this movie was a joy to experience and a blast to watch!

Rating: Null/10 (5 November 2017)

The hype and reputation of this movie set expectations in a weird place. Critic reception is through the roof and some talk of it being a pure comedy tuned out to be grossly exaggerated. First and foremost the film has a proper amount of gravitas. It's not overtly "jokey" Scenes and actions have real weight. Thor and Loki both have great character arcs and both characters are fleshed out quite well.
The very beginning did give me pause. I feared that the early tone and rather light handling of epic characters from the books would make me hate this film. How Surtur, Skurge, Volstagg and Fandril are handled in the first 15 minutes frankly ticked me off. Even Loki seemed off at first. Yet, as the film unfolded most everything fell in to place nicely and everything seemed to fit the movie perfectly.
The action and the visuals are as amazing as advertised. Even Valkyrie worked as a character even though I was not sold on the casting choice. She could easily be any Valkyrie and not the specific one from the books. This third effort puts a wonderful bow on the trilogy with healthy nods to the previous two films. Yet, this certainly stands on its own and is very unique.
Hela is a superb villain and this is the best Hemsworth has ever been.
Allowed to settle after a stumbling start, this movie was a joy to experience and a blast to watch.