I saw this at 11am EST with my friends so as I work an overnight shift I had to hurry home to get sleep for the job. As such I wasn't able to give my thoughts until now. So... Before anyone bites my head off let me say I liked the movie and am a big fan of Thor, both the comics, but the MCU version with Chris as well. I think the first THOR is criminally underrated and Hemsworth has grown into the role which even in the first film he owned already so that's saying something. So keep that in mind when reading what follows...
Can you see a movie and be both highly entertained and enjoy it while finding many elements that make it up obnoxious and disappointing? That's where I stand after one viewing of THOR: RAGNAROK. Yes, I was one of those that was, given the title, more than a little underwhelmed to learn that this wasn't going to be a big epic telling of the Twilight of The Gods using the MCU Thor and his cast. I'm sorry but that's what comes to mind when you title a Thor film that, at least for many fans of Thor from the comics. Now MCU Thor is a different kettle of fish at this point, true. The essence of the Asgardian noble warrior prince has been there from the start but even after his enlightenment from the first film let's just say that for entertainment purposes the go to characterization has been Thor as "Noble Asgardian Meathead"... And that's fine. From culture clashes to the influences of the other Avenger's characters it's a valid way of doing Thor in these films. However the trailers simply turned me around. Okay, it's not gonna be as weighty as I would have liked but it seems like a fun action romp instead with character drama. That didn't look bad to me. That said, and this is a spoiler thread so I won't hold back with details, the first scene of the film sums up the best and less than best parts of the movie for me.
Thor, last seen in AOU recounts how he left searching for answers to a coming threat. We saw him leave via the Bifrost but apparently he's been getting around the Nine Realms and beyond without it in someway though we never find out how, exactly? He's by and far WAY more, shall we say, "dude bro". Very much so and for me... TOO much so. The set piece works as he confronts Surtur in his stronghold. Voiced by Clancy Brown Surtur appears weakened and crippled or hobbled in some way. So... Okay that's fine. Explains why Thor is so confident and how the battle goes in general. Anyone that knows the comics knows how big of threat and villain Surtur is. The touchstone for so many fans, Simonson's run, builds up Surtur and his threat over the course of many, many issues to give the being that will use his giant sword to destroy the gods the proper inherent dignity an epic villain requires.
In TR we see... Well... He may not quite be that. At least that was my first impression given the lackadaisical attitude Thor has in the situation he's in facing the being supposedly destined to destroy all Thor holds dear. So Thor handily defeats Surtur, which would have been a HUGE issue in the film if the finale had not essentially balanced out the ledger. Still... The very beggining of the film was already a mix of "That's awesome! So well done." and "Ugh... is it NECESSARY that this moment or scene has to have not just levity but over the top comedy?" that was my reaction for most of the film.
Let's just lay it out on the table... Many scenes goes "One joke over the line" again and again. The whole opening sequence then as stated sums up the film, good and not so good for me. It's a rip roaring adventure, with Thor battling demons and dragons. The SFX are really good and can I just say, power wise the presentation of characters with powers is damn spot on, most of all Thor himself. And yet... Well the film is funny. Waititi as the director said that this was going to be a funny film. I get that. There is something to be said about too much of a good thing. It seems that when this, I think, valid critique is leveled against Marvel's films that far too many assume it means that the person leveling said critique is looking to see a film that is the equivalent of a funereal dirge. NO. That is just silly to contemplate and a bit of a strawman. Levity is fine... But other than the recent Spider-Man film personally, and I don't think I am alone is thinking this, it feels like the balance is out of whack in Marvel's output. GOTG1&2 (for me), Dr. Strange and now TR. All share a common issue where I just must say again and again, "I don't come to these movies to see the comedy." Full stop. I don't. If you do, more power to you. That's not ever been the primary reason I enjoy and spent money on super hero products over the years. Anyone that counters that they want "fun" and not "seriousness" my counter is that as a youngster, being exposed to this stuff, the "fun" was taking all this ridiculous irrational material "serious".
Humor has it's place and is welcome in proper doses but too much and yes, my opinion is that it flavors an action-drama to the point it can become something else. If I had to give an example... It's the difference between LETHAL WEAPON 1&2 and LETHAL WEAPON 3&4. What was once a welcome incidental flavor is now overpowering everything else in the palette.
Which isn't to say I hated everything in this film or every joke. The jokes hit. They hit nearly every time. But that's what makes it so obnoxious too often. It makes it hard for those to claim that the criticism of too much humor is willfully wrongheaded when it's just so very chock full of humor with little or no rest from it. Especially with this film's pacing. It just keeps hitting you with it's FUN and humor to the point it felt desperate to me. I mean... We've been with Thor and Loki (and Odin and Asgard) for a while now. Do the creatives at Marvel suspect we won't enjoy their company unless someone cracks a joke? This film wasn't just GOTG level in terms of humor. It turned the dial up to 12, ripped it off and then set a course straight for the sun. And due to the pacing you never really get as much depth, slower character moments or real feeling for anything other than it's relentless onslaught of telling you, yes... HOW FUN IT IS. Okay... I like fun. But Jesus... Give us a moment. Let some things settle or percolate properly. Not having a joke on screen for more than ten minutes won't kill the mood at all. Dramatically in the film stuff just... happens. It's not that there's zero dramatic tension or build up but it feels all so very glossed over so that we can get to the next big (and wonderfully done I might add) action set pieces or next gag/quip/absurdity.
This all sounds negative but don't interpret having criticisms with unearned negativity. There's lots to enjoy and behold in this film. The cast are all uniformly great. Not just good, but great, with perhaps only Karl Urban's Skurge being given the short stick. His end lines up with Skurge from the comics but again... Feels perfunctory. Like, "Well... They expect him to go out in self sacrifice so that's what happens." I didn't feel anything when it happened. But it's not his fault as a performer. It's the undercooking of the writing for his character. Because he looks amazing in the costume and make up. Second prize for worst served by the script is Cate B.'s Hela. She's wonderfully chewing the scenery and the bare bones idea of her as Odin's first born who was there at the bloody start of the "Golden Realm" of Asgard is fine but after appearing with such wonderful audacity fades into the background of the film. The look and presentation of Hela is frankly along with all the gods what I wanted from the first two Thor films. She's powerful and dynamic and as a pure physical threat she looks like someone you know will be able to bring it to Thor and Loki. A world class performer lifts the role but she doesn't register much. If people are praising Hela I think it's more to do with the performer so amazingly chewing scenery in the best way and not because it's truly a well fleshed out and compellingly written bad guy. Which sums up the two steps forward one back issues with the film I have in general. Chris owns Thor but it feels like any drama with the character is perfunctory. absolutely Chris is shown as a mighty and heroic warrior and Thor's feats in the film are bad ass as you would want from the God Of Thunder. Tom charms to the max as always, sly, wonderfully self serving and his chemistry with Chris is palpable coming off the screen... But again whatever meat that you could sink your teeth into is thin too often or not given the space to really register. A truly perfect example is the finale. Thor takes up his father's spear and sits on the throne, banging the spear with such power Hela can hear and feels it miles away. It's a great idea... But it is done so quickly it has zero gravitas.
OK... I am going too negative at this point. You would think I hated this movie. But I didn't. It has lots to offer. Yes it's funny. It's also got some amazing action set pieces that showcase Thor incredibly well... And none less than his matchup with THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Their first meeting in the arena is presented so wonderfully. Finally, sans his hammer, we see that Thor is a GOD, a powerhouse in human form that is not to be trifled with. While his formidable nature with the hammer is on display in the film's fast paced opening scene here we get a knock down drag out fight worthy of Jeff Goldblum's interstellar WWE promoter of character the Grandmaster. The fight is done well and highlights the various elements that work so well in the movie. Waititi is new to block buster film making but boy does he already have a firm grip on spectacle and production design. The day glow world while of course fictional still has a really good texture. We don't learn much about it other than the bare bones concept but it all comes off well done in the extreme. Mark Ruffalo's Banner and Hulk is as good as he's ever been, though again, perhaps undercooked in terms of material given. Still, he's funny and the approach is logical given the last time we saw him. Tessa Thompson is entertaining as Valkyrie. A tough no nonsense character added to the pantheon of the MCU heroes.
The finale is a rip roaring action piece with a couple of surprises I was genuinely not expecting. I mean... That eye thing was held really close to the vest and it was shocking and brutal. I had make a concerted effort to keep away from spoilers or ads so it shocked me in the theater. The solution of using Surtur was very nice and a redemption in my eyes given the way the movie started with the character being "jobbed". The lesson of Thor's "power" being that his greater strength was his moral nature was good. This helped to link the film to the first Thor very well, and perhaps shades Odin's character retroactively in an interesting way that was not obviously evident in hindsight. His disappointment can now be seen as less "Why is my boy such a fool?" and more "I can't let my boy go down the path I arrogantly did." I wish there had been a similar lesson or moment for Loki.
You see... I liked all that. I wanted way more of that kind of material. My criticisms doesn't mean I disliked the film. It was entertaining and fun... But there were also lots that had they just taken time away form humor and given it to the drama and character, would have balanced things out a lot more for me and fleshed out the movie as a whole. As such, on first viewing while I know it's a good movie that entertains and I enjoyed so much of it, right now I can't let the parts I found "obnoxious" in their intensity and the films blind spots go without comment. TR was a good time and solidly entertaining due to Chris's charisma and Waititi's direction but I will understand anyone's view that said they added far too much humor at the expense of what I feel are more important elements. If I have to give this a BS number score, okay, it's 8/10 on a level of being, yeah, "Fun" but even that score doesn't wipe out the issues I had with the movie.
I like them better than the actual books now.
. We used to go all the time when we were part time, but I've been full time for a while. I only go to special movies that get good reviews. Everything else we Netflix.
