Story by Mark Beresford & Aleecia Jae Dawson
It’s been a topic of great debate amongst fans for some time as to whether or not Thor and The Incredible Hulk were the weakest of the main Marvel cast in their abilities to hold their own films, however, Thor: Ragnarok puts the past behind it, managing to reinvigorate the placement of both characters in the unfolding MCU.
Wasting little time, the story quickly introduces Hela, the goddess of death, who embarks on a quest to destroy Asgard, hastily discarding Thor to a wacky, far-off planet (as it’s known in comic book circles, Planet Hulk) with a strict no return policy.
It would have been simple to produce a paint by numbers comic book movie from here on in, but Ragnarok’s distinction lies firmly at the feet of one man, Taiki Waititi. The comedic timing and offbeat wit that director Waititi has managed to bring to already established stars works as a strength that we’ve not yet seen in the MCU. The humorous dialogue could be directly compared to his previous works with Hunt For The Wilderpeople or What We Do In The Shadows and brings fresh life, vigour and charm to already much loved characters, doing away with the stuffy one dimensions and filling the cinema with genuine laugh out loud moments.
The diverse cast are armed with fantastic talents, even in taking minor roles and pushing the fun and enjoyment in order to achieve the overall aesthetic that the film aims for. The expectations of those eager to see the explosive sequences of previous films could lead to some minor disappointment however, as the action can leave the feeling that it is placed in as a prerequisite for the sake of generating conflict in the story arc.
Tensionless battles and the slow fight narrative tends to pale in comparison to the wonderful scenes we are given with each hero that is comedy driven. This is still not enough to overshadow two of Marvel’s biggest players in what is essentially a fantastic buddy flick and left-of-field enough to firmly plant itself in the upper echelons of the comic cinematic universe.
One gigantic green thumbs up.
