Thor: Ragnarok

Marvel’s proclivity to use lesser-known, and stylistically varied, Directors throughout the MCU is to be earnestly applauded.

It adds disparity, differentiates each film and phase in the series, and enables each character film to feel like an evolution.

This particularly elevates their latest addition to the MCU, and third this calendar year, Thor: Ragnarok.

Phase Three has, so far, eclipsed all of Marvel’s achievements thus far, impressive considering we’re onto film number 17 in the series, and Marvel are at a stage where they can happily fudge the formula to ever-more exciting results.

We now have full-fledged genre films which feel different to standard superhero-fare, which DC haven’t quite grasped. Ragnarok is sci-fi comedy, and our first true stepping stone in style between the existing Avengers and the Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Taika Waititi has long-past being merely a 'Director-to-watch' but can still be considered firmly ‘indie.’ Hunt For The Wilderpeople was one of the films of 2016 and What We Do In The Shadows, which gets a sly reference here, a truly hilarious mockumentary.

Waititi brings his humour and zany orthodoxies to a truly eye-searing science fiction film here. The decision to set Ragnarok strictly off-world, and the inclusion of parts of the Planet Hulk story-line, allows this imagination and this injects the neon, colour and 80’s flavouring of the aforementioned Guardians… into the main thread of the MCU for the first time.

Rest assured, this is truly hilarious. A laugh-out-loud, pure comedy. Chris Hemsworth’s recent segues into more comedic material pay off gloriously here as he quips and piths, completely stripping the faux-Shakespearean gruffness that stunted the first two instalments.

Hulk gets his time in the spotlight, as well, which is balanced nicely considering it’s still highly unlikely we’ll get a Ruffalo-led Hulk solo film but it’s Waititi, again, who manages to steal his own film voicing long-awaited Kronan character Korg, who gets some brilliant lines. There’s also ‘believe it when you see it’ cameos from Matt Damon and Liam Hemsworth playing Loki and Thor in an Asgardian play.

It feels, in parts, that Waititi is spoofing the entire MCU but he straddles the line between farce and fan so beautifully that, despite the comedy, this feels like a properly important stepping stone to Infinity War; bringing back Bruce Banner and Loki, introducing Doctor Strange to the Avengers and leaving Thor with a reason to be in the fight with Thanos.

It gives pure fan service in the Planet Hulk segments with a faithful interpretation of the story-line (spot the Beta Ray Bill face on the Mt. Rushmore-esque tower as well) although a little more gladiatorial combat wouldn’t have gone amiss.

In fact, the only vague disappointment is another long-awaited addition; Hela. Of course, a superhero film is as a superhero film does, and needs a villain threatening the end of days, but her motivations are murky at best.

Despite this, though, this is another incredible addition to the MCU’s growing repertoire. Far from becoming stale, the franchise is building, diversifying and delivering every time. Ragnarok is the pinnacle of Phase Three and settles nicely in the top five films in the series alongside the first Guardians…, The Winter Soldier, Avengers and Civil War.

4 stars ****