MOVIE REVIEW: Thor: Ragnarok

As the entire Marvel universe gets ready to come together in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, the movies have been moving in two directions.

We have the serious, everything-is-at-stake films, like Captain America: Civil War.

And then the colourful, zany, roller-coaster rides, like Guardians of the Galaxy.

The brand new Thor: Ragnarok is the second kind of movie... even though it's literally about the end of a world. With a great mix of characters old and new, the film is rammed with big battles, amazing effects, and tons of jokes.

The end of Asgard?

Hela (right) is back in Asgard. This is not a good thing. (©Marvel Studios 2017))

In case you don't know, before the Marvel comics, Odin, Thor, and Loki were all gods in Norse mythology. And they all feared one thing: Ragnarok.

Ragnarok was a prophesy about the end of the Norse gods (it translates to "doom of the gods"). In the myth, the gods and their world get completely destroyed, and a new world is reborn from its ashes.

The movie, Thor: Ragnarok, is based on this event. Hela is actually Odin's first-born child... and the Asgardian goddess of death. She was locked away by Odin for ages, which is why Thor and Loki known nothing about her. But now she's coming back to fulfill Ragnarok.

All of Asgard is going to be hers, and not even Thor can stop her.

Lots and lots of fun

Topaz, Grandmaster, and Valkyrie live on the oddball junk world of Sakaar. (© Marvel Studios 2017))

Okay, if this all sounds pretty grim, well... we suppose it should be. But the people at Marvel manage to make it all a lot of fun. Cate Blanchett's Hela is menacing with her black antlers and many swords, but Thor cracks so many jokes, you hardly notice. Even when he is facing a 100-foot tall fire demon, the God of Thunder just can't help but laugh his way through things. Meanwhile, Loki is, as always, up to no good. And Hulk has learned new words since we last saw him.

All the film's new characters are also great. Valkyrie is a no-nonsense gladiator catcher who has a history with Hela, Grandmaster is easily the weirdest ruler of a planet you've ever met, and then there's Korg. This all-rock gladiator looks like The Thing's lost cousin, but is gentle and quirky. He steals every scene he's in.

A bit intense

Don't worry. We're sure that Hulk has got this... (©Marvel Studios 2017))

So overall, Thor: Ragnarok may not be the best Marvel film ever, but it is one of the most fun. That said, some people might find it a little too intense for their liking. It does feature the goddess of death, after all!

Watch the trailer below.