THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

Critic - No.134
Director: Taika Waititi
Casts: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo
Language: English
Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy

PLOT:
Imprisoned, the almighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.

 REVIEW:
From the time Marvel introduced, the franchise of ‘Thor’, I always found it the trickiest of all to connect with whole new universe and the God like structure. Starting with a slight Shakespearian tone to it, the franchise progressed into a typical action drama only to evolve into a quirky, fantasy comedy. With a similar tone as ‘Guardians of Galaxy’, ‘Thor:Ragnarok’ surprisingly passes with distinction as a full-fledged comedy fantasy.

It’s not an easy task to convincingly blend such a grim universe of Thor and their characters into a comical treatment but Taika Waititi doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Having on board a film maker like Waititi who boasts with a strong portfolio with acclaimed comedies such as, ‘What We Do in the Shadows (2014)’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)’, Marvel has prepped a fulfilling headstart for the most anticipated Marvel film, ‘Avenger Infinity War (2018)’.

The quirky screenplay, colourful art direction and witty dialogues, add another dimension to the franchise. Even the CGI looks a little more cartoonish than the predecessors but ties in with the plot’s eccentric texture. The chemistry of Hulk and Thor results in numerous whacky moments and there is some tongue in cheek comedy of Tony Stark that brings the roof down. In short, the reinvention of the entire franchise works wonders. The brothers Loki and Thor’s bittersweet relationship is painted with a whole level of light heartedness whoch results in interesting scenes.

However, this film doesn’t go deep in story layers or character depth that the predecessors had. With a template driven plot, ‘Thor:Ragnarok’ doesn’t warrant much thinking or throw any shocking twists. Nevertheless, it doesn’t prevent this third instalment the highest point of the Thor series Chris Hemsworth is a brilliant comedy actor and many films under his belt has proved that. In this he just capitalizes on his strength and delivers with great versatility. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk character looks more likable here than in his own standalone film.

VERDICT: 
Driven by a wafer-thin plot, ‘Thor:Ragnarok’ repaints the franchise with a colourful, satirical treatment, resulting in the most satisfying full-fledged comedy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


CELLULOID METER- 3.5/5: 


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