Thor: Ragnarok: Weird Avenger

Through the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its main players have managed to not only fulfill their individual role but also stick completely to them (Iron Man is the smart one, Captain America is the wet blanket). While this helps viewers relate to these characters by humanizing them, the one Avenger that never quite manages this humanity is the most obvious: Thor the Thunder God. While the rest of the universe tries to maintain some semblance of varied reality, Thor is more a super powered version of Flash Gordon (insane plotlines, goofy villains, unintentionally hilarious dialogue). Apparently realizing this wonky 70s vibe of the series, director Taika Waititi (that name's just fun to write) has decided to just take the whole concept, crank the crazy up as far as possible and roll with it. The result: the best Thor movie currently on the market.

Yes, Thor: Ragnarok, despite being the third entry in what is considered to be the least interesting Avenger movies, is awesome. The plot is ridiculously fun, the improvisational script is hilarious and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) continues to be both the most relateable villain (he just wants what he thinks is his) and, perhaps, the greatest anti-hero Marvel has yet to offer (he's still capable of good deeds even if they do not benefit him). Throw in a continuing-to-improve Chris Hemsworth as a more relateable Thor (he's funny because of the fish-out-of-water aspect) and the previously mentioned wonky 70s aesthetic that complements the Thor mythos so well and you have what the Thor movies should have been from the beginning: a quirky, almost-joking story about a thunder god who fights evil with a hilariously tiny hammer and his awesome hair. Hey, stupid fun is still fun in my book.

Unfortunately, despite the mostly stellar cast, the movie ultimately suffers from having too many stars at the top. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Doctor Stranger (Benedict Cumberbatch) are both criminally underused in this entry and, probably because it runs north of two hours, the movie tends to drag around segments not tightly related to the actual plot (the Hulk Arena bit is overlong and outstays its welcome). Throw in a rather jarring transition mechanic that leaves too many dangling threads (your invested in a sequence that abruptly stops for something less interesting) and you have a movie that mostly nails it but can't seem to stick the landing where it counts. You're already awesome, movie! You don't have to drag yourself down for the sake of the boring side plots.

As for watching it, got anything better to do? While Ragnarok remains in my mind as the best of the Thor trilogy, it will likely benefit this weekend from a complete lack of competition. Do you love the Avengers movies and follow them religiously? You've seen this one at least three more times than I have. Do you hate superhero movies in general? Chances are nothing I say will convince you and this isn't the movie for that. Do you like the weird 70s and 80s sci-fi (Flash Gordon, Tron)? This is a loving homage to that era and that's the best compliment I can give it.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows) expands upon his Team Thor web shorts with Thor: Ragnarok, a colorful, mostly great look at what would happen if Thor got trapped in a Pink Floyd album and just rolled with it. What do I say without spoiling anything? Thor (Hemsworth) gets into a pickle involving his sister and death goddess Hela (Cate Blanchett) and must find a way to save his people. Along the way, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) will smash things, Loki (Hiddleston) will have humorous flashbacks from the first Avengers movie and you won't be able to get Led Zeppelin's “Immigrant Song” out of your head for the foreseeable future. Thank you, Marvel?

My score: 8/10. Is it weird that this movie makes me kind of nostalgic for the 1984 sci-fi movie The Dungeonmaster? Probably weird...