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| Thor, Ragnarok - A Comic Super Hero Fantasy? |
Thor, Ragnarok is the latest movie in the Thor / Marvel franchise. It has been received quite well by critics. In fact, the reviews have been quite splendid and received from across the world. That is not an easy feat for fantasy movies. Earlier, Wonder Woman received wide ranging acclaim for being the first solo super-heroine fantasy movie in recent times. To do that movie justice, it was quite well made on all fronts (script, directing, cast, music, special effects et al) and well deserved the acclaim it received.
However, Justice League which followed it, was not lucky. The movie was plagued by all manner of issues particularly with Zack Snyder moving out as Director (on account of a personal tragedy) and Joss Whedon stepping in to ensure the completion of the movie. Clearly, there was a clash of styles that the movie suffered from, not to mention the indiscriminate cuts all over the movie, making it a sad sight to watch. As some points, some of the footage from the trailers was also chopped off enraging fans world-wide. Consequently, Justice League bombed at the Box Office.
Fortunately, for Thor, Ragnarok, the going was smooth. It was not just critics but fans too loved the movie. The enthusiasm and support of the global audience showed visibly making the movie a major success at the Box Office. It went on to erase, the not so great performance, of its predecessors in the Thor franchise. Fans have thronged in droves to watch the movie in theatres and have applauded this Marvel movie. Apparently, the first movie of Director Taika Waititi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has struck gold. The quirky humour he has brought in to the movie has made the movie, lot of fun for fans to watch. We watched the movie last Nov 2017 in the INOX theatre and had a good time through the movie. If you have children coming with you, then you can be sure that they will be delighted.
The story line as it progresses shows the mighty Thor, imprisoned on the other side of the universe and participating in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the indomitable Hulk, his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor has to survive, escape and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from destroying Asgardian civilization and of course, his home world. The movie, as is typical of MCU, boasts several big names in the cast. It is led by Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk / Bruce Banner), Cate Blanchett (Hela), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Idris Alba (Heimdall), Karl Urban (Skurge, the Executioner) and Tadanobu Asano (Hogun).
The movie is quite fun and hilarious to watch. It is populated by a rich cast of popular actors, each one playing their role fabulously. Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson and Karl Urban play their roles marvelously as the venomous Hela, the Grandmaster, the Valkyrie and Skurge, the Executioner. The established cast namely Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk / Bruce Banner), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Idris Alba (Heimdall) and Tadanobu Asano (Hogun) are well entrenched in their respective roles and play their scripts with elan. What may come in as a surprise to the audience though is the cameos in the movie by well known and popular faces. It features Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Further, there is a play within the movie itself which has cameos by Matt Damon (as Loki), Sam Neill (as Odin) and Chris Hemsworth's brother, Luke Hemsworth (as Thor). As is the norm, Stan Lee plays a small part too playing the role of a gladiatorial barber.
The movie is well rounded and comes off well to critics, fans and casual movie goers alike. The script is written well with a good dose of super hero treats and lot of comedy with the actors living their roles too. The music score is exciting complemented by the special effects that set your heart racing with anticipation. The Director Taika Waititi has elevated the movie to a great film through his directorial skills and his quirky humour. Frankly, it is a positive deviation and a refreshing change for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it was falling in to a stereotype.
Just our feeling though - sometimes, the humour felt awkward, spoofy and cheap than genuine comedy - that did not feel good! This was just few times in the movie like when Thor refers to his team as Revengers or the escape from the planet Sakaar is through the Devil's anus. The movie had few plot holes too - at least, we thought so. For example, Thor is supposed to be powerful enough to eliminate Sutur and grab his horns as a trophy but can not defeat Hela who sort of gets vanquished by Sutur when he is reborn? And the super cast? Felt like their genius was not well exploited.
Overall though, it is mostly a fun movie and its few disappointments are not devastating! A good timepass for everyone and a watch, more than once.
https://www.mouthshut.com/UrbanHermits/reviews
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