From Marvel Studios comes Thor: Ragnarok. I’d never seen 2011’s Thor, 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, or any of the Avengers movies for that matter (don’t judge me,) but that certainly didn’t stop me from enjoying the latest movie where the handsomely bearded Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as Odin’s son, the God of Thunder.
Although I lacked prior knowledge about the characters’ backstories, I was able to easily piece together the gist, including that Thor and his brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, have always had a strained relationship. When Thor returns home to his beloved Asgard, he once again finds that his brother is up to his old tricks.
As Thor tries to right Loki’s wrongs, an unexpected sibling, long hidden away by their father, reemerges. Filled with venomous rage and pure evil, their sister, the Goddess of Death named Hela, played by the incomparable Cate Blanchett, is eager to do away with both her brothers as she lays claim to the throne. Unwillingly to allow Hela to destroy the people their father once lovingly protected, Thor fights back.
As he tries to reclaim the Asgar throne, Thor finds himself taken off track by Tessa Thompson’s character Valkyrie, who kidnaps him, selling him to the “Grandmaster” of the planet Sakaar. The Grandmaster, played by the ever-eccentric Jeff Goldblum, finds his personal amusement by watching gladiator style fights, and his new prisoner Thor learns his only promise of escape is winning in the big arena.
With the crowd against him and without his signature hammer, the rugged Thor is surely doomed to face defeat, right? When it turns out that his opponent is his former ally Bruce Banner, in full Hulk mode, maybe, just maybe, Thor still stands a chance. And, if he can survive imprisonment, maybe, just maybe, there’s still hope that he can save the civilization of Asgar from total destruction. Will the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, help or hurt Thor’s chances?
The movie was entertaining from the start, and I lost count of the number of times the entire audience erupted into laughter. I know some of the jokes went over my head because I wasn’t familiar with the Marvel universe that’s home to Thor and his fellow Avengers, but I too laughed throughout the movie. The special effects were thrilling, and the costumes were impressive. (Cate Blanchett looked absolutely phenomenal in her unitard, and Chris Hemsworth fills out his vest in a mighty fine way that accentuates his muscles. And for those of you who like green, the Hulk won’t disappoint!)
As far as violence is concerned, I didn’t think the movie was too violent for those children interested in comic book style fight scenes. There was a young boy who appeared to be around five or six years old in the same row as me, and he didn’t seem phased by any of the action scenes. It may have been a little bloody here and there, but it didn’t feel gory.
For those parents who are wondering about the “brief suggestive material” alluded to in the Motion Picture Rating, I’ll go ahead and spoil it by telling you that the word “orgies” is used once and the word “anus” is used a few times. Other than that, I didn’t think there was anything over the top, and it’s not as if kids watching the movie would even bother to think of asking, “What does orgies mean,” because the scene where it’s said is so action packed that children’s attention will be directed elsewhere anyway.
My husband Mike, who was already familiar with Thor and the Avengers prior to seeing Thor: Ragnarok, attended the movie with me. He shared, “This movie was funny! The action sequences were great, but it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was one of the best in the Marvel Studios franchise that I’ve seen so far. I’d highly recommend it.”
And, if you’re not already sold on this flick, Anthony Hopkins is in it. Need I say more?
Movie times: click here
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Director: Taika Waititi
Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett
Running Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material
