[yasr_overall_rating]
Imprisoned, the mighty 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.
In the latest Marvel installment of “Thor,” the breadth of the acting talent, from the headliners to supporting players, is a remarkable sight to behold. Of course, at a reported $180 million production budget, it seems only appropriate that some star power should be on display.
The cast, ah, the cast. Where to begin? Of course, by now, most of us are familiar with Chris Hemsworth in the title role, along with Tom Hiddleston as the adopted ne’er-do-well brother, and Anthony Hopkins as King Odin. The leading men all reliably anchor this chapter of the Thor saga. In particular, it is Hemsworth who has a field day hamming things up for all they’re worth.
But the new troupes – notably Cate Blanchett and Tessa Thompson – serve to spice the mix up more than a little. Nearly unrecognizable at first behind the eye-catching makeup and jet black hair, Cate Blanchett dominates her scenes as Hela, sister to Thor and Loki, and banished daughter of Odin.
Also of note is Jeff Goldblum, wonderfully droll as the Grandmaster, who further accelerates the comedic momentum of the film. He manages to blend humor and gleeful menace into the same alien entity effortlessly.
Sam Neill, Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth (older brother of Chris) show off briefly as well. They appear early in the film and if you aren’t paying attention, you may not recognize them as they perform a fine parody of the three leading men.
In these Marvel tales, one never knows which of the increasingly large cast of characters will show up in any given movie. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner complains about having to wear some of Tony Starks’ (“Ironman”) very tight street clothes, and I wondered if Robert Downey, Jr. might make a brief cameo. Alas, no. However, coming off last year’s successful debut, Benedict Cumberbatch drops in for a bit as Dr. Stephen Strange.
Our heroes are diverted to the planet Sakaar for Act II, where Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster rules. The landscape is an interesting collection of varied garbage and psychedelic architecture that looks as if Peter Max (now 80) designed it. In the case of “Thor: Ragnarok,” the production design comes courtesy of Dan Hennah, who also designed Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies. The scenes of mounting garbage reminded me briefly of “Blade Runner: 2049” but the tone in “Thor” is much more tongue in cheek. Either way, in either film, the trash piles on Sakaar or here on dull old earth seem destined to figure prominently in our future as well.
As a young science fiction buff, I read the Marvel and DC comic books as fast as I could get my hands on them. I never dreamed the visual technology would exist to bring such fantasies to the big screen, as CGI was still decades away. Yet now, after so many Marvel films, and so many more coming, the filmmakers will certainly face another problem – how to find ways to veer from the familiar paths already blazed by franchise predecessors. While this installment does indeed accomplish that feat, the bar will only get higher as time goes on.
Some minor quibbles: As with “Wonder Woman,” the obligatory fight sequences run a tad too long. When the bad guys get regularly – lo, numbingly – mowed down in droves, it sometimes becomes difficult to stifle a yawn. Another minor complaint was viewing the film in 3-D format. Call me old-fashioned, but I still don’t like the glasses. Further, while the visuals in 3-D are very crisp, they also tend to highlight the fact that many of the set pieces are toy models. Ironically, through 3-D glasses, the CGI effects look better than the miniature physical mockups.
The film’s great strength lies in the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Quite the opposite, in fact. The characters never hesitate to engage in self-ironic monologues and dialogues. While “Thor: Ragnarok” clearly falls into the action-adventure genre, I’ve seen many comedies that did not have anywhere near this much punch or wry humor.
The runtime is a little over two hours, but the breezy interchanges and wonderful cast of characters make the time fly. “Thor: Ragnarok” delivers in all the ways it would be expected to, and provides enough surprises to keep things interesting.
In theaters Friday, November 3rd
