This is a fun film. Stories from the set talk of actors being allowed to improvise their lines and it shows. Everyone is having a blast, even the CGI Hulk!
Here we are, Thor Ragnarok, the third Thor film which puts us squarely back into the middle of the Norse mythology and reminds us that Thor is a God, not just a dude with nice hair and a hammer who works with The Avengers and after whom we named one of our days of the week.
Who cares about the plot when you are having this much fun? We have Chris Hemsworth auditioning for the RSC again; Tom Hiddleston in a muted yet non-redemptive mode; Cate Blanchett in a delicious, sexy vengeful god role and finally Jeff Goldblum hamming it up and clearly enjoying himself. We also have Mark Ruffalo, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba and Tessa Thompson. The great and the good are all in this film.
The story? Well if you insist.
Imprisoned, the almighty Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.
But who cares? I was too busy laughing. That is probably the film's weakness. Because of the levity that the characters bring, there is never a sense of dread. No one dies, unlike Guardian of the Galaxy Vol II which killed off one of its major characters. It has been a gripe of mine with the Marvel franchise - no one dies. At least DC had the cohones to kill off Superman and stick to the comic book narrative. In Capt. America: Civil War, everyone pretty much lives happily ever after. In the original comic, Ironman kills Capt. America.
Like the other Thor movies, Ragnarok stands on its own and it is the better for it.
It's fun, it's a riot, you will laugh your way through it - the first Superhero Comedy. It's not a classic and I'm not sure how it will stand up to repeated viewings when you know the jokes.
Go enjoy!