Release: 24 October 2017
From: Walt Disney Studios
Format: Theatrical Release
Age Rating: 12A

Every Marvel movie carries the mark of its director – to understand that, you only have to look at the Shakespearean overtones of the original Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh. This film pushes that to the max. Marvel’s decision to put the third Thor outing in the hands of Taika Waititi pays off bigtime, as his energy and huge talent for comedy shine through. If you haven’t seen anything from his back catalogue, trust us you’ve got a treat coming with Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows.

It’s pretty clear right from the start that this is going to be much funnier than Chris Hemsworth’s usual fish-out-of-water antics, with a couple of great gags in the opening scene. Yet this film manages to out-Guardians Guardians of the Galaxy! Chief amongst this is Waititi himself, who plays Korg from the Planet Hulk storyline to hilarious effect, almost stealing the film from his main stars. Even Tony Stark is funny, and he’s not actually in Ragnarok!

Pairing Thor with Hulk is also a masterstroke, as these two bounce off each other incredibly well. It’s also great to see a classic storyline like Planet Hulk played out to good effect, as rival DC often fumbles such big fan moments. Tessa Thompson‘s Valkyrie is also an inspired addition to the Marvel universe, so we hope this isn’t the last time we see her. And while it’s not exactly Deadpool, Thor: Ragnarok is also a little ruder than your average Marvel movie, with plenty of death and destruction.

So why only eight out of 10? Well, she might live up to her title as the Goddess of Death, but Hela’s backstory is thinner than a sheet of Ant-Man’s toilet roll. Shame she doesn’t have more to work with, given how Cate Blanchett nails this baddie. The plot is similarly lightweight, given how quickly things need to skip along. Yet none of that can detract from what is a hugely entertaining outing for the God of Thunder, and a big step up from his previous outing.

Reviewed by Matthew Chapman

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