A little too polished, but very entertaining and fun

Rating: Null/10 (24 March 2018)

This was the second Marvel film I watched this week (Homecoming being the other), and it reinforced what the franchise does well - which is to entertain. Not all the films achieve this, but Thor Ragnarok certainly does. It takes its lead very much from the stylish and retro fun of Guardians of the Galaxy, but it has an awkward humor that is very much its own. This is really its main selling point, as the film displays great comic timing throughout, with plenty of very good moments drawing good laughs and fun.
At times the film feels a bit too engineered and designed. It is such a change from the previous Thor films (which didn't embrace this silliness quite as much) that it does stand out for its difference, but yet at the same time the accessible entertainment value makes it fit very well beside the more recent Marvel films, in particular the comedy tone of Guardians of the Galaxy. This carries it well, and it does own it surprisingly well; it helps that the cast all get it throughout, there is no feeling of everyone working in one direction while a different direction was trying to be found. The silly tone works, while not detracting from the general plot, which is a frame at best, but yet works.
The times it tries to have weight don't really manage to stand up, but otherwise there is a lot to like in a film that is entertaining, slick, well timed, and with everyone aligned to what it is trying to do.