Our Thoughts On Thor Ragnarok! ⋆ Brite and Bubbly

Our Thoughts On Thor Ragnarok!

By: Jesse Delia | 0 comments

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Marvel’s Thor Ragnarok is the 3rd film in the Thor Franchise and the 17th entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is best known for his comedic work; especially if you look at the two Team Thor shorts he released while filming this feature. But the best emotional journeys are those that have both intensity and levity. While there are many moments of levity with Thor cracking more jokes and being the butt of more jokes than previous appearances, there are also insanely tense moments with murder and destruction on an epic scale.

Epic is really the best way to describe Thor Ragnarok. And it is a relief to finally have an epic Thor adventure committed to the big screen. The first Thor was a wonderful tale introducing us to the character of Thor and his world. The second film fleshed out a bit more of his world but like the first one, both films spent a lot of time on Earth.

Thor is the God of Thunder. He punches giants and slays dragons. Thor is a larger than life character whose legends are derived from myths and fantasy. Thor Ragnarok finally delivers that Thor. Beginning in a realm engulfed in flame, then returning to ethereal Asgard and finally ending on a distant planet with a slew aliens we have never seen before, Thor Ragnarok is a fantastic adventure.

Also like all great fantasy adventures Thor Ragnarok, in addition to taking Thor on a journey through space, also takes him on a journey of self-discovery where he must learn to embrace destiny. That journey begins with him learning of Ragnarok, which is the prophecy that foretells the destruction of Thor’s home of Asgard.

After several twists and turns, Hela The Goddess of Death is released from her prison. Cate Blachett (The Lord of the Rings film franchise) plays Hela who reveals her connection to Odin, why she was imprisoned, and why she wants to rule Asgard. Thor, being the hero he is, tries to stop her but as seen in trailers, the moment Thor attacks Hela with his hammer, she destroys it. Having lost what he regards as the source of his power Thor must learn what it truly means to be The God of Thunder. Along this journey he falls into another world filled with rejects and outcasts from throughout the galaxy.

There, Thor is captured made to fight for the leader of this world: The Grandmaster played by Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day). And he must fight the Grandmaster’s champion, who as seen in all of the trailers is of course The Hulk portrayed by returning actor Mark Ruffalo (Avengers, Avengers Age of Ultron). Together they must escape the planet and help save Asgard.

The synopsis above is as bare bones as I can get; which is important because so much happens in this film that will forever change the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that is something with like all great stories must not be told but witnessed.

Also returning in the series are Tadanobu Asano as Hogun the Grim, Ray Stevenson as Volstagg the Voluminous, Zachary Levi as Fandral the Dashing, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Other new cast include Tessa Thompson (Creed, Westworld) as Valkyrie, Karl Urban (Star Trek Into Darkness, Dredd) as Skurge The Executioner, and Director Taika Waititi voicing Korg the rock alien. And a big surprise voice cameo from the great Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption) as the voice of Surtur the fire demon. Each of the returning cast have moments that greatly impact the story, but the really interesting story arcs come from the new cast. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie and Karl Urban’s Skurge are both like Thor in that they must embrace their destinies whether heroic or tragic. And Taika Waititi’s vocal performance as Korg is the infectious thing you will remember days after you see the film.

Accompanying and enhancing this epic story are the best visuals I have seen in any Marvel film to date and the most space age score I have heard in any film in years. The score is a mix of traditional orchestra and synthesizer that is reminiscent of 70s and 80s space operas; most relevant for this film since that is an apt description of its scope. Composer Mark Mothersbaugh has previously composed the scores for The Lego Movie and the 21 Jump Street movies, but his Thor Ragnarok is completely different and really helps to shape the mood of this far out fantasy space adventure. Meanwhile the visuals range from dark fantasy-scapes to slow motion tapestries telling the story of Hela’s first attempt at revolt to wide aspect color soaked space battles. Just a rich range of visuals that keep the audience awe struck.

While Thor Ragnarok is the third film in the Thor Franchise and the Seventeenth in the Marvel Franchise, the film does an amazing job of being able to both stand on its own and fit into the overall continuity. And much like the third films in the Iron Man and Captain America series, this trilogy closes out in a way that forever changes life for our hero and the overall Marvel Universe.

THOR: RAGNAROK opens in theaters everywhere now! Get your tickets now, as I said before, it’s the best superhero movie of the year! I’m not just saying that!