There are certain "tentpole" films that movie lovers make a point of seeing each year.
These days, those tentpoles are largely controlled and owned by Disney. Disney has done a yeoman's job managing Marvel superhero movies, the latest entries in the Star Wars saga, and whatever poignant, animated tome Pixar conjures up.
Thor: Ragnarok is Disney's second Marvel outing for 2017, after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Well, third if you count Spider-Man: Homecoming, a fusion of Sony and Disney's creative efforts to integrate Spidey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (read my review of Spider-Man: Homecoming here).
Have you noticed the trend toward more humor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year?
It's worth noting, and something that was needed to keep Disney's Marvel franchise films enjoyable (although, some of the jokes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 felt rather forced at times).
The past couple of years, I've wondered if the quality of "comic book movies" was starting to wane. Sure, superhero movies continued to churn out healthy box office receipts, but a number of high-profile releases felt tired and empty.
For example, Doctor Strange was capably crafted and entertaining enough, but the dreary tone and plodding pace made me wonder what the future held for Marvel movies.
Other high-profile releases -- like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron -- were too dour for their own good.
Even the DC superhero movies that Warner Bros. brought to theaters -- like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice -- started to make you wonder if the genre lacked focus and polish.
Thankfully, the 2017 calendar year brought a stable of superhero/comic book movies that show there is still life in these films.
Thor: Ragnarok is a light and buoyant romp that features a considerable amount of self-effacing, tongue-in-cheek humor. It seems to be heavily influenced by cheeseball 1980s sci-fi/fantasy movies.
As a result, the film doesn't feel bogged down by Thor's mythology -- something that hurt Thor: The Dark World when it was released in 2013.
No, this film doesn't take the titular norse god too seriously at all. In fact, Chris Hemsworth serves up a performance in Ragnarok that seems quite comfortable poking fun at his character, mythology, and "too serious" tone prevalent in some recent Marvel entries.
This is typically the point in my reviews where I write up a brief summary of early plot points in the film.
I'm not sure that is really necessary. My fellow Marvel lovers are going to see Thor: Ragnarok regardless of the story.
The film features Thor... the Hulk/Banner... Loki... Jeff Goldblum waxing bizarre... Cate Blanchett scowling... a cameo by Doctor Strange... a funny rock creature... a gigantic wolf... space ships... laser cannons... and an epic final battle...
Thor: Ragnarok has a soundtrack that features Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (something featured in the teaser trailer for the movie). The musical score in the movie is a pulsing, electronic affair that was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh -- lead singer of the band Devo ("Whip It").
In many respects, Ragnarok feels like it could have been retooled and made into an entry in the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy series. It has a similar tone, look, and feel.
It seems like a waste to pick over the finer details. Thor: Ragnarok is fun. The film is well paced and never feels bogged down. It is the epitome of a popcorn movie -- very little nutritional value, but it just feels right when you're munching it down.
Rated PG-13, Runtime 2 hrs, 10 min
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