Imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer, Thor finds himself in a race against time to stop the destruction of Asgard in the hands of the ruthless Hela. But first, he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his fellow Avenger – the Incredible Hulk.
Often disregarded in favour of Iron Man and Captain America, the strongest Avenger (his words, not mine) is finally given the jolt of life by indie director Taika Waititi.
Picking up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Chris Hemsworth returns as The God of Thunder and hammers it home with a leading performance for the ages. With exceptional support from Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and Tessa Thompson, Thor: Ragnarok is easily a contender for the funniest and most stylish Marvel movie to date.
Like Guardians of the Galaxy, the best thing about Thor: Ragnarok is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this new change of direction is what gives it “personality.” Tonally, the dark and serious Ragnarok story arc in the comic books is radically diffused in favour of something much more light-hearted.
While this will certainly irk some diehard readers, most audiences will find this shift very refreshing. If you enjoyed Deadpool, Thor: Ragnarok plays out like a tangential relative with all the action and humour, but minus the violence and profanity.
That being said, the film is still not a hulking perfection, though it’s really damn close to being one. The overuse of comedy does take the sting out of some scenes and what is supposed to be, a very sentimental apocalypse.
Perched above Logan, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man: Homecoming as the grand jewel of this year’s superhero movies, Thor: Ragnarok is a neon-infused romp that has a measure of joy and fun missing from his previous solo adventures.
Thor: Ragnarok opens in cinemas on 26 October. Click below to secure your seats instantly right here at Popcorn.