Best comedy of the year, and the best Hulk movie yet.

Rating: 8/10 (12 November 2017)

THOR RAGNOROK may not turn out to be everyone's favorite Marvel super hero movie, but it will certainly be the funniest. Disney and Marvel wisely understood that we have become familiar enough with Thor, Loki, and the other denizens of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that it is time to have some fun with them, along with the tropes and conventions typically found in their super hero action movies. There is plenty of witty, knowing dialog (starting with the captured Thor's conversation with the demon Surtur), along with some great physical humor (such as when Bruce Banner does the pratfall of all time on the bridge at Asgard) that never descends to the level of parody, camp or snark. At the same time, it is still a film very much part of the Marvel movie canon, as the story brings some major changes to world of Thor and Loki, not to mention Asgard itself. And though Thor is in the title, this just might be the best Hulk movie yet, as we find out just what the Big Green Guy was up to during the events of CAPTAIN America: CIVIL WAR, which was basically another Avengers movie.
The plot basically hinges on Thor and Loki's older sister, Hela, the Goddess of Death itself, who comes to claim the throne of Asgard, and then prepares to conquer Midgard (Earth), the tenth realm that Odin spared. Hela is powerful enough to shatter Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, with her bare hand. The defeated Thunder God and Loki are banished across the universe to the planet Sakaar, where Thor is enthralled to the tyrannical Grandmaster, and forced to fight in an arena with the Grandmaster's champion â€“ enter the Hulk. Soon, Thor has put together a ragtag band of misfit heroes and is heading back to Asgard to confront Hela. We know where this story is going, but the fun is in the journey, as Thor has to contend with Loki's treacherous nature, a recalcitrant Hulk, and then an addle-minded Banner. The high point of the film has to be Thor and the Hulk's battle royale in the arena, maybe the best throw down yet in the super hero genre between two awesomely powered heroes. It's one of the reasons why I think this is the cinematic Hulk's best hour yet.
Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo are in fine form as the main heroes, with perfect comic timing. They are joined by Tessa Thompson as Valyrie, the requisite bad ass female, and the walking rock pile, Korg, a good use of CGI. Marvel has a history of under developed villains, and Hela is another in their long line of would be tyrants who are just bad and mean because they are just bad and mean, but Cate Blanchett, channeling some of that LOTR intensity, makes her a worthy Big Bad. Jeff Goldblum does his best Jeff Goldblum thing as The Grandmaster; Karl Urban makes a great Skurge, and along with Stan Lee's appearance, there are amusing cameos by Luke Hemsworth, Sam Neil and Matt Damon. Benedict Cumberbatch shows up to briefly to lend a hand as Dr. Strange, and Anthony Hopkins is back yet again as Odin. Nobody could voice Surtur batter than Clancy Brown. But the real star of the show is director Taika Waitiki, an independent film maker from New Zealand, who has made what might be the best comedy of the year; he also does the voice of Korg.
I loved the shout out to one of the most memorable scenes in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, a fine example of the film's sly humor; and how many times have we seen a rest home called Shady Acres in movies. But what most impressed me was THOR: RAGNOROK's homage to the comic artwork of the great Jack Kirby, especially in the detail filled wide shots of the planet Sakaar; Kirby was truly the Cecil B. DeMille of the comic book, this movie does justice to his vision.
Let's hope that Justice League movie is half as goodÂ…or a quarter as funny.