THOR: RAGNAROK Spoiler-Free Review - Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Comedy; It's All Here

UNITED KNGDOM -- I went into the last few days before seeing THOR: RAGNAROK with some trepidation as all I had heard, I mean literally all I had heard, was how funny it was, how it was Marvel's best comedy. And whilst THOR: RAGNAROK is most certainly funny, thank the Gods it's also an amazing sci-fi / fantasy action-adventure film, too. So caught up in director Taika Waititi's humour, which is admittedly great, the message that this film was also a grand space opera I had hoped it would be was somewhat lost. Thankfully, Marvel Studios and Waititi delivered.

Picking up a couple of years since we last saw Thor at the end of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, we find Thor on what appears to be the latest in a series of adventures that have taken him across the known universe. An odd choice of wording from a foe prompts Thor to return to Asgard to check in on the old homestead and following a couple of reveals, both expected and shocking, Thor is cast into the wider crazed world that is THOR: RAGNAROK and an epic race against time commences. From the first scene, this film revels in its sci-fi / fantasy settings, albeit with Waititi's touch, and never backs down.

Waititi has said that THOR: RAGNAROK is a standalone film and without wanting to give anything away; he is right that this is very much a Thor story, but THOR: RAGNAROK achieves a subtle feeling of interconnectivity with the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe that no other MCU film before it has achieved. Notice I said subtle, because despite the very obvious fact that THOR: RAGNAROK serves as a pseudo Hulk sequel and features a cameo from a certain mystical Marvel character, there are nods and callbacks to previous films that will reward long time fans of the whole MCU franchise, some expected and some not quite so expected. 

As for the main event, Thor vs. Hulk does not disappoint. Both characters are let loose and I guarantee the fight lasts longer than you would expect. But that's all I'm going to say about that for now. Suffice it to say all of the action in this film is brilliant. 

Chris Hemsworth as Thor has grown under Waititi's direction and penchant for improv, but thankfully in a way that accentuates Thor's jock-bro character and never detracts from the story as a whole. We still root for him, but we can maybe see why Loki had a problem with him growing up. Tom Hiddleston is great as Loki, but then sky remains blue so nothing new to report there. 

Tessa Thompson is great, and I mean great as Valkyrie, a welcome addition to the MCU and hopefully a character will we see again in the future. A special shout out to Karl Urban as Skurge, who in my opinion was brilliant and even in his limited screen time had his own complete arc, but without question it is Cate Blanchett who rules this film as Hela. Oddly, her accent is different from how it sounded in the trailers, there having been some changes made to the final film it seems, but her Hela is one of the best villains ever in a Marvel Studios movie and easily, their most deadly. 

On the subject of changes from the trailers, the location change of a major scene aside, there is something else Marvel hid us, something pretty huge that they in a way hid in plain sight. Even those who saw the AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR footage at D23 or San Diego Comic-Con this summer have no idea this particular thing is coming because Marvel have deliberately held off showing all their cards and for that I applaud them. People talk about Marvel movies having no stakes, when what they really mean is there are no consequences, no prices exacted on the heroes for winning the day. For all its light-heartedness, THOR: RAGNAROK has the gravest of stakes and wears its consequences proudly. Kevin Feige said he wanted THOR: RAGNAROK to reboot Thor in the same way CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER rebooted Cap, and they succeeded. People will have a hard time seeing Thor the same way after this film. 

A quick note on the music. The soundtrack itself is incredible — I'm listening to it as I write this review — but special attention has to be given to the film's use of a certain rock track. You'll know it when you hear it. Best use of the song ever in any medium, as far as I'm concerned. 

Inevitably, people ask where does THOR: RAGNAROK stand amongst the other MCU films. It's easily the best Thor movie. I personally think it's the best MCU film of this year. And overall? I'd say it's Top 5 material. 

Oh and there are two credit scenes. One mid credits, that's of plot importance and one right after the credits, for fun, if you're down for that sort of thing.

Written by Nick Whitney, MCU Correspondent

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