Best word to describe it is: Fun!

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2017)

I just came from seeing this movie and it was great popcorn fare. Very quippy and packed as full of as much humorous banter as possible. Not every gag works, but overall it is a lot of fun.
Okay, first, the best part of this film is certainly the humor. Almost every scene and every interaction is filled with witty quips and gags. The scenes with Thor and Loki are fantastic! I didn't enter this movie being a huge fan of Loki, but I ended the movie feeling that if someone made a movie with just those two characters talking, it'd be hilarious. The actor who played Loki did a great job emoting - his expressions often said more than his words! The character of Loki, while self-serving in nearly every action, didn't end up being unlike-able, which made Thor's attachment to him in the previous movies much more relatable.
Other characters were also well played. Hela, the main villain, was deliciously evil - no redeeming qualities to make her realistic, but, hey she's a comic book bad guy; you can't expect much. She brings death to pretty much everyone around her (typical Marvel violence - lots of mayhem and flamboyant action scene, but very little gore) and is established fairly clearly in the beginning of the film as extremely powerful, so the threat to our hero feels real. The actress seems to be having fun with her character too, which is always nice.
While on the subject of villains, Hela's sidekick was also well acted. He doesn't have many lines, but his expressions said a lot. His ending was predictable, but I liked seeing his journey to that point.
Other characters? Well, let's talk about Thor. As noted already, he's much funnier than in previous movies - and this works for him well! It didn't detract from his character, which sometimes happens when someone is made the butt of a joke too often, but rather you felt that his personality is deeper and he becomes more likable. His powers sort of shift a bit. It was in the trailers, so no surprise that his magic hammer is destroyed, so his personal growth is found in discovering that much of his power didn't come from a prop (except the ability to fly).
The Hulk shows up in this movie and I will admit to not loving this character. His personality as the Hulk has grown (he's not monosyllabic any more), but I didn't end up liking who he has grown into being. Oh well. Bruce Banner also makes an appearance and I found him both less engaging than in the Avengers, and perhaps under-used (for such as smart guy, he doesn't seem to have any use for his brains this film). Thor's interactions with both the Hulk and Banner were kind of cringe-worthy as you get the feeling (which Banner points out), that Thor just wants to use him/them.
Let's see, the Game Master, Jeff Goldblum, is wonderfully played - you just want to throw rotten tomatoes at that guy! He's so... slimy. The Valkyrie is less mystical and more... alcoholic, than expected, but it's nice to see a strong female who isn't down graded to Love Interest or Damsel in Distress.
The biggest weakness, by far, of this film is when it tries to steer away from humor or adrenaline. Sober, somber, or deep moments, squashed in by the jokes, don't work well. Odin has a moment with both his sons which should have been moving, but just felt out of touch with the rest of the movie.
The visuals were a spectacle. Lots and lots of CGI. Personally, I enjoyed this, but some others might disagree. The music wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about. The cameos of characters from other Marvel films were fun (especially Dr. Strange).
Overall, I enjoyed this film and while I don't rate it as the best movie in the Marvel Universe, it's one I'll buy and watch again. For someone going into it looking for some fun action filled comedy, I'd expect that person to be pleased with the results. I'd highly recommend this film!