
wrong.
I will
not spoil the outcome of Thor Ragnarok,
but I can tell you that there are scenes in the trailers and TV Spots that are
waaaaayyyyy different than as they occur in the film. You will know exactly
what I am referring to once the third act of the film hits. Same goes for those
of you lucky enough to have seen the footage from D23 or San Diego Comic Con. I
saw the teaser in both places and I can tell you that from the end of Thor Ragnarok (and I am talking about
the mid and post credit scenes) to the beginning of that footage some stuff
goes down that will leave people asking questions until Infinity War comes out next year.
What I
can share is that director Taika Waititi (What
We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), turns in a film that is
an emotional journey with arcs for all of its main characters while being a
celebration of Thor in comics. While Taika is best known for his smaller budget
comedic films, in addition to the Team
Thor shorts, Thor Ragnarok proves
that he can bring the intensity and grandeur worthy of Asgard and our hero.
Mixing both fantasy and science fiction, Thor
Ragnarok is a great homage to the brilliant creative art style of Jack
Kirby and the epic storytelling of Walt Simonson and is the likes of which
movie audiences have yet to see in a very long time.
When we
last saw Thor (Chris Hemsworth returning to the role for the 5th
time), he was taking an absence from The Avengers and beginning a quest to
explore the visions he had from Avengers
Age of Ultron. Thor Ragnarok
picks up at the end of that quest as he learns from the fire demon Surtur
(voiced by Clancy Brown who is best known from Highlander) what Ragnarok is and how he can stop it. Thor returns
to Asgard to speak with his father Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins returning to the
role) and finds things are not what they seem in Asgard. Thor and Loki (Tom
Hiddleston also returning) make a pit stop in Earth where they encounter
another Marvel hero, thus showing again how all of the MCU films are connected.
While on Earth they inadvertently release Hela the Goddess of Death (played
with amazingly wicked fun by Cate Blanchett). In their first encounter, Hela makes
quick work of Thor as he falls into another world and not only gets captured,
but is forced to fight in gladiatorial games for the The Grandmaster (perfectly
cast as Jeff Goldblum of Jurassic Park
and Independence Day fame). Without
his mighty hammer, stranded on a world lightyears from anything he knows,
surrounded by beings trying to kill him, Thor must overcome all odds then
return home to battle a being infinitely more powerful than himself because that’s
what heroes do.
Thor Ragnarok is a wonderful achievement
in cinema in every aspect of the process. Director Taika Waititi has crafted a
film that is a modern day space opera mixing the fantasy and sci-fi genres as Thor
is best known to do. There are 3 pallets to the film. Subdued and realistic
colors when the characters are on Earth. The rich and deep colors of the
fantasy realms of Asgard and Muspelheim. And finally the bright and eclectic colors
of Sakaar. Each time the scene changes it looks like a different kind of film,
but director Taika Waititi blends the transitions so seamlessly that it just
comes off as an epic far reaching quest. Adding to the space opera ambience is composer
Mark Mothersbaugh’s film score being a mix of synthesizer and orchestra which
allow each of the color pallets to pop more on the screen and add to the overall
ambience of the film. The fight scenes, though obviously heavy in special
effects, don’t come off as unrealistic so much as they do fantastic. Thor and
Hulk bashing and throwing each other come off as indestructible titans
battling; a far different kind of fight scene from those in the Captain America films. Hela’s fight sequences
look more like a dance of death, which is more than appropriate since she is
the Goddess of Death. Then there are moments of true beauty when the camera
slows down and the shot is framed just right so as to capture the epic scope or
moment or a scene; so beautiful and awesome it could a painting to hang on the
wall of a museum. But if aesthetic isn’t your thing, the story arcs and
performances from each character are the real meat of the film. Thor,
Banner/Hulk, The Valkyrie, and even villains Skurge and Loki all have moments of
growth and self-discovery in their journey toward heroism.
I
cannot speak enough about the grandeur of Thor
Ragnarok and I already assume people reading these reviews have made up
their mind, but for those of you on the fence here is this: there is scene
where Thor actually fights a dragon, there ‘nuff said.
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