The newest installment for the MCU is here. Thor: Ragnarok is the third film centered on the god of thunder and takes him to many places that he has never been before. Thor’s movies in the past have been set more on a galactic stage rather than being confined to Earth and this one is no exception. So where does Ragnarok stand when compared to the others in the trilogy?
Likes:
Adam
- I love how Thor has evolved as a character. The Thor in this movie is a very different Thor from the one we met in the first film. This isn’t some strange change that came out of nowhere, but a change that you see happening through all of the movies that he has been in. Thor has learned from his mistakes and has become more clever. He is able to plan ahead instead of his old hotheaded approach.
- I love the humor. I love how the movie knows when to take itself seriously and when to have fun. There is a lot of fun to be had in this movie. I feel the humor is used well. While there are still plenty of times where the humor is there just to be silly, it isn’t overloaded the way Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was.
- The conclusion to the movie. The end of Ragnarok may not be everyone’s favorite but I enjoyed it. You don’t necessarily see it coming but the lessons and morals behind it are excellent. It’s a great way to end the stand alone Thor films.
Luke
- Marvel has continued its effort to add more color to their movies and put an end to the flat color grading seen in the earlier movies. This movie looks fantastic and is one of the best designed of the Marvel Films.
- It was definitely funny, the director is known for his quirky indie films that have a lot of humor. This movie does take that approach and I was laughing throughout. There is a negative side to it that I’ll discuss in the dislikes below.
Dislikes:
Adam
- There is one scene where the background looks way too green screened. Where the character’s are standing look great but the sky and the other background effects don’t look quite right. Minor I know but it took me out of the movie a bit.
Luke
- I agree with the comment above, I noticed that as well. The issue was that they weren’t lit properly. I’m honestly shocked that no one picked up on it during post. It could have been a shot that was rushed because they were behind schedule. But who knows?
- To add to my comments on the humor, the down side of this movie was that it refused to take itself seriously when it really needed to. I’m not saying that super hero movies need to be serious and somber like the DC movies but there were times when the story suffered because of it. The tone is so bright and happy that certain character motivations were confusing because flaws were played for laughs rather than things for characters to overcome. I wish I could discuss it further without giving away spoilers. Overall, there is a time and place for humor and drama, and this movie refused to have any drama in it even when the story really needed it. The thing this movie really lacked was an emotional core, it could have been there but that would either get in the way of a joke or get “too real.”
- The plot was also extremely predictable. The ending was somewhat surprising and welcome but everything leading up to that point was nearly exactly what I was expecting from this movie.
Awkward Walk-in Meter: 3/5
Adam:
There is a little bit of language, some intense fighting, and drinking. Fairly standard for the MCU. There is an underworld like scene that may be scary for real young kids but not that bad in my opinion.
Overall:
Adam:
I really enjoyed Thor: Ragnarok and I think that it has a great character arc for Thor, not only in this specific film but a great continuation of his MCU arc. I enjoyed how the movie ended and also how it brought the Thor trilogy to an end. All new characters were well cast and some of the new history that we learn in this film was great. On top of that, I laughed a lot and just had fun. Definitely go see this in theaters, I plan on going again soon.
Luke:
While I didn’t hate the movie, heck I’d say that I overall liked it. But there was something amiss that I’m still trying to articulate that stopped me from loving the film. The film looks great, had great humor, had good action and was entertaining. But honestly I think it will be forgotten in the long run like the other Thor films. Again, not bad films but I can hardly remember the last movie. This may warrant another essay so I can figure out why Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok just failed to impress me while Logan, Wonder Woman and Spiderman: Homecoming did. If you’re a fan of Thor and the Marvel movies I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. But I think I’m beginning to feel superhero fatigue.