The seventeenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also arguably the funniest, as indie director Taika Waititi brings a huge dose of inventiveness, visual spectacle and wry humour to Chris Hemsworth’s best outing yet as the God of Thunder.

Premise: Since the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been searching the galaxy for more clues about the Infinity Stones, and also attempting to prevent Ragnarok, the prophesised fall of Asgard. But the return of Hela (Cate Blanchett), the ancient Asgardian Goddess of Death, could spell the beginning of the end…

Review:

It’s an incredible achievement that, seventeen films into the MCU, Marvel has (with the possible exception of Iron Man 2) never fallen into the trap of making sequels that simply rehash the original film – and Thor: Ragnarok is perhaps the best example yet of how Marvel reinvents its heroes with each new instalment.

Kenneth Branagh’s Thor was, back in 2011, probably Marvel’s biggest risk to date, as it attempted to bring in aliens and “gods” to the relatively grounded MCU. The gamble paid off, arguably because Thor was as much a fish-out-of-water coming-of-age film as it was a movie about alien worlds. Although Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World is sometimes seen as one of the weakest MCU films, I have to admit that (despite its flaws) I have a soft spot for it, and I particularly enjoyed its focus on Loki’s familial relationships. After the events of Thor and The Avengers, Loki could easily have been considered an irredeemable, one-note bad guy, but The Dark World did a great job of generating empathy and pathos for the character.

“…embraces the theatricality of a full blown, galaxy-spanning space epic…”

Having appeared annually between 2011 and 2013, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor then only made one further appearance during the last four years (co-starring in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron), so it certainly feels like his character is overdue a moment back in the spotlight. But rather than try to recreate the Earth-bound adventure of Thor or the family drama of The Dark World, in Ragnarok Taika Waititi has instead embraced the theatricality of a full blown, galaxy-spanning space epic.

It’s perhaps a surprise that Ragnarok feels like it has much more in common with the two Guardians of the Galaxy films that it does with the previous Thor films, but that sense of freshness and unbound imagination pays dividends. The alien worlds seen in the first two Thor films were all fairly desolate and sparse, which felt very different from the vibrancy of the various alien worlds seen in the two Guardians of the Galaxy films – but Ragnarok feels like it finally bridges that gap, uniting the “nine realms” of Asgard’s territory into the wider, and far more exotic, universe seen in the two Guardians of the Galaxy films.

Another thing that Marvel has never shied away from is upsetting the status quo of the MCU. In 2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier changed S.H.I.E.L.D. forever, and just last year, Captain America: Civil War effectively disbanded the Avengers. Ragnarok has a similar sense that things will never be the same after this, which is fitting given the title (a reference to the apocalypse of Norse mythology) and the fact that this may very well be the last solo-Thor film.

“…Taika Waititi brings an infectious enthusiasm and sense of wonder to the proceedings…”

And if it is the final Thor film, the series goes out on a high. Taika Waititi was arguably a very leftfield choice for director, having mainly focused on (critically acclaimed) indie comedies up to now, but he brings an infectious enthusiasm and sense of wonder to the proceedings. Up until this point, Asgard and the “nine realms” felt very staid and sombre, and (for better or for worse) the Asgard seen in Thor did feel like “Shakespeare-world” (leading to Tony Stark’s “Shakespeare in the park” joke in The Avengers) – but Ragnarok injects Thor and the Asgardians into a much more loose and freewheeling universe.

As I said above, Ragnarok is arguably the MCU’s funniest film to date, even more so than either of the Guardians of the Galaxy films or Spider-Man: Homecoming. I don’t think there was a single scene that didn’t contain some sort of wry comment or sight gag that at the very least generated a chuckle – with many moments reducing the audience to fits of laughter. The film-makers have said that the classic 1986 Kurt Russell film Big Trouble in Little China was an inspiration for the tone and comedy in Ragnarok, which really captures the same sarcastic sense of humour, outlandish adventure and gleeful inventiveness.

“…some of the most creative & beautifully choreographed action sequences of any MCU film…”

But despite being consistently funny from beginning to end (literally, from the first line of the film, to the last line of the second post-credit scene), the film never becomes a parody, and it still retains real moments of drama and emotion, as well as some of the most creative and beautifully choreographed action sequences of any MCU film. It’s difficult to believe that this is Taika Waititi’s first blockbuster film of this scale, given how well he balances all of the tonal shifts in this movie.

As we’ve come to expect, the cast is superb. Chris Hemsworth has never been better as Thor, and the much publicised appearance by Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk gives an interestingly fresh take on the character. As anyone who’s seen the post-credit scene on Doctor Strange knows, Benedict Cumberbatch cameos as Stephen Strange in a brief, but very funny, scene. All of this adds to the growing sense of cohesion between all of the MCU films.

Many other characters from the earlier Thor films return, but while some have decent roles (such as Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and Idris Elba as Heimdall), others are sadly overlooked and short-changed. This is perhaps the only disappointing note in the entire film, but equally, when you have a cast this size, some characters are always going to have to be side-lined.

“…a hugely fun and joyful ride…”

This is offset a little by the new additions to the cast, who are all universally great. Cate Blanchett clearly enjoys chewing the scenery as the main villain Hela, while Karl Urban’s Skurge is surprisingly layered – and funny. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Tessa Thompson’s new character Valkyrie, whose swagger and confidence make an instant impact, and means she never feels any less capable than the male characters (and in many instances, she appears far more capable). Rounding off the new cast additions are Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, a character whose innate Jeff-Goldblum-ness elevates every scene he’s in, and Taika Waititi himself who does the motion-capture and voice for Korg, a CGI-character who comes close to stealing the movie.

Ultimately, this may not appeal to everyone, especially if you think films have to be grim and serious to be “good”. But really, that’s crazy – I love “gritty” films as much as anyone, but if you can’t appreciate Thor: Ragnarok for the hugely fun and joyful ride that it is, there’s a chance you’re dead inside. Yes, it can be a little silly in places, but what's wrong with a little silliness every now and then. When I saw this on opening night, everyone was grinning from ear to ear as they left the cinema, and really, what more can you ask for than that?