Well, I could of course start this review with saying how Marvel is on a roll, the enormous amount of movies they are releasing, blah blah blah….been there, done that. There have been enough discussions on those subjects, and quite frankly I am not going to be lured into them again. Erm…I guess I just did that anyway. Sorry. Let’s talk about Thor though. The God of Thunder was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2011. Played by actor Chris Hemsworth, Thor for me personally was always a bit of a dull character. They tried to give him some funny lines, added a touch of humour in his movies, but ultimately he was just way too serious most of the time. That’s not to say that I did not enjoy his films, or in any way want to say that Hemsworth’s performance isn’t good, but so far he has been one of my least favorite Marvel characters. And now we have the third movie. With the subtitle Ragnarok, which in Norse mythology signals the end of the world, will this third film change my opinion of this guy? The answer to this question might come as a surprise….
Where has Thor been for the past two years? Well, let’s just say he has been out in the universe searching for some Infinity Stones, and finally ended up as a prisoner of a rather nasty demon called Surtur. Eventually Thor escapes and finds his way back to Asgard. Not a moment too soon it seems, as his brother Loki is up to his old tricks again, impersonating his father Odin and ruling over Asgard in his stead. But it seems Loki is the least of Thor’s problems. Unbeknownst to both brothers, Odin had a firstborn daughter called Hela. She is better known as the Goddess of Death though, and she is about to emerge from the prison she has been kept in for a very long time. Hellbent on revenge, the people of Asgard are about to face their greatest challenge yet. It would seem that Thor is greatly outmatched this time, and he will have to rely on some very unusual allies to take on Hela. One of them is his untrustworthy brother, but the other one is an Avenger that has been out of the game for quite a while. A lean, green and very mean fighting machine also known as The Hulk….
I have never taken any drugs in my life, nor do I plan on doing that anytime soon thank you very much. But I could imagine that a few of the scenes in this film would certainly feel a bit like you have just been on one of the best psychedelic trips ever. Because really, there is so much weirdness in this film, that you have to wonder what kind of drugs they have been taking. And just in case that you might take this the wrong way, that is actually a good thing. This movie has a completely different tone than the previous two Thor movies. The serious settings of those are instead replaced by a fun filled extravaganza filled with all manner of colourful and bright scenes, humour and just well…fun. We have a Thor that really seems almost like a completely different character. He is cracking jokes like there is no tomorrow, and for the most part, they work as well. It obviously also takes a bit getting used to that, as you don’t expect that from him.
This new movie introduces a couple of new characters. Let’s start with the villain first, because hey that’s always cool. Hela is played by actress Cate Blanchett, and she manages to create one of the best adversaries in the Marvel universe to date. It’s clear that Cate was having a blast playing this character. Blanchett is evil, seductive, and utterly convincing in her role as the Goddess of Death. Some of the best scenes in the movie were the ones with her and Thor. But the side of good also get’s a woman on their side in the form of a former Valkyrie. She is played by actress Tessa Thompson and is an absolute delight. It’s wonderful to see a lighthearted but at the same time tough as nails woman joining the established group, and she fits in perfectly. Lastly we have Jeff Goldblum, that portrays a rather dubious and shady Grandmaster who is in charge of the planet Thor eventually ends up on. Goldblum plays a very different role than what we are used to from him, and his character is deliciously evil but just in a very fun way.
The movie has even more new characters than the ones I just described, but I don’t want to spoil everything here. And obviously I do not have to say how awesome Tom Hiddleston is as Loki, because you all already know that. The movie contains a ton of action, as you would expect and most of these scenes are pretty awesome. One of the highlights has got to be the gladiator fight between Thor and The Hulk. To say more about it would be a disservice, but suffice it to say it’s an incredibly fun scene. I have been using the word fun quite a number of times now in this review, and that is pretty much the one word that I would use to describe this movie: fun! Sure, one could argue that the movie is again pretty long, and could have used a bit of trimming. I could also say that not every joke works, and it’s also a pretty radical change that takes a bit to get used to if you prepared yourself for a movie more along the lines of the other two installments. At the end of the day though Thor Ragnarok is a great addition to the Marvel films, and one that definitely deserves a trip to the cinema.
I give Thor: Ragnarok a 8 out of 10 score.
Saw this with my brother last night, his treat.
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That’s an awesome treat 😀 Did you enjoy the movie?
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For some reason, I’ve simply gotten tired of super heroes. I watched it and nothing….. I’m not saying anything about the quality or is it good or not…. I have now the emotions of a zombie, as far as super hero thingies are concerned. I’m okay with X-Men , for some reason, but they’re all gone now right?
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I can understand that, really. Superhero movies are just really dominating way too much. I still enjoy them, but I do fear that eventually I will come to that same state of mind at some point. As for your question…there are still X-men movies going to come out. One of them New mutants is going to be a horror movie. Quite honestly that is a pretty cool idea, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that will turn out 😀
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Oooh, X-men and horror movies ! ! ! Now THAT is something to look forward to . What kind of horror that might be, I have no idea. Zombies are lame….. ghosts ? monsters of the supernatural kind ?
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It’s more along the supernatural line of things. It reminded me a bit of Asian horrormovies if I were to make a comparison. Here you have a link to the trailer for it: https://youtu.be/bu9e410C__I 😀
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Just watched the trailer . Did I just see Jonathan from Stranger Things ?
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Haha, yep I saw him 😀 I think this could be quite a fun film. It’s certainly unique enough 😊
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I really enjoyed the first film, but was disappointed by the second. This looks a lot more fun.
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It really is a lot more fun. And you could see it written on the faces of all the actors involved as well, they were really having a blast while making this movie. If you liked Guardians of the Galaxy, you will like this one. It has a bit of that same vibe 😀
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I did indeed like Guardian. Not seen the second one of that yet though.
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The second Guardians was almost as good as the first one: the humor for the sequel was off the charts lol. The only reason I think of it as a somewhat lesser movie is that the story was bit weaker than part 1. Still highly enjoyable though 😀
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I loved it. Cog was my favorite character. It remined me of my childhood and thought it was a real fun great saturday morning cartoon
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That is a really cool comparison…and you are right. It definitely reminds me of that now that I think about it. Glad you enjoyed the movie as well. It just had an awesome energy this one 😀
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Fantastic review Michel! I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about this one. Ironic that they chose to make Ragnarok the more light-hearted one.😁
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Haha, yeah I was thinking about that as well lol, it really is pretty ironic😊 But yeah, even though we are swamped in superhero movies these days, this one was really a lot of fun 😀 Thanks again for your kind words and comment 😊
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I’m looking forward to seeing it!😁
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I am planning on watching this movie with my friends, so I am happy that you gave it a high score. Yes! Loki is so awesome~!! XD Your caption of the first photo of the lady is hilarious.
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Haha thank you very much, glad you liked that 😂😂 Loki has a big role in this one, and he was definitely once again one of the best things for this film. Have fun when you are going to see it. I hope you will enjoy the movie as much as I did 😀
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Thanks Michel!!!
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Nice!!
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Truth be told, I never enjoyed the Thor series much, but since I’m determined to keep up with MCU, I was going to visit the theatre anyway. But with your review, I feel way more optimistic about it. 😀
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Well, I think you are safe with this installment, trust me on that. It feels a bit like Guardians of the Galaxy. It has kind of that same vibe. I hope you will enjoy it: let me know what you think of it 😀
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Do you hava a youtube channel? I would really like to see it.
Have a nice day.
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I’m sorry to have to disappoint you, but no I don’t have a YouTube channel 😀Have a nice day yourself, and thanks for asking 😊
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I’m not disappointed, but I like your sense of humour which is sometimes nice to see not only to read 🙂
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Haha, well thanks for that, I appreciate the kind words 😊
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You’re welcome 🙂
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I really was bored with the first and second movies, they were full of pathos… But I am curious about this one since the direction clearly changed and Goldblum and Blanchett are terrific.
P. S. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBI8AwLvb5g
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Wow, thanks for sharing that link 😀 It only goes to show what a terrific actress she is, and the number of different looks she can handle 😀
As for this film: for sure, it has really been a change in direction. I do hope though that not every Marvel movie is now going to be a comedy, but…for this one it really worked 😊
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Yes, she did an awesome double role there. Did you watch Coffee & Cigarettes?
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I had not seen it before you shared the link. But I watched it and really enjoyed it. The Black and White camerawork only added to the great atmosphere 😀
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Yes, but I shared only 1 episode, there are 10 of them totally 😊
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Ah okay…I did not know that 😊 Going to check those out than: all of them are around the 10 minute mark? I will see if I can find some time for them in the weekend. Awesome news, thanks 😉
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Yes, it is one of my favourite movies by Jim Jarmusch, I can rewatch these episodes endlessly! 😊 All of them are with some actors/musicians, mostly playing themselves…
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Cool: thanks for another great recommendation: I will be sure ti check it out when I find some time 😉
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I have mixed feelings about Thor Ragnarok. On the one hand, I think it’s a fun movie, but on the other, I feel like it’s all flash, and very little substance. It feels like the Marvel movies are shifting towards a lot of little “fun moments”, but very little in the way of a long, overarching arc of progression/growth.
In some ways the story felt a little choppy, alternating between very familiar “high gravitas” moments, and jokes designed to poke fun at those same moments, before quickly reasserting said “high” moments.
I definitely thought the actors gave great performances, but it felt like the story didn’t give them enough time to really engage their characters as fully as I would have liked.
Visually the film was a lot of fun, and music was very interesting, but it felt less like a story and more like a ride. A fun ride, but one that will quickly fade as newer titles are released.
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True enough, that’s also why I said…most of the jokes worked, not all of them. It’s certainly not my favorite Marvel film to date (that still is the Winter Soldier), but you raise some very good points here. I’m looking forward to seeing what Infinity War is going to bring to the table as this is what everything for the past few years seems to have been working towards.
But yeah, this was a fun film…but not an outstanding one, which is why I gave it an 8 and not a higher score. I enjoyed myself for sure, but it’s also nothing really new or outstanding 😀
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Oh, I need to watch this then!
I actually didn’t watch it because I didn’t like how the poster came out.
(Yes, I know that’s judgemental and prejudice but what can I say?)
Iron Man cracking jokes, ok I get it, Spidey, let’s not even start, but Thor? Yeah, it’s going to take some time to get used to that…
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Haha: no worries: sometimes I have that too. You see a trailer or a poster for something and you just don’t like it or tend to avoid it. But yeah Thor cracking jokes was really something else. It worked though…well at least for the most part it did. Hope you will enjoy the film if you get a chance to see it 😊
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It’s nice to hear that the movie has a good villain. That’s one area were Marvel movies tend to falter. For what’s worth, I think I prefer Thor’s old haircut.
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Haha: without going into spoiler territory, but I think he does too 😂😂 But yeah Cate Blanchett was terrific as Hela. She really managed to create one of the best villains to date 😊
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I was looking forward to this review! I watched the movie because of Hela character😋 I quite enjoyed watching the film with fun elements in it. Can’t wait to read review on Kingsman: The Golden Circle😁
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I completely agree: Hela was a real terrific villain and one that I thought was one of the best Marvel villains to date 😉 Glad you enjoyed the movie as well 😊
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I was thinking, whether to go to theatre and watch this one and now i decided, Yes. Good review. And i like Thor’s new haircut. 😛
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Haha, thank you so much for these kind words: appreciate them. I hope you are hoi g to enjoy the movie. Lol…..well, I don’t think he likes it very much himself though haha 😂😂
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Yeah a lot of people have recommended this movie. Will definitely watch.
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hehe I totally agree with you about Thor as a character- that’s why I always renamed the movies in my head as the Loki movies 😉 hahaha she could do with a haircut 😉 And yay for a fun film!! That’s what Marvel does best in my opinion! And Thor smiling?! WOW! I love the sound of Hela and the Grandmaster too!! And yay to more Loki!!
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Loki had a really big role in this film, and as usual really made the movie even better than it already was 😀 It really was a terrific abd fun film…with fun being the most important word on that😀 But yeah Thor smiling..what were the odds on that huh?😂😂
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Ahh so awesome!!! Yay!! I’m so excited for it!! 😀 hehehehe I know right!! That’s the part where I’m really gonna have to suspend my disbelief 😉
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You forgot to mention Korg, the Rock Monster in the new characters, he was my favourite. As you saw with my review I loved this movie, I was worried how the movie would go over with international audiences given the fact it has so many Australian and New Zealand jokes and stylistic humour through out the film. Glad you liked it it.
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Haha yeah Korg was terrific…i didn’t mention him because I also wanted to leave a few things to discover and because the post was already pretty long. But I agree Korg was an amazing character. And yes, even though I am not a huge comedy fan: it still worked for me this one. Glad you enjoyed the film so much as well 😊
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I’m glad you enjoy the film! You are right, this film is fun. It’s different from the other Thor films and that’s what made this film exciting. Great review as always! 😊😄
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Thanks for the kind words: they are always appreciated 😉 But yes, the tone of this film was the biggest surprise, especially considering the fact that the two previous movies were much more serious and darker. It was a pleasant surprise though 😀
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My brother told me this a much watch. And after reading your eloquent review, I guess he is right.
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Hi 😉 Man your comments always manage to put a smile on my face: thank you 😊 As for the movie, yeah it is really an amazing film. Even though I am not really a huge comedy fan: this one worked for me. Hope if you get to see it, that you will enjoy it as well 😉
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I strive to gove smiles to others. I’m all about giving. When comedy is done well, it can create amazing results.
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Haha, well that’s definitely what you are doing so thanks for that 😊 Yeah…true enough, at times it really can be enjoyable especially when done right. Still it will always be my least favorite movie genre 😊
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This looks like a good one! 😁 Fantastic Review Michel!!!!😊 You are awesome!😉
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It really was a good one! If you are hoi g to watch this one at some point, hopefully you will enjoy it too. And thanks for these amazingly kind words, don’t know what to say: but thank you 😊😊
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You’re welcome Michel!!!😄😉
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I think this is my favourite Thor Movie. It is fun as you said. I really loved the hi tech 80s retro feel to parts of it on Grandmaster’s world. Cate Blanchett was good as Hela, good enough for me to forgive Marvel Disney messing up her background (She was Loki’s child if I recall in norse mythology). Valkyrie was Good. And some of the humour worked, but much felt forced. And the humour was a bit out of place (He lost his hammer and something else significant in the space 10 minutes, was humilated by a garbage scow and ragnarok is imminent – he was too cheerful with all that). Despite my criticisms, it was a cracking film and one that will be added to my collection
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Yeah I agree with that: one of the reasons I also stated that not all of the jokes worked 😉 It was a fun film, but not awesome. Definitely enjoyed it and had fun with it, that’s for sure, despite it having some flaws.
As for Hela, I think you are right about that 😀
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This was a cracking movie and it certainly could be a gamechanger for future films. I think Marvel made a great decision in handing the reigns to Taika Waititi and letting him have fun with it. I think your review is spot on! 🙂
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Thanks a lot: I always appreciate the feedback. I really think it was exactly what the Thor movies needed, and it immediately turned Thor into a much better and more relatable hero. Before this movie, I always thought he was pretty dull 😀
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