Thor: Ragnarok
27/10/17 Filed in: Cinema
The Marvel franchise has been ruthlessly marketed in recent times (this film is the seventeenth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and one suspects that film companies and directors realise that the ubiquity of the genre will ultimately wane the audiences' interest. So we have things like Deadpool, the anti-hero, and Guardians of the Galaxy, a sublime mix of humour and a fantastic soundtrack, that offer audiences something different, with some success. This line of thinking has now permeated into the Thor brand with this latest offering, wherein Chris Hemsworth as Thor reveals his comic abilities, while the remainder of the cast play it as much for laughs as for serious intent. And it works.
We kick off with Thor enchained and at first we think he's addressing us, by way of narrative, but we soon see that in fact it is Surtur the fire dragon to whom he's speaking. In good comic book fashion his seemingly impossible plight is merely a temporary diversion awaiting the arrival of his famous Hammer. But before this happens Surtur spells out the forthcoming demise of Asgard at his hands, once he reunites his crown with the city's eternal flame. This prophecy, which goes by the name of Ragnarok, has a short life once Thor gets to work, but keep it in mind!
Of course Thor now hotfoots it to Asgard, Surtur's crown in hand, only to witness his father watching a satirical play based on himself and his mischievous brother, Loki. Suspecting trickery, the Hammer is again deployed, this time to expose another of Loki's shape-shifting deceits. The upshot is that the brothers travel to Earth to find their father, Odin, only to encounter Doctor Stephen Strange, who strangely transports them to Norway, home of the Norse Gods, of course. Here the brothers learn that Ragnarok is already underway, and can't be stopped, because it will be driven by none other than their sister, Hela, Odin's first born, who will escape her imprisonment once Odin dies. Hela, superbly realised by Cate Blanchett, is pure evil, and Thor soon learns that she is a force to be reckoned with as she literally crushes his Hammer in her hand.
Thor and Loki ride the Bifrost back to Asgard but Hela pursues them, pushing them both out into space, while herself alone arrives in Asgard. Here the storyline splits. We see Hela imposing her will in Asgard, while Thor and Loki end up on the planet Sakaar, which appears to be the trashcan of the Universe, lorded over by the Grandmaster, a sort of Wizard of Oz played by Jeff Goldblum. The Grandmaster loves gaming, including a gladiatorial competition that sets newcomers against his champion, who turns out to be none other than the Hulk. Needless to say, Thor ends up the challenger, while Loki has ingratiated himself into the Grandmaster's court and watches on while denying any knowledge of Thor. In the gladiators' holding pen we're introduced to Korg, a Kronan rock man, who's voiced by the director, Taika Waititi. Korg could in fact be the take-away character from this film, much in the same way as was Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. He's not quite as cute but just as likeable.
When Thor crashed on to Sakaar he was rescued from scavenger bandits by Valkyrie, a survivor of the Asgard valkyries. Although at first a reluctant ally, Valkyrie in the end joins with Thor and a confused Bruce Banner, who has been in Hulk form for over two years. Stealing the Grandmaster's space ship they leave Sakaar by way of the Devil's Anus, a large destructive wormhole that appears also to be a chute from which the rubbish of the Galaxy descends. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, Hela has wiped out the army while pursuing Heimdal, who has taken the sword that controls the Bifrost and led the people to safety in the mountains. In case you've forgotten, Heimdal was the keeper of the Bifrost gateway but his role has passed to Skurge, who having witnessed Hela's short and sharp treatment of the Asgarth defenders, has signed up as her executioner.
And so the scene is set for the final face-off. We have Thor and Loki, who's now a good guy, and Hela who, as the God of Death, is still far from good. She seems indestructible, but Thor has one more trick up his sleeve. Korg and friends have meanwhile arrived with a large cargo space ship and as the people of Asgard are ushered aboard to safety, the Gods battle it out. In conclusion, all I will say is that this is unlikely to be the last instalment of the Thor story and I think we can expect to see many of the characters again. But I doubt that's a surprise to you.
Thor and Loki ride the Bifrost back to Asgard but Hela pursues them, pushing them both out into space, while herself alone arrives in Asgard. Here the storyline splits. We see Hela imposing her will in Asgard, while Thor and Loki end up on the planet Sakaar, which appears to be the trashcan of the Universe, lorded over by the Grandmaster, a sort of Wizard of Oz played by Jeff Goldblum. The Grandmaster loves gaming, including a gladiatorial competition that sets newcomers against his champion, who turns out to be none other than the Hulk. Needless to say, Thor ends up the challenger, while Loki has ingratiated himself into the Grandmaster's court and watches on while denying any knowledge of Thor. In the gladiators' holding pen we're introduced to Korg, a Kronan rock man, who's voiced by the director, Taika Waititi. Korg could in fact be the take-away character from this film, much in the same way as was Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. He's not quite as cute but just as likeable.
When Thor crashed on to Sakaar he was rescued from scavenger bandits by Valkyrie, a survivor of the Asgard valkyries. Although at first a reluctant ally, Valkyrie in the end joins with Thor and a confused Bruce Banner, who has been in Hulk form for over two years. Stealing the Grandmaster's space ship they leave Sakaar by way of the Devil's Anus, a large destructive wormhole that appears also to be a chute from which the rubbish of the Galaxy descends. Meanwhile, back on Asgard, Hela has wiped out the army while pursuing Heimdal, who has taken the sword that controls the Bifrost and led the people to safety in the mountains. In case you've forgotten, Heimdal was the keeper of the Bifrost gateway but his role has passed to Skurge, who having witnessed Hela's short and sharp treatment of the Asgarth defenders, has signed up as her executioner.
And so the scene is set for the final face-off. We have Thor and Loki, who's now a good guy, and Hela who, as the God of Death, is still far from good. She seems indestructible, but Thor has one more trick up his sleeve. Korg and friends have meanwhile arrived with a large cargo space ship and as the people of Asgard are ushered aboard to safety, the Gods battle it out. In conclusion, all I will say is that this is unlikely to be the last instalment of the Thor story and I think we can expect to see many of the characters again. But I doubt that's a surprise to you.