To thunderous applause

To thunderous applause

In Thor: Ragnarok, the main characters ponder the cosmos in this surprisingly funny sequel

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Earlier this year, I had the chance to review another Marvel Studios Film, Spiderman: Homecoming. In that review, I described the film as more of a teenage flick with a sprinkling of superhero glamour, a trait that added a much-needed breath of fresh air to the usual Marvel film formula, one that threatens to outstay its welcome as the studio churns out multiple films each year. The same could be said for Thor: Ragnarok, the latest Marvel feature to arrive in cinemas today.

While the promotional trailers may have given you an inkling of the film's true nature, Thor: Ragnarok is perhaps Marvel Studio's funniest -- and boldest -- feature to date, to the point it should almost be considered a comedy first and superhero film second. The film takes great pleasure in portraying common sci-fi or superhero tropes with a level of irreverence and self-awareness, showing us a wilder, sillier side to the Marvel cinematic universe that could prove interesting in the future.

Even more impressive is the film's success in humanising the characters of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), characters that -- while mainstays of the universe -- haven't exactly been given the same depth or dimension when compared to their more layered counterparts. The result is a film that isn't just genuinely stylish and funny, but one that expands Marvel's cinematic universe in a meaningful and exciting way.

Taking place a while after Thor takes his leave at the end of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Ragnarok begins with an excellent, high-octane opening that sees the titular God of Thunder battle a legion of fire demons -- and a dragon -- to Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) has left Asgard for Earth in self-exile, while Asgard is ruled instead by a disguised Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Determined to find his father, Thor -- with Loki in tow -- travel to Earth to find Odin, only to learn he is about to die, and his death will unleash the Goddess of Death Hela (Cate Blanchett). After having his hammer destroyed in a bid to stop Hela, Thor is scattered to a mysterious inter-dimensional planet, and must find his way back to Asgard to save his people from Hela's ruthless goals.

With Thor constantly interrupting fire demon Surtur's (voiced by Clancy Brown) grand evil speech to an Asgardian called Skurge (Karl Urban) boasting about Texan assault rifles to impress the ladies, Thor: Ragnarok takes great liberty in turning the silliness of the Marvel universe as far as it can go -- and sometimes beyond. There is a rock-alien (voiced by director Taika Waititi himself) who is banished for organising a revolution that failed because he "didn't print enough pamphlets so no one showed up", an alcoholic Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the delightful weirdo megalomaniac who rules the strange planet Thor finds himself on, known only as the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). The sheer silliness of it all threatens to upset the tone Marvel has set for its universe across all its various films, even more so than the already outlandish Guardians Of The Galaxy ever did.

And yet, the wider comedic range the film is willing to reach only works to give the characters and their respective actors more room to play with, so to speak, giving formerly overshadowed characters like Thor and Hulk a more relatable aspect. Chris Hemsworth is given ample opportunity to show his sharp comedic timing, giving us character with a deeper motivation and reason for existence in the universe. Thor's reasons for saving the world have always largely been reactionary and self-centred, like when he tried to prove himself worthy of his hammer again in his first film, or his attempt to save his girlfriend's life in the second. Ragnarok gives the character a more internally-driven motivation, making him more of a real -- for lack of a better word -- human character instead of the mere god he is supposed to be.

Meanwhile, even supporting characters like Tom Hiddleston's Loki are given more room to expand their characters in interesting ways. Mark Ruffalo's Hulk in particular gets an arguably out-of-character level of humanity in this film, which could be both good and bad depending on one's opinions, though I find the film's portrayal of the Hulk to be endearing, if not necessarily familiar.

Also notable is Cate Blanchett's Hela, which, while not exactly any deeper or more well-developed than most Marvel villains, manages to become one of its most memorable almost entirely through charm (not unlike Hiddleston's Loki). Blanchett portrays her character with an almost gleeful evil that makes it impossible not to find yourself secretly rooting for her, even if her motivations aren't exactly any more complicated than "evil person needs to destroy the world".

Thor: Ragnarok

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett Directed by Taika Waititi

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