Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 2 ratings
Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela.
Thor: Ragnarok is a genuinely distinctive entry in the MCU, with Taika Waititi's irreverent comedic voice transforming the Thor franchise into something far more vibrant and self-aware — the Sakaar sequences in particular feel unlike anything else in the MCU canon. Acting is solid across the board, with Hemsworth finally finding his comedic groove and Goldblum delivering an iconic performance, though Blanchett's Hela is somewhat underserved by the script. Cinematography is competent and colorful but leans heavily on bright neon palettes that can feel garish rather than artful. The plot is serviceable but fairly thin — a series of entertaining set pieces loosely strung together rather than a tightly constructed story. The ending, while spectacle-laden, resolves Hela's threat quickly and the 'Ragnarok as solution' twist, while thematically clever, lands somewhat abruptly and undercuts the emotional weight of Asgard's destruction.