Thor Ragnarok Review

[HaveAtThee]

I actually wish Branagh could have been persuaded to come back - I would have liked to see what he would have made of the Dark World. This film, I think, will be a massive hit but I suspect not with Thor fans. I just cant understand why they seem to have decided to out and out parody the Thor franchise - it could have been a LoTR or GoT style epic; instead we get a comedy with,if Empire review is anything to go by, toilet humour. Once again Marvel are sticking two fingers up at long time comic book fans. What have we done to them, I wonder - except give them our money.

I wouldn't say they are trashing on the comic book fans as much as trying their best to appeal to as broad an audience as possible with the "least accessible" Avengers character. The inclusion of Hulk and fusion of the "Planet Hulk" story with their version of a Ragnarok story was probably the best way they felt that they could compete with the release of Justice League in the same month.

It's an interesting study into the evolution of a film. Feige announced Ragnarok as "the most important Phase Three film" and a film they wanted to give Thor the "Winter Soldier" treatment. I read that as that they're going to try and make a more tonally serious film with much more action and some serious ramifications for not only Thor but the greater MCU as a whole. Then the Hulk was included along with his "Planet Hulk" story nod to add some star power to the film (similar to how Civil War was an Avengers-lite film).

I agree with you wholeheartedly about how they could've potentially developed a mythological/fantasy epic akin to Lord of the Rings with the Thor franchise, but the question of what type of characters these are that the first film asked (and left open) was answered in The Dark World when they had multiple re-shoots and script changes to take the franchise more in the direction of a mystical/sci-fi franchise a la "Star Wars" (with a Twilight twist with the Jane Foster romance). There you had Asgardians using laser cannons and hover boards and other types of technologies.

Interestingly enough, the notion of the Asgardians as gods has returned with Ragnarok, as they are addressed repeatedly as such throughout the trailers. I suspect however that it may be treated as sort of a tongue-in-cheek classification rife with self-deprecating humor. The film looks like it will be entertaining enough, just not a "Ragnarok" film that many Thor fans first imagined.

[motherofpearl1]

At the end of the day....I guess some of us will get what we want and some wont. In any case it makes no difference.This film may be terrific, it may be pants. But either way I suspect it will be a huge hit.

[AJBopp]

I personally think a lot of critics and general audience members see comic book characters as inherently goofy on some level and just want a fun film. Now a few break that mold like Batman who are more rooted in reality than the fantastic.

Fun fact: comic book characters actually are inherently goofy, regardless of how seriously they are written (in any medium). The Nolan Dark Knight trilogy reinforces that, rather than breaks the mold. He tried to make Batman more plausible, perhaps, but that doesn't take away from the goofiness of a billionaire dressing up as a bat in a costume that could not possibly conceal his identity, using tech that could not possibly exist, to fight criminals that are ridiculous at their core. It's interesting that the two recent Superman movies, which attempted to do superheroes as not goofy, did mediocre at the box office compared to expectation, while Wonder Woman, which more fully (if not completely) embraced the inherent goofiness, outshone them both. I suspect JL will do well for the same reason as WW, if trailers are any indication.

I actually wish Branagh could have been persuaded to come back - I would have liked to see what he would have made of the Dark World. This film, I think, will be a massive hit but I suspect not with Thor fans. I just cant understand why they seem to have decided to out and out parody the Thor franchise - it could have been a LoTR or GoT style epic; instead we get a comedy with,if Empire review is anything to go by, toilet humour. Once again Marvel are sticking two fingers up at long time comic book fans. What have we done to them, I wonder - except give them our money.

I wish Branagh would have come back too, not necessarily for that storyline, but because he simply directs magic. I'd watch if he was directing traffic.

No movie will be made for "Thor" fans or "Spider-man" fans or "Batman" fans. They are made to get as many butts into the seats as possible, which is how it should be. Start making movies for the fans, and you stop getting superhero films made at all, because they simply won't make enough money. You're not going convert non-fans to fans by making a movie strictly geared to their existing fan base. That's not to say that re-imagination always works (see Star Trek Discovery) but attempting to appeal primarily to the fans is pretty much a recipe for failure.

[motherofpearl1]

Fun fact: comic book characters actually are inherently goofy, regardless of how seriously they are written (in any medium). The Nolan Dark Knight trilogy reinforces that, rather than breaks the mold. He tried to make Batman more plausible, perhaps, but that doesn't take away from the goofiness of a billionaire dressing up as a bat in a costume that could not possibly conceal his identity, using tech that could not possibly exist, to fight criminals that are ridiculous at their core. It's interesting that the two recent Superman movies, which attempted to do superheroes as not goofy, did mediocre at the box office compared to expectation, while Wonder Woman, which more fully (if not completely) embraced the inherent goofiness, outshone them both. I suspect JL will do well for the same reason as WW, if trailers are any indication.



I wish Branagh would have come back too, not necessarily for that storyline, but because he simply directs magic. I'd watch if he was directing traffic.

No movie will be made for "Thor" fans or "Spider-man" fans or "Batman" fans. They are made to get as many butts into the seats as possible, which is how it should be. Start making movies for the fans, and you stop getting superhero films made at all, because they simply won't make enough money. You're not going convert non-fans to fans by making a movie strictly geared to their existing fan base. That's not to say that re-imagination always works (see Star Trek Discovery) but attempting to appeal primarily to the fans is pretty much a recipe for failure.

Maybe but you can appeal to both -my cousins husband, a huge comic book fan,took his wife,who is not, to see Winter Soldier. Both loved it. This time around Marvel seems to not give a hoot about long time fans at all- they listened when a lot ofpeople asked for less humour in Thor 3, nodded, then completely ignored them and turned it into an out and out comedy. The director doesnt help much by responding to a negative tweet with a farting noise, it reminds me of Rick Remender and his infamous hobo p*** comment. Theyre entitled to defend their creative decisions but not to be rude and obnoxious to people who only want to show their disappointment.

[HaveAtThee]

Fun fact: comic book characters actually are inherently goofy, regardless of how seriously they are written (in any medium). The Nolan Dark Knight trilogy reinforces that, rather than breaks the mold. He tried to make Batman more plausible, perhaps, but that doesn't take away from the goofiness of a billionaire dressing up as a bat in a costume that could not possibly conceal his identity, using tech that could not possibly exist, to fight criminals that are ridiculous at their core. It's interesting that the two recent Superman movies, which attempted to do superheroes as not goofy, did mediocre at the box office compared to expectation, while Wonder Woman, which more fully (if not completely) embraced the inherent goofiness, outshone them both. I suspect JL will do well for the same reason as WW, if trailers are any indication.



I wish Branagh would have come back too, not necessarily for that storyline, but because he simply directs magic. I'd watch if he was directing traffic.

No movie will be made for "Thor" fans or "Spider-man" fans or "Batman" fans. They are made to get as many butts into the seats as possible, which is how it should be. Start making movies for the fans, and you stop getting superhero films made at all, because they simply won't make enough money. You're not going convert non-fans to fans by making a movie strictly geared to their existing fan base. That's not to say that re-imagination always works (see Star Trek Discovery) but attempting to appeal primarily to the fans is pretty much a recipe for failure.

I agree and understand that they're using a successful formula to try and make a film that will appeal to as broad an audience as possible. I'm not arguing against it. I personally would've liked to see a different sort of direction for the Thor franchise specifically. Making him into a screwball comedian isn't my thing. I'm sure the film will be entertaining enough.

[The True Detective]

Fun fact: comic book characters actually are inherently goofy, regardless of how seriously they are written (in any medium). The Nolan Dark Knight trilogy reinforces that, rather than breaks the mold. He tried to make Batman more plausible, perhaps, but that doesn't take away from the goofiness of a billionaire dressing up as a bat in a costume that could not possibly conceal his identity, using tech that could not possibly exist, to fight criminals that are ridiculous at their core. It's interesting that the two recent Superman movies, which attempted to do superheroes as not goofy, did mediocre at the box office compared to expectation, while Wonder Woman, which more fully (if not completely) embraced the inherent goofiness, outshone them both. I suspect JL will do well for the same reason as WW, if trailers are any indication.



I wish Branagh would have come back too, not necessarily for that storyline, but because he simply directs magic. I'd watch if he was directing traffic.

No movie will be made for "Thor" fans or "Spider-man" fans or "Batman" fans. They are made to get as many butts into the seats as possible, which is how it should be. Start making movies for the fans, and you stop getting superhero films made at all, because they simply won't make enough money. You're not going convert non-fans to fans by making a movie strictly geared to their existing fan base. That's not to say that re-imagination always works (see Star Trek Discovery) but attempting to appeal primarily to the fans is pretty much a recipe for failure.

Box office has more to do with quality than tone, if it didn't Batman & Robin and Batman Forever would've done better than TDK trilogy. The R-rated, dark Logan wouldn't have made $616m if people found dark superhero movies so unappealing. The fact that Spider-Man: Homecoming has only made $6m more than BvS ($879m vs $873m) shows that people aren't as turned off by darker superhero movies as you think. If BvS had the reviews Homecoming or Wonder Woman got it definitely would've made at least $1b and may have even done Avengers #'s. ($1.5b)

[motherofpearl1]

I agree and understand that they're using a successful formula to try and make a film that will appeal to as broad an audience as possible. I'm not arguing against it. I personally would've liked to see a different sort of direction for the Thor franchise specifically. Making him into a screwball comedian isn't my thing. I'm sure the film will be entertaining enough.

I agree with you on all points; personally Im disappointed at the absence of Jane and Sif, at the weird decision to turn Valkyrie into a female Han Solo, and by the emphasis on comedy more than drama - the humour in Thor 2 seriously got on my nerves! Still, the film might not be to my taste but everyone else seems to love it, and I guess they wont miss one person not going to the cinema to watch it. I hope they dont decide to make every forthcoming Marvel film in the same style though.

[Jameszahra]

Just got out from watching the movie down here in Australia. IMHO, marvel have just managed to pull out something new that doesn't take itself too seriously, but is pleasing to watch. 2.5 hours of Of fun. I understand people's concern for the goofiness, but if you can wrap your brain around the fact that the movie is not meant for heavy drama, then you'll enjoy it. I'd say it was the best of the 3 Thor movies, possibly a little more sifi, but the result left me happy that marvel had succeeded in taking another different approach to one of their movies. And at one point I had tears of laughter. For me it was up there with cap civil war, Spider-Man homecoming and ironman.

[Panic]

I thought the Thor/Hulk fight was great, plus one of my big gripes about the Thor films was that they didn't show Thor whirling Mjolnir to create a shield (or not that I can remember), but in this one you get some of that right at the start.

I also felt the whole cast was great. It might not be the Thor movie that we wanted, but it's not a bad movie by any means.

[tv horror]

"We have a ship...Do you want to come with us?" Great movie one of the best Marvels.

[Twickster]

Just saw the film yesterday. Offhand:

1. Definitely a good and entertaining film, but if you're expecting something Shakespearean you'll definitely be dissapointed.
2. Cripes Hela is powerful. IMHO, the most powerful MCU villain so far, barring furnace-face and Ego. Also, definitely not forgettable, Cate Blanchett really did well on the role.
3. spoilers:

They killed the Warriors Three! I wouldn't have minded, but they should have had a proper epic sendoff and not dispatched like mooks. But then they faced off Hela directly, so what do you expect?

end of spoilers
4. spoilers:

Loki sparks off the entire mess and gets off scott free

end of spoilers
5. spoilers:

Goodbye Asgard. I wonder what the repercussions will be with one of the universe's top civilizations wiped off the map

end of spoilers

[AJBopp]

Box office has more to do with quality than tone, if it didn't Batman & Robin and Batman Forever would've done better than TDK trilogy. The R-rated, dark Logan wouldn't have made $616m if people found dark superhero movies so unappealing. The fact that Spider-Man: Homecoming has only made $6m more than BvS ($879m vs $873m) shows that people aren't as turned off by darker superhero movies as you think. If BvS had the reviews Homecoming or Wonder Woman got it definitely would've made at least $1b and may have even done Avengers #'s. ($1.5b)

??? When did this become about tonality and darkness? Also, the reason BvS didn't get the reviews Homecoming and Wonder Woman did is precisely the same reason it didn't make $1b

[motherofpearl1]

Just saw the film yesterday. Offhand:

1. Definitely a good and entertaining film, but if you're expecting something Shakespearean you'll definitely be dissapointed.
2. Cripes Hela is powerful. IMHO, the most powerful MCU villain so far, barring furnace-face and Ego. Also, definitely not forgettable, Cate Blanchett really did well on the role.
3. spoilers:

They killed the Warriors Three! I wouldn't have minded, but they should have had a proper epic sendoff and not dispatched like mooks. But then they faced off Hela directly, so what do you expect?

end of spoilers
4. spoilers:

Loki sparks off the entire mess and gets off scott free

end of spoilers
5. spoilers:

Goodbye Asgard. I wonder what the repercussions will be with one of the universe's top civilizations wiped off the map

end of spoilers

Regarding the first spoiler.....lazy storytelling. Amazed the director got away with that.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Thor: Ragnarok is the best out of the Thor films. There is absolutely no denying that. It is well-directed with some stunning visuals and lavish production design. Chris Hemsworth is finally settled into the role of Thor with this film and it shows. The film also benefits from adding a entirely new cast that helps it feel fresh from the other Thor movies.

But there were quite a few problems with it in my opinion. These are -
• The comedy. Marvel are seriously running the risk of overdoing it with the jokes and comedy. They need to realize that not every character needs to have an endless stream of quips and one-liners. Having said that, there were quite a few jokes in this that earned a legitimate laugh from me. This brings me to my next gripe

• The script failed to generate any significant level of tension purely because everything was treated so lightly. How are we supposed to become emotionally invested in a character, or even fear/cheer them on, if there is no degree of peril for our heroes to overcome? None were ever in danger. Heck, they faced no real opposition from the time they left spoilers:

sakaar

end of spoilers until they reached spoilers:

Asgard

end of spoilers.

• Wasted actors. Seems to be the case for most antagonists in the MCU. Cate Blanchett was awesome with what they gave her (which wasn't much) and Urban was a travesty. A hero is only as strong as the villain they go up against. A strong villain makes for a stronger hero.

• Loki is really starting to wear thin at this point. Kind of like Magneto is in the X-Men films. Which is a shame, because I loved him in Thor 1 and was anticipating his return in Avengers. He was menacing and a threat. Now he is just comedic relief.

• Every film just seems to bleed into the next. It is too focused on whats coming next. Not on whats here now. Each movie should be the best it can. It should also feature a definite structure that allows it to stand on its own, whilst propelling various threads across sequels etc.

• If I pay to watch a Thor movie, I want to watch a film focused squarely on him. Not on dealing with the fallout of Avengers 2, not on addressing where The Hulk has been, not on what whacked out **** Loki is going to get himself in this time etc.

[motherofpearl1]

Thor: Ragnarok is the best out of the Thor films. There is absolutely no denying that. It is well-directed with some stunning visuals and lavish production design. Chris Hemsworth is finally settled into the role of Thor with this film and it shows. The film also benefits from adding a entirely new cast that helps it feel fresh from the other Thor movies.

But there were quite a few problems with it in my opinion. These are -
• The comedy. Marvel are seriously running the risk of overdoing it with the jokes and comedy. They need to realize that not every character needs to have an endless stream of quips and one-liners. Having said that, there were quite a few jokes in this that earned a legitimate laugh from me. This brings me to my next gripe

• The script failed to generate any significant level of tension purely because everything was treated so lightly. How are we supposed to become emotionally invested in a character, or even fear/cheer them on, if there is no degree of peril for our heroes to overcome? None were ever in danger. Heck, they faced no real opposition from the time they left spoilers:

sakaar

end of spoilers until they reached spoilers:

Asgard

end of spoilers.

• Wasted actors. Seems to be the case for most antagonists in the MCU. Cate Blanchett was awesome with what they gave her (which wasn't much) and Urban was a travesty. A hero is only as strong as the villain they go up against. A strong villain makes for a stronger hero.

• Loki is really starting to wear thin at this point. Kind of like Magneto is in the X-Men films. Which is a shame, because I loved him in Thor 1 and was anticipating his return in Avengers. He was menacing and a threat. Now he is just comedic relief.

• Every film just seems to bleed into the next. It is too focused on whats coming next. Not on whats here now. Each movie should be the best it can. It should also feature a definite structure that allows it to stand on its own, whilst propelling various threads across sequels etc.

• If I pay to watch a Thor movie, I want to watch a film focused squarely on him. Not on dealing with the fallout of Avengers 2, not on addressing where The Hulk has been, not on what whacked out **** Loki is going to get himself in this time etc.

Thank you for an honest review, and for sadly confirming my worst fears about this movie. The comedy has essentially eclipsed the need for good storytelling, and the wonderful character Tom Hiddleston created in Loki completely wasted. I wonder, when time has passed and people are nolonger dazzled by special effects if they will still see it as so wonderful. The Cap. A movies will be the best of Marvel for me.