Thor: Ragnarok

In some alternate reality, a movie bearing the title of Thor: Ragnarok has taken itself very seriously indeed: full of literal doom and gloom, it's an apocalyptic drama about the End of Days, as prophesied by Norse mythology. Since that pretty much describes the world in which we currently live, it's actually rather fitting that Marvel's 17th studio film is something else entirely. In our reality, Thor: Ragnarok is a wild, wacky and very welcome blast of pure joy - a raucous comedy that fuses an intergalactic road trip with buddy comedy, brotherly rivalry and battle domes. Thank Thor (and director Taika Waititi) for that!

We reunite with Thor (Hemsworth) - still free of new Infinity Stones, freshly confident that he's once again warded off the fabled Ragnarok - just as he discovers that something is rotten in the state of Asgard. As teased at the end of Thor: The Dark World, Loki (Hiddleston), his shape-shifting trickster brother, has been impersonating their ailing dad, Odin (Hopkins). When Odin's strength finally fails, the dark secret he's been keeping at bay storms into the lives of his sons: Hela (Blanchett), their bloodthirsty older sister, is back to claim the throne she believes is rightfully hers.

For (largely) better or (occasionally) worse, Thor: Ragnarok doesn't dwell as much on the royal family drama as its predecessors did. Instead, its second act plays out on the candy-coated, death-dealing planet of Sakaar. Ruled by the whims and fancies of the Grandmaster (Goldblum dialled to 11), Sakaar's people are relentlessly entertained in their very own battle dome. (Think the gladiatorial contests of ancient Rome, with holographic screens and super-powered alien beings.) Following an initial devastating confrontation with Hela, Thor is stranded on Sakaar, and brought in by the mercenary Valkyrie (Thompson) to stand against the raging primal force of the Hulk (Ruffalo) - not quite the "friend from work" Thor remembers.

If that all sounds like serious business, rest assured it's very much not. There's a gentle wit threaded through every frame of this film - a glorious, big-hearted silliness that fans of Taika Waititi will remember (and treasure) from such indie comedy gems as What We Did In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. Miraculously, Waititi has managed to infuse this gargantuan, green-screened epic with his trademark offbeat vibe, best exemplified in the way key plot points are revealed (via sardonic monologue or ironic stage play) and the character he plays (Korg, a chirpy rock monster who befriends Thor before our hero heads into the arena).

Waititi's involvement is a blessing for pretty much everyone involved in the film, but especially for Hemsworth. It's not that he hasn't been good in his previous appearances as the God of Thunder throughout the franchise - he was suavely charming in Thor and resolutely grim in The Dark World. But he's so remarkably good here, switching effortlessly between bright-eyed puppy and care-worn leader, that it feels like he's finally come home. Hemsworth's performance in this film is a fantastic balance of sunshine, silliness and subversiveness, and it's a joy to behold.

It's clear, too, that everyone in the cast - including respected veterans like Hopkins and Blanchett - were delighted to partake in the film's mirth and mayhem. Ruffalo continues to play the dual aspects of Bruce Banner - looming brute and mild-mannered professor - with so much winning charm that you want him to get his own Hulk movie, stat. Hiddleston is totally game for playing up the odd- couple comedy of Loki's rivalry with Thor, while shading unexpected complexity into his character's machinations. Thompson swaggers off with practically every scene she's in, finding the heart, humour and heroism in an Asgardian warrior who's lost her way.

Perhaps more impressively, Waititi handles every Marvel blockbuster's requisite action scenes with more clarity and flair than you'd expect from an indie director. He manages to find character and comedy beats even in swooping spaceship chases and bruising hand-to-hand combat. There's a thrilling fluidity to the action sequences - whether it's Thor soaring towards his enemies like lightning made flesh, or Hela unleashing her multiple projectiles of death with a dark, graceful beauty.

That's not to say Thor: Ragnarok is perfect. As it turns out, the film's greatest strength - apocalypse as afterthought - is also its biggest flaw. Waititi just about manages to find the emotional weight in Thor coming to terms with his power and leadership (a driving theme for this character), but it does get a little lost in all the knockabout comedy. Thanks to Blanchett, Hela is never less than terrifying: she oozes gleeful malevolence in her wake, forcing Thor to confront his own gold-tinted ideas of himself, his family and his history. Alas, she's also one of that peculiar breed of antagonist who's immeasurably powerful and strangely ineffective, all at the same time.

For years, Marvel has been making brave choices in terms of the directors to whom it has entrusted its stories and characters. This strategy has yielded films that are, for the most part, creatively diverse, ranging in quality from decent to excellent. Even so, handing the reins of the Thor franchise to a director with such a unique voice as Waititi might have been its biggest gamble yet. Fortunately, it pays off in spades. Smart, silly and self-aware, Thor: Ragnarok is a blockbuster that feels like it snuck into cinemas by way of the art-house. It's also that rare threequel which isn't just as good as its predecessors - it's easily the best of the lot.

It's hilarious, choreographed well, only issue is there is no emotional bits. And nothing is serious

The cast for Thor Ragnarok are all matched well, and the sibling chemistry between Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth is as natural as can be. Cate Blanchett as Hela, the goddess of death is frightening in her cruelty as well as physical perfection. But, the reason this movie stands alone is the multi talented Taika Waititi, the director of the film. His offbeat New Zealand style shows in every scene, humor throughout and a rocking 80s electronica soundtrack, the film will transport you as fast as Heimdall and the Bitfrost!

Frankly, I didn't like the first two Thor movies, the game plan was so clear from the get go. Same old "save the world" routines, brooding hero with a burden, a love connection born out of necessity and bloated battle scenes. It is the same blueprint for many superhero movies, but Thor has the God element that made the stories feel even more preposterous and ridiculous. It is hard to be vested in his quests because God don't die, hurt as much and can always employ one last deus ex machina that solves the unsolvable problem. But Thor: Ragnarok throws that over-used game plan out from Bifrost into an unknown territory, making it this year's best superhero movie. I know I know… Justice League has not descended, but looking at the trailer it doesn't take a genius to see that it will be doing the above-mentioned routine.

New Zealand director Taika Waititi seems like an unusual choice to helm Thor's third standalone movie. He has the indie root in him and he makes superbly smart comedies with oddles of heart, just watch What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) to see his outstanding oeuvre. Apparently, the Marvel-Disney studios have given him full reins and he went ahead and make a comedy. But how do you inject an indie comedic vibe into a superhero franchise that has not been done before?

Essentially, Waititi throws out all the cumbersome weights that hampered Thor and tells a simpler but no less cool story about a superhero trying to get back to his home to clean house. In between he gives Thor ample opportunities to be a beer-swigging beefcake, negotiate some treacherously outlandish situations and strip him off the one thing that makes him Thor, the Mjolnir. At one point, Odin even asks a defeated Thor "What are you, the God of Hammers? " that had me laughing till my tears rolled down.

The tone is light but no less serious, populated by so many colourful characters in a vivid world trapped in impossible situations. At first I thought the introduction of Hulk in the early trailer is a misstep, but Mark Ruffalo's casting would have been close to impossible to keep under wraps. By giving Planet Hulk comic fans a look-in would have been a better move. The repartee between Thor and Hulk/Banner is so hilarious. No less funny is also the dialogue between Thor and Loki, gone is that "he ain't heavy, he is my brother" vibe and this is a Thor that will give Loki a smackdown if he is out of step.

Cate Blanchett plays Thor's estranged sister with evil relish and you don't cast Jeff Goldblum without allowing him to be Goldblum. Waititi even voices a gladiator-mentor character named Korg that practically steals all the scenes he is in. Chris Hemsworth hams it up just to a safe degree and nails all the one-liners with an A+. In fact, the whole cast seems to be having fun.

Thor: Ragnarok embraces its preposterousness and swims in a pool of ridiculousness with the deadpan and self-mocking humour hitting all the bullseyes. In the midst of it all, it still manages to tell a super duper cool story of a superhero saving his people. Yet it manages to remain fresh and zip along with a zany lightning pace. What an inspired choice for a director. The risk taken will pay huge dividends. This has superb rewatch value and I already feel like buying another ticket just to catch all the one-liners one more time. This Thor is Thor-some!

The action and humor mixed up in this movie was done with such quality that you forget about the problems with it, if there are even any at all! Thor kicks butt along with both new and old friends of his and unforgettable superhero power scenes that will make you smile! This was especially great seeing it in theaters!