The first reactions to Thor: Ragnarok dropped on Twitter earlier this month, and left no doubt that the critics loved it. We recently started to see full reviews online, virtually all of which agree with those initial tweets.
Those who enjoyed the previous Thor installments are sure to love Ragnarok, which critics are hailing as the best solo outing for the Norse God of Thunder. According to Mark Hughes of Forbes:
Thor: Ragnarok is fun, and it’s also funny. It is also dramatic, it is also terrific art, it is also the best Thor movie by a wide margin, and it is one of the best Marvel sequels released so far. If those statements or words bug you, then get over it.
Don Kaye from Den of Geek wrote:
With eccentric and genuinely funny director Taika Waititi getting the gig (after the more staid Branagh and Alan Taylor on the first two entries), and the movie going full-bore with both the comedy and the weirder aspects of the vast Marvel Universe, the studio has produced the most tonally coherent and entertaining Thor movie to date.
Even Peter Debruge (Variety), the only critic who rated the movie as Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, agreed that it was the best installment in the Thor franchise:
Thor: Ragnarok is easily the best of the three Thor movies. Or maybe I just think so, because its screenwriters and I finally seem to agree on one thing: The Thor movies are preposterous.
Those who haven't seen the first two Thor movies, or any of the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe installments, needn't worry, because the November 3 release pretty much stands on its own. The Wrap's Alonso Duralde agreed:
You don't have to have seen the lead-ups to Thor: Ragnarok to enjoy yourself, nor will your delight depend upon another five future movies to be announced later. There's little pomp and even less circumstance, but its goofy pleasures are more than enough.
Marvel Studios always finds a way to inject humor into even their darkest movies. But with Thor: Ragnarok, humor is the core. Chris Nashawaty (EW) commented:
With the exception of Deadpool and the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Ragnarok may be the only Marvel hero movie that feels like it's first and foremost a comedy. And on those terms – and those terms only – it's a triumph.
We’re not sure whether this is good or bad news, but Jim Vejvoda of IGN noted that the movie seems to focus more on Sakaar than Asgard:
It's apparent that Thor: Ragnarok isn't as invested in Asgard as it is in Sakaar, despite Ragnarok being part of the film's title. Marrying a barebones version of Planet Hulk to the Ragnarok storyline – the most consequential of all possible Thor sagas – was always a bizarre choice, and a challenging balancing act for Marvel and director Taika Waititi. But in the end, the film's heart (and our attention) belongs to Sakaar, with the movie almost begrudgingly cutting back to Asgard in order to serve the larger plot.
Chris Hemsworth earned high praise for his performance as Thor from many of the critics, including Sheri Linden of THR:
The relatively laidback angle on all the murderous spree-ing gives Chris Hemsworth a chance to find the comic groove beneath the title character’s beefcake godliness. He does it expertly, and the self-mocking humor is all the more welcome, given Thor’s essential blandness.
Brian Truitt (USA Today) remarked that Mark Ruffalo had a great deal to do as Hulk and Bruce Banner, and added that his team-up with Thor was perfect:
The best surprise of Ragnarok? Both sides of Hulk, the rage monster and the insecure genius, get more to do than in their prior two Avengers appearances. Even tonal issues can't upend the magic this movie taps into putting Thor and Hulk together as new best buddies, whether they're throwing down in an arena or having a bromantic heart-to-heart.
Eric Eisenberg (CinemaBlend) mentioned that Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie was an impressive new character:
Admittedly, the new characters are more of a mixed bag, but there are certainly some big winners among them. Specifically, if it weren’t for Hulk really getting the opportunity to swing his weight around, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie would be the film’s key scene-stealer. An unapologetically flawed former Asgardian warrior, who has moved her game to Sakaar capturing potential gladiators, she has some meaty personal stuff to overcome throughout her arc in the film, and has some fantastic back-and-forth with Thor, Hulk, and Bruce Banner.
According to Linda Marric (HeyUGuys), Jeff Goldblum's performance as Grandmaster also got a thumbs-up:
Casting Goldblum as the Flash Gordon-esque camp evil mastermind is nothing short of genius. Doing some of the best "hand acting" since Jurassic Park, Goldblum is mesmeric in every single scene he's in, and when he's not on screen, you will find yourself wishing he were.
There is some bad news: It appears that another Marvel supervillain may have failed to live up to expectations, as the critics weren’t too impressed with Cate Blanchett as Hela. James Dyer (Empire) agreed:
If there's a weak link in the line-up, it's Blanchett's Hela. While undeniably striking as Alice Cooper's stroppy sister, she's one-note, and outshone by Ragnarok's other major new character, Tessa Thompson's surly Valkyrie, at every turn. Hela's scenes, while essential to the plot, feel an unwelcome distraction, leaving us, like Mjolnir, aching for a return to the Thunder God's side.
As always, the problem lies in the script rather than with Blanchett. According to Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press):
Poor Blanchett, who has gone full vamp as Hela, is good as always, but how lame it must be to be in the "fun" Thor movie and have to play one of the most blandly written villains ever.
