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11/15/2017 11:01 PMRated PG-13
What is most striking in Thor: Ragnarok, the latest Marvel Comics addition to the now-familiar saga of superheroes, is that the film is so witty, and simply fun. The actors outdo themselves and each other in one-liners and repartee that doesn’t get tired or feigned. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) at the helm seems more at ease than his stint in the remake of Ghostbusters, or maybe he’s just more comfortable wielding a hammer and donning armor.
Thor begins his trials trapped in a cage and then dangles, wrapped in chains, while a molten giant, Surtur, threatens to destroy Thor’s home world, Asgard. Thor tries to talk and listen, but asks the beast to wait until he twists around to face him. The audience waits with him. That’s the least of his problems, but that’s when the humor takes off. Even as Thor soars through the air on the power of his hammer, it seems certain now that his adventures will be punched up with levity.
Many of Marvel’s characters appear in small doses. The celebrated actor Anthony Hopkins, who is as comfortable in low-brow characters (TV’s Westworld) as he is playing high-brow (Remains of the Day), returns briefly as Odin. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, TV’s Sherlock series) puts in an appearance as Dr. Stephen Strange, and is the most subtle and stoic. Idris Elba, in a supporting role as Heimdall, should instead be front and center, since his usual charisma looms across the screen. He has the chance in other roles, such as his Golden Globe-winning TV character, Luther, and recently in The Mountain Between Us. Here, he plays the somber resistance leader, echoing the line, “Asgard is not a place; it’s a people,” that others say as they battle for their homeland.
Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston: Thor, TV’s The Night Manager), remains for the long haul, shifting between evil and good, and a perfect Cate Blanchett (Lord of the Rings series, Carol), playing the diabolical sister, Hela (often wearing a giant antler-like crown), plots to conquer Asgard for herself.
Jeff Goldblum grabs back his capricious gift of gab from earlier films, such as The Big Chill and Jurassic Park, as Grandmaster of a trash-laden planet in which he oversees glitzy gladiator matches. He wears his spiky hairdo and brandishes his narcissism with ease, maybe because director/actor Taika Waititi (Two Cars One Night, Boy), who voices the stone giant Korg, said in an interview that he encouraged the actors to improvise their lines, to create a “collaborative mood.” It works, especially with Goldblum.
Thor becomes prisoner when Valkyrie, played by a tough, convincing Tessa Thompson (Creed, Dear White People), captures him. His gladiator opponent is the Hulk and Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Spotlight) once again voices all the grunts and loud groans while smashing Thor to the ground. He also transforms back into Bruce Banner, and adeptly inhabits the mild-mannered scientist.
With all the slaughter fests, orchestrated mostly by Hela, the most memorable moments arrive more quietly. The Valkyrie, upon seeing Banner for the first time, and having been around Hulk, struggles with the familiarity.
“We know each other...friends from work,” she keeps saying.
The viewer is treated with the usual Stan Lee cameo and another surprise during a farcical play at Asgard. Amusing moments keep the superheroes fascinating as more than just agents of courage. In Thor: Ragnarok, they seem more human, engaging, and familiar when their magical powers cease to be all-powerful.