By Luis Correa

Arts and Culture Editor

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

The anticipated “Thor: Ragnarok” movie finally hit theaters last Friday and has already made a huge impact at the box office, bringing in $211.3 million, making it the 17th Marvel movie to hit No. 1 nationwide. The third installment of the hero has even surpassed “Doctor Strange” by 10 percent and “Spider-man: Homecoming” by 3 percent. Chris Hemsworth returns to play the protagonist Thor and fight his evil sister Hela, played by Cate Blanchett.

The movie stays true to the comic books by revealing the prophecy known as Ragnarok. This prophecy, in simple terms, means the destruction of Asgard, Thor’s home.

Due to Thor’s father, who dies, the imprisoned Hela, the goddess of death and Odin’s first born, awakens from her prison seeking to wreak havoc and take over Asgard and the other dimensions. Meanwhile, Thor is stranded and imprisoned on a strange planet ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) where he is forced to battle Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to be set free and return to Asgard to battle his sister and save his home.

Though the movie is based on destruction and death the comedy ultimately splits the movie, giving it two different vibes. This works perfectly because, arguably, Thor is one of the least interesting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The comedy really gave the movie a fresh perspective since most movies in the MCU follow the same routine of a hero having to rise up and defeat the villain, which I think it’s safe to say we have all seen before.

Though the movie is based on destruction and death the comedy ultimately splits the movie, giving it two different vibes. This works perfectly because, arguably, Thor is one of the least interesting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The comedy really gave the movie a fresh perspective since most movies in the MCU follow the same routine of a hero having to rise up and defeat the villain, which I think it’s safe to say we have all seen before.

Primarly this movie is a comedy first rather than an action flick. I also really liked what they did with Hulk. Hulk was always this big, mindless monster while Bruce Banner was the smart one. This movie brought more character to the Hulk. You really find out more about Hulk in this movie because he talks a lot and it shows that though he is not bright, he’s not as simple-minded as he formerly was. Even Jeff Goldblum’s character fits perfectly in the movie though we don’t get the sense if he’s a villain or not, he’s just this weirdo who runs a planet. Point being, he steals the scenes he is in.

It’s safe to say while this comedic take on the hero does work, it does make the mistake of being out of place at times. Like I said, the story of Ragnarok is about destruction and death, so once Hela comes in, people start dying.

Once that happens, the movie jumps back to Thor and the comedy kicks in again. It really makes the movie feel like it’s divided into two distinct parts. Another problem with the movie is the character of Cate Blanchett (Hela). When she is introduced in the movie, she came in as this unstoppable villain that completely destroyed Thor’s hammer. As the movie goes on, you can notice that the movie leaves Hela in the back drop by rushing her explanation of her origin story and not really focusing on her side and the impact she has in the storyline. This is due to the movies focusing more on Thor and the comedy again. The moments of drama and conflict are nowhere to be found in this movie. The first Thor movies did a great job of giving this Shakespearean feeling with the two brothers coming of age and the hard king having to teach his eldest son a lesson. I think the movie would have paid off more if they backed up the comedy in a couple of scenes and let the drama actually sink in and let you feel the gravity of Asgard being in danger.

Overall, the movie gives you what you want from “Thor: Ragnarok,” a sci-fi comedy, action-adventure movie. It’s fun and enjoyable with awesome actions scenes that are memorable. The camaraderie between Thor and Hulk was great since both are known for their destructive and competitive attitude, the movie gives you a lot of wreckage and physical damage action scenes that the MCU is known for.

“Thor: Ragnarok” is certainly a fun time. No alcohol required.

How do you rate this movie?
Lets us know on Twitter

@ClackamasPrint