Molly Briggs ’19, News Editor

Thor: Ragnarok recently came out in theaters, and I’m sure you’re wondering whether or not it’s worth seeing. Well, I’m here to tell you that it is. In this third installment of the Thor franchise, Thor, held captive on the wrong side of the universe without his hammer, must assemble a team to find his way back home to stop the evil goddess of death, all while discovering the secrets of his family, having to duel his fellow Avenger the Hulk, and cracking many hilarious jokes. With his team, but without his hammer, Thor must prevent Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and all of Asgardian civilization. But despite the sound, the movie is anything but apocalyptic.

Thor involves a great and qualified cast, starring Chris Hemsworth as the hero and God of Thunder, Thor, Tom Hiddleston as his wily and sneaky brother, Loki, Cate Blanchett as the villainess Hela, Tessa Thompson as the ex-Asgardian warrior Valkyrie, and Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk. Chris Hemsworth brings a charisma to his previously somewhat flat character that ties the whole movie together. Thor is portrayed with a more comedic approach, but similar to the “Team Thor” videos this version of the God of Thunder definitely works. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki comes back from the dead to play the always entertaining anti-hero that you can’t help but love. And Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett swoops in as Hela, the goddess of death. Yes, a female Marvel villain! This goddess wows you with her awesome powers, demonstrated in the trailer to the movie when she crushes Thor’s mighty hammer. Tessa Thompson’s character, previously very unrecognized, is as vital to the story as Thor, Hulk, and Loki. Valkyrie is a strong and beautiful character that you won’t forget. And of course, Mark Ruffalo plays the Hulk, who definitely shines in this film. The movie includes character development for the Hulk himself, previously seen as simply the big green guy who smashes stuff. But this movie shows another side to the green monster that you quickly learn to love. However, Bruce Banner, when he’s not the Hulk, is mostly portrayed as bumbling and confused, which is a little disappointing. However, the strong portrayal of his angrier half makes up for it. Jeff Goldblum also comes into this movie as The Grandmaster, a previously boring comic book character that is now a petty and sadistic smart-aleck who is downright hilarious. Goldblum’s fantastic acting with this funny and quirky character makes you want to see more of him in the future.

Thor: Ragnarok will definitely have you cracking up. Yes, the movie is a bit of a standard superhero movie, with a terrifying enemy the heroes have to defeat and a big battle they have to win, but the hilarious quadrangle of Hemsworth, Hiddleston, Thompson, and Ruffalo really set it apart from the rest. From the very first scene, everyone in the theater was howling with laughter. There were lots of great slapstick moments that were admittedly a little cheesy but you couldn’t help but laugh. One thing I was worried about going into the movie was whether it would be too funny and lose its sense of being a superhero movie and turn into a simple adventure-comedy. But while Thor was sold as just that, it’s more like a part gladiator-comedy, part war film. There’s some cool action scenes, and the war part isn’t too intense but still manages to counteract the comedic aspect of it. The Thor series has always been one of the weaker elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first two movies were by no means great. But this movie is a great success and is definitely the best Thor movie by far; it’s definitely worth seeing, whether you’re a Marvel nerd or just someone looking for a good laugh.