Thor Ragnarok Mostly Spoiler Free Review.

 

I could cough up a million superlatives for this film but none would do it justice. Frist of all it's the best of the three Thor movies and when do you EVER see that in a franchise? The movie plays in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy because both Tim Gunn and the Director Taika Waititi understood that comedy is as important to a crazy ass big time blockbuster than almost any other component of the film. It helps newbies feel comfortable and in old school fanboys like me it releases those good brain fluids like Endorphins to reward me for recognizing the comic book references and all parts of this movie reek of those moments. The director understands not only Thor but his entire comic book world and cannon.
 

The cast is very strong. Everyone of the main cast from Thor to Hela to Loki, To Valkyrie, to Korr, to The Grandmaster to Skurge  are all strong enough actors and characters to front their own solo movies. Each time they appeared on screen I loved watching them and hated to see them go when the scene changed. The final solution to the problem called 'Hela' is almost as elegant and mature as the end of Doctor Strange and you know I thought that movie's solution to it's big bad was brilliant.

Kate Blanchette is especially fantastic and fun as Hela. As the Asgardian Goddess of Death she is a much closer relation to Thor the God Of Thunder and Loki the God of Mischief that you would think and that gives her a strong motivation to do evil. All your strongest movie villains have to have this quality to be a real challenge to our heroes if the movie is going to work and Hela is one of the great unstoppable forces of nature that I have ever seen in a movie. How she is eventually defeated is a great moment that reveals the maturity of our beloved God of Thunder. One who has learned that you just can't smash you ways out of your problems. Her defeat feels real and logical and completes many an Asgardian circle. It was the capper on a pretty terrific little adventure about the destruction of Asgard as was fortold centuries ago. They call it Ragnarok - The End Of Days.

 

 

Korr, the Gladiator has the best Rock Creature character voice EVER. Good to know the Director Taika Waititi gave himself that part and that voice work. In a film full of great heroes, Korr steals the show.

 

 

The relationships here are really strong be it with Thor and Loki, or Valkyrie and The Hulk. Much humor is drawn from their interactions. Remember when you watch this later at home that Valkyrie is acting with a guy covered in motion capture dots. I never doubted for once that she was roughhousing with the actual creature called The Hulk. I bought it all and it's just another layer of richness here. Their relationship could have been a throwaway minute but it got as much care and attention as even the biggest action sequence.

This is how you create a great movie, maybe the GREATEST superhero movie, and create a new Hollywood saying - Sometime the third movie in a series is the BEST movie in the series. When have you ever seen that? The first two Thor movies were dull, frankly but this one is a genuine rebirth and a gift to fans of Thor. It's a rip roaring adventure in the grandest tradition of movie blockbusters albeit one set in mystical realms and the furthest reaches of outer space.

Even Loki gets my love in this one and now I finally see the charm of Tom Hiddleston. The Thor in this movie is wiser than before and this allows him to chose other ways than his fists to get out of the troubles that follow him wherever he goes. Fantastic fun to watch. Chris Hemsworth is so amazingly charming that you can't help but cheer him on and know that he will find the power within himself to do what is right and just to save the day. Even without his beloved Hammer Mjolnir he is still The God Of Thunder. Thor without his enchanted hammer? HERESY, right? Not one bit. Honest. I never missed it. Thor had nothing to throw as his go to move. He's actually more interesting without it. Who knew??

Jeff Goldbloom play the insane and goofy Grandmaster as only Jeff Gold Goldbloom can. Again, I would totally watch a movie with only him in it as well if it included his beefy girl assistant. Their relationship was also well written.

 

Now while it was an impossible story-wish to replicate Skurge's last stand on the bridge at Gjallabru, they did a pretty damn great job at approximating that great moment from the comics. Karl Urban played Skurge as a more fun and less grim character that he is in the comics but I had no problem with the changes because of Urban. I was very happy with his whole story arc as well.

 

When was the last time you saw a movie that you so totally loved from start to finish? This was the forth time this year that I felt that way. Logan, GOTG 2, Wonder Woman and Now Thor - Ragnarok. I can't remember a movie year this good since 1984. It's a huge winner and a real audience crowd pleasure. Anyone who hates this movie just hates movies in general. See it with a friend.