By Murtaza Ali Khan
Directed by the New Zealand film
director Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok is the third installment in the Thor
film series to follow up Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013). While Chris
Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston reprise the roles of Thor and his adopted brother
Loki, respectively, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, and Tessa Thompson are new addition
to the film’s ensemble cast. The film features cameos from Anthony Hopkins, Benedict
Cumberbatch, and Mark Ruffalo. The story
is basically set two years after the turn of events in Avengers: Age of Ultron
(2015) as Thor is forced to come to terms with the reality of his father Oden’s
mysterious disappearance. Also, during a nigh fatal encounter with the fire
demon Surtur he learns about the impending doom that’s awaiting Asgard and its
people in form of a vicious Ragnarök—a series of disasters resulting in great
loss of life and property as per Norse mythology. What ensues is a race against time for Thor as
he must make new allies to overcome the nigh insurmountable odds.
Like all superhero movies, Thor
is as much about the heroes as it is about the villains even as Hiddleston’s Loki
continues to be an enigma. His loyalties shift faster than Mad Hatter’s mood. “You
will always be the God of Mischief. But you can be so much more,” says Thor
after Loki tries to trick him yet again moments after winning back his trust. As
for Thor, he is always this warrior who is willing to put himself on the line
for his people. Although, he doesn’t come across as all brawn and no brain he
nonetheless lacks the wisdom of his father. The humor quotient in Thor: Ragnarok is higher than most superhero films
and that both works in the movie’s favor as well as takes away its edge at
times. Ultimately, it depends on the viewers how well they take to this new trope,
formally inoculated into the world of superhero movies by Deadpool (2016).
 |
| Cate Blanchett as Hela In Thor: Ragnarok |
The strongest point of Thor: Ragnarok
are its two kickass female characters. While one is played by the inimitable
Cate Blanchett, the other is essayed by the ravishing Tessa Thompson. Blanchett
has this rare gift of getting into the skin of the characters she plays to such
an extent that when she essays Jude Quinn—
an embodiment of Bob Dylan—in Todd
Haynes’ I’m Not There. (2007), we can’t
help but see her as Dylan in body and flesh. In Lord of the Rings, she plays
Lady Galadriel—a truly benevolent character but one that in the inside is no
less convoluted than someone like Gollum. Tessa Thompson plays a hard-drinking
bounty hunter with the perfect mix of beauty and brains.
 |
| Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok |
Overall, Thor Ragnarok is a
sumptuous feast for action lovers that riding on the back of some solid
performances manages to deliver several moments of insane visual brilliance. It
perfectly fits into the definition of cinema that’s both cool and calculated. In
terms of its themes, it comes across as a stylish rehash of films like Star
Wars, The Mummy and Gladiator. Thor Ragnarok makes for a decent one time watch
but if Hollywood-spawned formulaic escapism is not your cup of tea then you
better steer clear.
Rating: 6.5/10
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
Thor: Ragnarok - Official Trailer (YouTube)
People who liked this also liked...
Looking forward to this movie seems amazing
ReplyDelete