Thor: Ragnarok (2017) [Blu-ray]
Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline: Thunder Will Reign.

Thor's world is about to explode in Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. His devious brother, Loki, has taken over Asgard, the powerful Hela has emerged to steal the throne for herself and Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe. To escape captivity and save his home from imminent destruction, Thor must first win a deadly alien contest by defeating his former ally and fellow Avenger... The Incredible Hulk! Like Thor’s two previous solo outings, this one differs in the fact that Thor’s not so solo this time around, with cameos/co-starring opportunities for the Hulk, Doctor Strange and a few leftover bits of Tony Stark’s wardrobe. Rather than taking any of what happens seriously, the co-writers seem to have anticipated the film’s own Mystery Science Theater 3000 track, incorporating self-aware punchlines throughout. The script pokes fun at the movie’s plot, production design, locations and past adventures. Heck, not even the obligatory cameo from Thor co-creator Stan Lee is sacred — identified here as the "creepy old man" who shears Thor’s tresses, resulting in a butch new rugby haircut.

Storyline: Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger--the Incredible Hulk!

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, February 25, 2018 Thor: Ragnarok just released to theaters several month ago, but it's no longer the latest installment in the ever-expanding, increasingly complex, and endlessly fun Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest film is Black Panther, and Thor: Ragnarok reminds viewers at credits end that the hero will be returning in Avengers: Infinity War, which will be hitting theaters around the time Black Panther should be making its home video debut. That's a lot of movies, a maelstrom of Marvel, but "while the iron is hot" and all of that. Thor: Ragnarok is the third film to feature the blonde-haired Nordic warrior from Asgard as the lead, following on 2011's Thor and 2013's Thor: The Dark World. Ragnarok, which is not a reference to a place or character but rather an idea -- the prophecy foretelling the destruction of Thor's home world of Asgard -- is a humor-heavy, abundantly colorful, and ridiculously fun movie. It's maybe a little skimpy in terms of dramatic resonance, getting caught up in its laughs, locations, and lightning-paced action, but as a core MCU experience that brings together a few familiar faces in large parts and small supporting roles alike while also introducing a few new and dynamic characters, it's a winner.

The film opens with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) battling the hellish Surtur, a demon he believes that, if killed, will nullify the prophesy of Ragnarok, which predicts the destruction of his home, Asgard. Thor slays the beast and returns home to find his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) missing and his mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) disguised and in Odin's place. The two travel to Earth to find Odin dying. He warns Thor that his long-imprisoned sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) will rise to power in his death. Hela does indeed appear, removes one of Thor's great sources of power from the equation, and leaves the hero for dead in space. Thor survives and finds himself on a strange planet called Sakaar where he is detained by an alcoholic rogue known as "Scrapper 142" (Tessa Thompson). She takes him to the planet's Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who selects Thor as his new arena battle champion where he will face off against a familiar foe. Meanwhile, Hela's grip over Asgard tightens, and Thor must find a way off Sakaar and back home if he's to save his world from certain destruction from his own blood.

Not that it wasn't true in previous films, but it's abundantly clear in Ragnarok that the MCU is truly an expansive universe, and the films and characters and narratives are so interwoven that it practically requires a Ph.D. in all things Marvel movies to keep up, or at least numerous views within close proximity, as well as an intimate knowledge of the comics, to fully appreciate the nuance and sprawl. Ragnarok introduces several characters new to the movie universe but well established in the pen-and-paper world. But that speaks to the richness of the characters and stories and, just as impressive, the various filmmakers' abilities to maintain a certain tone and style of execution that maintains not only narrative continuity but a consistency of essential presentation. That said, this film is more comedically inclined than the others. It's lighter on its feet, even while dealing with dark prophesy that foretells the destruction of Thor's home world and as he encounters his sister, a darkly clad, cunning villainess whose headpiece will almost assuredly remind audiences of the deadly Medusa. Yet Hera is almost a forgotten villainess through much of the film. The bulk takes place on the playful scrap world of Sakaar where abundant color and playful beats define various action and character building scenes, where Thor encounters the Hulk, meets the Asgardian Valkyrie, and even gets a hair cut from a familiar face. Hera more or less lurks, and Director Taika Waititi allows her presence to simmer, her darkness playing in stark contrast to the abundant light through a middle stretch that almost passes for something out of The Fifth Element rather than the MCU.

The film does take some liberties with the material, not remaining strictly faithful every scrap of detail in the comics, but Ragnarok, perhaps more than any other to bear the Marvel logo, certainly has its own identity. It's a film in which Led Zeppelin and Techno music meet in storytelling harmony as the characters uniformly move to those otherwise disparate beats. The movie is more Guardians of the Galaxy than it is Winter Soldier, more frisky and less dramatically intense and narratively deep, a film that's confident in its playfulness, sure of its characters, and unafraid to end on dueling notes of cheer and despair. The cast is all-in as well, playing off one another and embracing the comic cycles that do more to advance the narrative than the action. The wry jokes and perky character building moments come dangerously close to overwhelming the movie, but Taika Waititi never allows the laughs to become the sole focal points, always easing back just enough to keep the story and action front-and-center, a balance some of its humorously bent non-MCU contemporary peers have absolutely failed to achieve. From Hemsworth on down, including actors voicing digital characters like the rocky Korg (who is, interestingly, voiced by Taika Waititi), the performances are infectious, and the actors, including veterans like Jeff Goldblum, thrive on the film's easy-come laughs. Only Idris Elba, playing the stoic Heimdall, seems necessarily immune.

Thor: Ragnarok is just flat-out fun. It's light on story, even with a tough new villainess and a deadly serious prophecy as its namesake. For so many dark cues, Director Taika Waititi keeps the movie continuously light on its feet by painting a balance between quips and quality of story and action. The film accomplishes enough universe expansion to leave an indelible mark on the MCU, as well as redefine tonal expectations for the Superhero film, bringing the heretofore almost exclusively Guardians of the Galaxy brand of humor into the rest of the universe's very lifeblood. Disney's Blu-ray is great, featuring plenty of extras and a top-notch video presentation. Audio is good but lacking that dominant heft the action would seem to want (need) to deliver. Highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.5- Although this film is a humorous, colorful, energetic popcorn flick with lots of eye candy and I enjoyed it, it is not as solid as some ratings imply. It's definitely more comedic than the previous films. However, most of the humor comes from characters acting differently than expected. Despite its flaws, it is a lot of fun and for a low enough price, I will add it to my collection just because it IS a humorous, colorful, energetic popcorn flick with lots of eye candy.
[V5.0-A4.0] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box, with the motion lowered but with no vibration attenuation, really enhanced this movie.

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