Great humor! Gladiator fights! Amazing film!

Wait…we’re still talking about a Thor movie, right?

Yes. Yes, we are.

The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe returns us to Asgard and the adventures of everyone’s favorite hammer wielding Avenger, Thor. Having failed in his noble quest to find the Infinity Stones, the God of Thunder is back in action when Hela, the Goddess of Death, returns to take over Asgard and begin Ragnarok, the end of all things. Unfortunately for Thor, he is stuck on the world of Sakaar, forced to fight against his old friend, the Hulk, for the enjoyment of the Grandmaster. Now Thor must escape from the planet and return to Asgard to stop Hela once and for all.

Upon first hearing that the movie would be on the humorous side, I was a bit skeptical on it being good. After all, a superhero movie that is mainly focused on being funny may take away from the action. Plus, the first two Thor movies were kind of the “meh” side of things.

This is one of the greatest times that I can happily say I was proven wrong.

For starters, the acting in the movie was amazing. Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins all return from previous MCU movies as Thor, Loki, the Hulk, Heimdall, and Odin respectively. They are also joined by Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Tessa Thompson as Hela, the Grandmaster, Skurge, and Valkyrie respectively. The chemistry between all these amazing people was one of the best I’ve ever seen in any movie. Goldblum’s performance as the Grandmaster, in particular, stood out to me the most, though Thompson’s performance as Valkyrie should also be praised.

On a side note on the cast, one should not overlook Benedict Cumberbatch’s small but hilarious return as Doctor Strange. Though he only showed up for one scene, his help in finding Odin helps set the rest of the events of the movie in motion. Nor should director Taika Waititi’s performance as the gladiator Korg be overlooked. To have a director have a role this big in a movie and still be able to direct effectively shows how great a director Waititi is.
I also enjoyed how rich and full the plot was. Though the movie doesn’t fully follow Ragnarok as it is shown in the comics, they retold it in a way that makes sense in the MCU. I also really like how they adapted the Planet Hulk comic into this movie. The dynamic between Thor and the Hulk has always pitted them as friends and rivals, and with this plot, their rivalry on who is stronger definitely plays a large role.

The fighting scenes were also very well done, and some of the best I’ve ever seen in an MCU movie. The biggest fight scene, where Hela first attacks Asgard, proved how much of a threat she was, considering she took down about 99% of Asgard’s warriors without breaking a sweat. The fight scene between the Hulk and Thor also proved just how much punishment both of them could take.

Finally, one should not ignore the amazing special effects. Unlike previous MCU movies, where things have been kind of dark due to the severity of the film and all the bad stuff that happens to the characters, everything seemed bright and cheerful. Sakaar, for example, seemed very colorful for a planet of gladiatorial battles. The ship designs were all very sleek, and the portal back to Asgard was a brilliant piece of CGI.

Overall, I give this movie a 9.9/10, or A on the grading scale. Thor Ragnarok is the perfect humorous movie for all fans, and should be regarded as not only the best Thor film, but one of the best MCU movies to date.