Thor: Ragnarok

With Infinity War right around the corner, 2017 was not a time Marvel saw as a chance to take a break, and for better or worse that was most clear with Thor: Ragnarok. Despite a strong entry in 2011, the 2013 sequel was dismal to such a degree that the character himself fell into the 'so-so' category. It highlighted all that was wrong with Marvel films; from a flimsy storyline to a forgettable villain while being nothing more than a vehicle for its star and as a means to keep the audience's attention until the next proper tentpole. So the news of Marvel making another one begged the question, 'why?' Well, money of course but Thor: Ragnarok wisely takes the series in a whole new direction.

Comedic director, Taika Waititi, almost revamps the series with a comedy facelift, a retro soundtrack and one of the most varied casts around. We get almost everyone from a brief appearance by Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) to Jeff Goldblum's eccentric Grandmaster. The story focuses on the rise of Hela (Cate Blanchett) as she takes revenge against Asgard and all its people. Meanwhile, Thor finds himself trapped as a gladiator on a strange planet and has to fight his way out in order to save his planet from destruction. And Waititi isn't afraid of the destruction as he quickly kills-off minor returning characters and pushes Thor to new places.

It was a bold move but it proved to be successful even if the comedic elements came at a cost of the drama. If Asgard was Earth, then I think this wacky approach would have felt out of touch with what was happening onscreen. I believe Marvel realised that Thor's universe had seen its day and that there was little more to be gained from this mine, but it works and makes for a refreshing experience. The action is a lot of fun, the humour works for the majority and Blanchett makes for a great villain.

Thor: Ragnarok brings new energy to the series and what's more it doesn't feel like a film longer than 2 hours, the time flies by. I'm doubtful whether Thor will get another solo film after this but maybe this is a good point to do a Hawkeye and merge him with the rest of the cast, that continues grow film by film.