Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” sits neatly into the newest phase
of the post-millennial cinematic superhero boom; the ironic, smart-aleck phase.
After years of sincere, emotionally grounded superhero films and a couple years
of gritty, nihilistic superhero films, with the focus mostly on charismatic,
reluctant savior archetypes, it would appear that the genre is now in a
self-reflexive, experimental mood, no-longer interested in retelling the same
tired Campbellian origin stories. This is best exemplified with the success of
Marvel’s quirky “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, Fox’s snarky “Deadpool” movie and
Warner’s recut and confused “Suicide Squad.” We’ve seen referential superhero
comedies before, like Mathew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass” and James Gunn’s pre-Guardians
indie film “Super,” but it’s that these new films are made within the
established cannon of their respective cinematic universes that their tonal
risks are all the more pronounced.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor returns to the magic realm of
Asgard, only to discover that his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) has failed to
keep away his long lost sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), who was banished from the
kingdom centuries ago for being a murderous war monger. Having returned
stronger than ever, she pushes Thor and his trickster brother Loki (Tom
Hiddleston) into a junk-yard planet that is ruled by a flaky aristocrat (Jeff
Goldblum) who keeps his subjugated people entertained with gladiatorial
battles. Thor is eventually captured by a binge-drinking ex-Valkyrie (Tessa
Thompson) and forced to fight his fellow Avenger, Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
Meanwhile, Hela has reclaimed the Asgardian throne and is making her plans to
invade neighboring realms.
“Thor: Ragnarok” separates itself from the previous two entrees
in the franchise by embracing this new shift into broader storytelling and
wilder myth-making. The movie’s aesthetic is knowingly campy and filled with
flashy, colorful visuals that zip through every frame. Along with Mark
Mothersbaugh’s synth-laden score, this new look and approach—very much informed
by “Guardians of the Galaxy”—taps into a pinball arcade peppiness that
activates every artistic choice New Zealand director Tiaka Waititi commits to.
Unlike the first two Thor films, which were beholden to some earth-bound
characters and natural settings to help fit the character into the norms of the
conventional superhero mold, Ragnarok has untethered its earthly concerns and
introduces us to a host of new space-ships, aliens, mythic monsters and ancient
prophecies.
There are times when Ragnarok’s ties to the other Marvel
films is cumbersome. Many plot points refers back to the other adventures by
the Avengers and many of the movie’s in-jokes refer to what we have come to
know about these characters over the last six years. As such, I’m not sure how
well this installment stands on its own. The wild joy-ride this story takes us
on is unpredictable and refreshing in its full embrace of silliness but there
are also moments when the movie is throwing so much at us all at once, that things get momentarily cluttered and borderline incoherent. Waititi keeps all the moving pieces connected just enough that the narrative doesn’t split at the seams, but
Blanchett’s darker Asgardian takeover plot is largely pushed away by the
lighter gladiatorial stuff, with Jeff Goldblum looking like an extra from the
1980 disco cult-film “The Apple.” This isn’t a detriment to a movie that wants
to be funnier and louder in its aesthetic approach, but it does leave the
mechanics of the storytelling noticeably uneven.
Waititi took this material, which by 2013’s dower “Thor: The
Dark World” had overstayed its welcome, and injected new life into it by
strategically stepping away from superhero formulas. Everyone here is having a
good time, and you should too. This is a wild, messy space-opera buffet, and as
such, feel free to bring a bib and dig in. While there isn’t much here in the way
nutritious substance beyond the simple joys of its creative surfaces, but “Thor: Ragnarok”
certainly lives up to its objective as being a spectacle with it's own comedic personality.
Grade: B+
Originally Published in the Idaho State Journal/Nov-2017
Listen to this week's episode of Jabber and the Drone to hear more conversation about "Thor: Ragnarok."
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