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Movies

Movie Review: No Mjolnir, no problem for Thor: Ragnarok

No Mjolnir, no problem
(Left) Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. PHOTO: WALT DISNEY PICTURES
Jonathan Roberts
Oct 25, 2017 06:00 am
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Who knew the end of the world could be so much fun?

Thor: Ragnarok is a bold move, not least because it strips the title character of his hair and his hammer Mjolnir.

Frankly, given the lukewarm reception for the first two Thor films, not much was expected of this sequel. Story-wise, it just had to get some characters from point A to B, ready for next year's Avengers: Infinity War.

Then someone told Chris Hemsworth that he was funny and Marvel did what it does best - give the project to an unexpected director.

What New Zealand film-maker Taika Waititi brings to the Thor table is an ability to match laughs with some genuine heart. The film is different, it is weird, there is a lot going on, but there is also a galactic portion of fun. This could be Marvel's first cult classic.

Like Captain America: Civil War, there is a name in the title but this is very much an ensemble - and there is much more of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) than the trailer suggests.

Not much to see here
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Everyone involved is having a blast poking fun at the pomposity of the previous entries.

There is also a constant in all of Waititi's work, of seemingly powerful people being petty, pedantic and pathetic.

Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblumand others get to deliver some hilarious lines, and Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has one of the best introductions.

Ragnarok is easily one of the funniest Marvel films and nothing has been done to damage the characters. If anything, Thor becomes more rounded.

The chemistry between Ruffalo's Hulk and Hemsworth will make you forget that these two superheroes have barely interacted with each other before.

Don't worry, there is a load of action too, with Hulk providing some of the best moments.

Where Ragnarok does fallis that it is a touch sprawling, and the connection between the Sakaar and Asgard sections can feel like two different films pushed together.

While Cate Blanchett is great in her role as Hela, she feels more of a guest villain from the B plot.

But even so, it is hugely enjoyable. There are some killer tunes with some great action and some laugh-out-loud lines.

More films should be this fun.

4/5 (Thor out of five :))

MOVIE: Thor: Ragnarok

STARRING: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson

DIRECTOR: Taika Waititi

THE SKINNY: The all-powerful Hela (Blanchett) has taken over Asgard, cast Thor (Hemsworth) out and destroyed his hammer Mjolnir. Thor finds himself on the junk planet Sakaar, forced to fight as a gladiator. There, he meets an old friend who could provide a way back.

RATING: PG13

More in cinemas

Only The Brave (PG13)

This biopic starring Josh Brolin and Miles Teller may not be groundbreaking, but the heroes of Granite Mountain Hotshots deserve more than a standing ovation.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90%

Blade Runner 2049 (NC16)

Director Denis Villeneuve's visually stunning masterpiece, a sequel to the 1982 cult sci-fi classic, features new star Ryan Gosling and original lead Harrison Ford.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 88%

American Assassin (NC16)

It supposedly marks Dylan O'Brien's departure from teen genres, but the plot holes make this spy thriller unappealing.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33%

Geostorm (PG13)

Gerard Butler and his intense stares can't save this spectacle about malfunctioning climate control satellites from becoming an epic disaster.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 13%

Home Again (PG)

This Reese Witherspoon vehicle is not exactly a winner despite having rom-com veterans in front of and behind the camera. The plus point is that leading man Pico Alexander is extremely easy on the eyes.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 31%

Flatliners (PG13)

Ellen Page and Diego Luna star in this poorly resurrected reboot of the 1990 psychological horror film about medical students who stop their hearts for short periods of time to undergo near-death experiences.

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 5%

The Foreigner (NC16)

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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 59%

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REVIEWSSuperheroSCIENCE FICTION

Jonathan Roberts

jonrob@sph.com.sg
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