I finally watched Thor: Ragnarok

Admittedly, I've never been much of a Thor fan. The 2011 film was a decent watch, but I found the sequel to be a bore. I even tried out Walt Simonson's critically acclaimed Thor comics, and while I appreciated the writing and the artwork, Odinson as a character just couldn't hold my interest. However, when Thor: Ragnarok descended upon Sky Cinema and struck me with the biggest lightning blast in the history of lightning, that changed.

Marvel's Phase Three films (Civil War onward) have been some of the best superhero flicks ever made, and Ragnarok is no exception. While most entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe attempt to strike a balance between serious action and humour, this third Thor movie is undoubtedly a comedy. The titular hero ends up on the planet Sakaar while his sister Hela invades Asgard, and director Taika Waititi fills this adventure with hilarious moments.

The performances of returning characters Thor, Loki, Heimdall, Odin, the Hulk and Bruce Banner are as good as you would come to expect from previous films. Hela, the MCU's first female primary antagonist, is menacing and super cool - she's accompanied by Karl Urban's Skurge, who largely serves as comic relief. There's also the Grandmaster, played by the glorious Jeff Goldblum. In terms of new heroes, we get Tessa Thompson's badass Valkyrie, and Waititi himself plays rock-man Korg, who we'll hopefully see in the future of the MCU.

Ragnarok's plot is exciting and fast-paced - we see Thor fight the demon Surtur, return to Asgard and even meet Doctor Strange before he even ends up on Sakaar. On this colourful planet, we watch Thor and his companions grow as they fight alongside (and against) each other, with character development that will carry over to the next films they star in. The action scenes are awe-inspiring and the humour is fresh, making Ragnarok a joy to watch from start to finish.

The film may be lacking in depth. For example, it doesn't really touch upon social issues like Black Panther, and doesn't have as many emotional beats as Infinity War. This isn't a problem, though - watching it is a really fun experience, so it achieves what it set out to.

I wasn't a Thor fan prior to watching this film, but I can happily say I am now. Taika Waititi and everybody else involved in the production of Ragnarok have breathed new life into the world of Thor that will be reflected in both the movies and the comics. Let's just hope that he makes it out of Phase Three alive.

Rating: 7.5/10

Have at thee! You can watch Thor: Ragnarok right now on Sky Cinema.