Creating a superhero movie is quite difficult. Not only do you have to make your main character likeable, his sidekicks favorable, and his enemies heinous, but you also have to make your story work, no matter what genre it is. Thor: Ragnarok has been marketed as Marvel’s first full-fledged comedy film, setting it apart from not only the other two Thor films, but also other Marvel films as a whole, which, while having certain elements of comedy, have never been considered as completely comedic. So, how good is it really?
The plot structure goes as follows: it’s been two years since the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor, resident avenger and god of thunder, has returned to Asgard. Upon returning, however, many strange events begin to occur: his father is gone, his brother is up to more mischief than ever, and a mysterious woman called Hela wants to take over Asgard, in a monstrous event described as “Ragnarok”. Thor will have to save his kingdom, but first he’ll have to get through his brother, a junkyard planet, a drunk valkyrie, a death game, and…. The Hulk?
Overall, this movie definitely impressed me, because it really was just that: a stupid comedy film, something you could laugh at and not worry too much about. Every character has their own funny moments and lines, which only serve to make them more likeable than they already are. Some of the events in the story feel like were set up particularly for jokes, and it worked for the film’s advantage.
These jokes are also, surprisingly, used for characterization: a lot of them have to do with the personality of said characters, and we can see the characters grow closer through these moments. For example, Loki, who we’ve previously seen almost destroying New York and threatening to destroy Asgard as well, feels a lot more like a very awkward and arrogant child rather than an evil force, and the two brothers eventually learn to acknowledge each other as well. Overall, while this film may not feel like a Marvel movie for many of the more serious fans, it had everything a Marvel movie should have: humour, fights, and fun.
Final rating: ⅘
The Art Archive 