LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE TRAILERS OR NEWS
Of the MCU titles that have reached three films, each one seems to have a title that just knocks it out of the park beyond anyone's expectations, as high as they are. Iron Man had, uh, Iron Man. Captain America had The Winter Soldier, and Thor has Ragnarok, irrefutably the best 3rd film of any of the character trilogies.
I admit, while there's no MCU film I flat out hate, The Dark World is definitely toward the bottom of my list. There were parts that shined, but most of it was a predictable plot, with a boring villain, a flat hero, and goofy side plots with Jane's gang on Earth. Ragnarok corrects all those problems and the best part is, it doesn't feel like its throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It very much feels like Thor is finishing the journey he began after Odin exiled him to Earth.
If you've seen the trailers, you've probably guessed most of the plot's broad strokes. Hela, Goddess of Death (played by Cate Blanchett) shows up from her exile by Odin (making her a mirror for Thor). She destroys the hammer, and takes over Asgard. Thor gets thrown into space and captured by the Grandmaster (played by Jeff Goldblum) to fight in his gladiator arena against the Hulk. Thor recruits a team, including Valkyrie, Hulk, and his brother Loki, to return to Asgard and reclaim his thone.
If you were worried about how the story squeezes in all that, plus Thor discovering Loki impersonating Odin and then visit Doctor Strange, fear not. It all comes together beautifully, though I can tell you the marketing definitely edited a few things to hide major plot points. I counted 3 images in the trailer that didn't appear exactly the same way in the cut. I'll give you the first one since its the minor. Hela doesn't destroy Mjolnir in a city.
Overall, the film was well paced. Dr. Strange feels a little shoehorned, but the scene functions the way Falcon's did in Ant-Man; to provide an introduction to the Avengers so one of them knows who to call when shit goes down in Infinity War. It's also a hilarious exchange as the no-nonsense Master of the Mystic Arts verbally spars with the brawling God of Thunder.
Speaking of comedy, the film capitalizes on Hemsworth's comedy skills that he showed in films like Ghostbusters. It's not more the same fish-out-of-water Viking we've seen a four times already. Thor has grown as a character and we can see that in the different ways he makes the audience laugh. Sometimes he's the fool, sometimes he's the Prince, sometimes he's the alpha male, it's all there.
Hemsworth isn't the only acting gem on the screen. In addition to most of the returning Asgardians, Jeff Goldblum absolutely kills it as the hedonistic Grand Master. Director Taika Waitit instructed hime to improvise and it shows in how much he's able to be his usual charming self. Hulk had a much bigger on screen presence than before. Fans of the Planet Hulk comics will see a some familiar images and characters from that story line. This is the most we've seen of Hulk, rather than Banner, as a character since The Incredible Hulk film and it really pays off.
One of the best additions was Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. As an Asgardian in exile (see a pattern forming here?) she has a lot more depth and complexity than we've seen in the other warriors. And the best part, for you feminists out there, is that although there is some sexual tension between her and Thor, she is NOT a love interest and never needs to be rescued, at least not literally. One could argue that Thor figuratively rescues her from exile, but that's kinda splitting hairs. Regardless, she's a kick-ass Asgard warrior, played by a minority, who has her own story. Short of giving her a solo film, what more can you ask?
Unfortunately, there is one notable omission from the returning cast. It was the one fear I had going into the film and it sadly came to pass. Jamie Alexander, who plays Lady Siv couldn't get away from her show Blindspot to make an appearance in the film. There's a scene that I feel was written for her, but was performed by one of the Warriors Three in her stead. The audience can infer she may have been killed when Hela takes over Asgard or that she's still out there somewhere. On the other hand, she's one of the few movie characters who knows Coulson is still alive, so maybe Marvel doesn't want her walking around.
The last thing I really have to geek out about in the music. If you were a fan of the trailer's use of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, well be happy it wasn't just a marketing gimmick, it appears in the film. Most of the soundtrack consist of techno beats reminiscent of 70's to 80's films and video games. It really helps fuel the cosmic world that Thor finds himself in. Then, as Thor makes his triumphant return, we hear the familiar Asgard theme from his first film. Gotta love it when composers bring in old scores right when we need them the most.
All in all, I'd say Thor: Ragnarok represents the best qualities of Marvel's Phase 3. It doesn't rely too much on any previous film to make sense, but it leans a lot on the general universe that's been built. We have the grungy space civilizations seen in Guardians, the divine halls of Asgard and other bits of Norse mythology, the mystical sanctum of Doctor Strange, and even some familiar Avengers tech. The audience has outgrown the techno-babble explanations of Jane Foster to explain what's going on, which is one of the many reasons why her absence is a benefit.
In the details there are numerous direct references or nods to Thor, The Avengers, The Dark World, Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, and even The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk one was especially sneaky. I didn't even realize what they had done until I walked out of the theater. See if you can spot it. The point is that this film leans on the previous not for critical story points but for all the little character moments that remind the audience of the journey they've been on, and what's yet to come. I gotta say, as much as I'm looking forward to Black Panther, it almost feels like its something I have to get through before the end.
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