Movieman Madness: Cinema Spotlight II – Taika Waititi (Part 5): ‘Thor Ragnarok'

In 2003 Jon Favreau took the role of the supportive friend and semi-comic relief in Daredevil. In 2011 Taika Waititi also took the role of the supportive friend and semi-comic relief role in Green Lantern. Who would have thought that these guys would later make a superior superhero film. Favreau would helm Iron Man, while Waititi would take the reigns of the third entry in the Thor Trilogy with Thor Raganork.

Always enjoy the shots with the lush grasslands in Waititi's films

After learning that Ragnarok (the apocalypse for the Norse gods) is upon them, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) makes it back home and discovers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) posing as their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). With some assistance from Doctor Strange (just fanboyed on writing that sentence) they locate Odin only to discover Hella (Cate Blanchett) the goddess of death arriving on the scene. Destroying Thor’s hammer and banishing him to the junkyard planet of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), Thor is reunited with Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) after a rough welcome. With Asgard facing the ultimate destruction and Heimdall (Idris Elba) all alone to defend the people, Thor must recruit Hulk, Loki (begrudgingly), and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) a warrior with a past involving Hella, to stop the goddess of death.

Talk about uninvited guests

Much of the hype I believe is coming from the fact that of all the Marvel films, the ones starring Thor and Hulk have received the weakest reception.

Have yet to see them but the word I hear associated with them is forgettable

I enjoyed the first Thor film with its Shakespearean vibe courtesy of Kenneth Branagh who has a knack in that area, though the same couldn’t be said for the Thor: The Dark World.

So how does the Waitti fare with this?

A more comedic picture than any of their last films.

I’ll start on what I like, Thor himself is still great. We see him at his most vulnerable, his hammer may be gone but he still persists on stopping Hella no matter the cost. Not to mention wising up to Loki (also great thanks to Hiddleston) whenever he teams up with him; he knows better than to prepare for any of his tricks. I had a hard time liking Valkyrie on first glance until the reveal of her back-story.

Where have you been?

Bruce Banner is a mixed bag, on one hand it’s cool to see Hulk talk more often like in the cartoons but a subplot involving Banner starting to lose his conscious completely goes unresolved; curious how it will be handled in the next film. Jeff Godblum does his usual Goldblum shtick that is always fun to watch. One character who stood out was Skurge (Karl Urban), an Asgardian warrior with the attitude of Gaston but cowardice of the Cowardly Lion, torn with his loyalty to the people of Asgard and his new allegiance to Hella.

Topaz (Rachel House), Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), & Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson)

With Guardians of the Galaxy being a hit with its comedy/action feel littered with a lot of eighties nostalgia, Ragnarok goes the same route with lots of colors and tunes that seems to have emerged from an eighties jukebox and arcade game. Not a bad thing but even one needs a moment to catch their breath before continuing the fun, which is where most of the flaws are. Its a big tonal shift with the Grandmaster’s planet being fun and comedic whereas with the Hella storyline being dark and foreboding you almost forget that this is also in the movie. The jokes are hit or miss with many in scenes that don’t belong ruining some somber moments.

You can tell the third has more love with the amount of color it has than its predecessors.

Speaking of Hella, Cate Blanchett is fun to see but her arc is blandly executed. Her story is interesting as well as her motivations but are never fully explored. The final skirmish with Thor briefly touches that but the fists prefer to do most of the talking.

Skurge (Karl Urban) and Hella (Cate Balnchett)

Many will rejoice seeing Jane (Natalie Portman), Darcy (Kat Dennings) and Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) omitted in his picture; I’m not complaining over that matter but I am with another set of characters. [Small Spoilers: The Warriors Three are done away by Hella and their deaths are never acknowledged or brought to Thor’s attention. One scene of Thor’s reaction to this tragedy would have sufficed. Sif (Jamie Alexander) is nowhere in the film and while I understand the reason behind-the-scenes, would it hurt for a tiny explanation on her whereabouts. It feels like Logan where everything that was established in this universe from the story and characters was all for nothing and chucked out the window. If a major character is going to be killed off, have them go out with some dignity like Boromir or Obi-Wan. End of Spoilers]

I’ll say this, when it comes to the main leads they are more likable than the Guardians of the Galaxy (yes, I said it) that I didn’t leave the theater disappointed.

Can't have a Waititi film without Waititi appearing in the film, this time as the rocky alien Korg.

The film is salvaged by Waititi’s brand of filmmaking. From the witty dialogue, pop cultural references (the eighties look), a lot of green (which I’ve noticed plays a big role in his work), and beautiful shots in the grassy fields. Knowing that she is a Waititi regular I like seeing Rachel House as Topaz, the Grandmaster’s bodyguard that I started rooting for her in many scenes even in her space fight against Valkyrie. (Strike me again internet) Then there’s Korg (played by Waititi himself) who is entertaining to watch with one joke referencing his own film What We Do in the Shadows.

As roly-poly panda once said "Get ready to feel the thunder!"

Thor Ragnarok is OK that I could have done with less crass humor that doesn’t belong in Marvel Universe (thanks a lot Guardians). It’s a fun ride that you wished offered more but have to settle with what you get.