Keep It Reel: 'Thor: Ragnarok'
By Marc Woodfork
It's bigger, sillier, much more fun, but not as good.
Marvel's popular franchise superhero Thor returns to the big screen in a much different way than the last time we saw him. This is Thor 2.0. , a lighter, more relaxed, often comedic, character. It was a response to the last Thor film that had audiences complaining it was too dark and moody.
This chapter is right out of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" playbook. It's much more colorful and light-hearted than other Marvel franchises. That formula worked for those films but sadly does not work for "Thor: Ragnarok".
Thor finds himself held a prisoner in some part of the galaxy, unable to get back to his home world, Asgard, to prevent the destruction of his planet and his people. Unbeknownst to him, fellow Avenger Hulk is also imprisoned there as well.
The problem with this film is the characters seem out of place, awkward and uncomfortable in their roles. Watching this film is like watching a sitcom with built-in pauses for laugh tracks. The jokes are perfectly set up for the punchline and audience reaction.
The action sequences are tired and cliche. Even longtime Marvel fans will find it difficult to appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to achieve.
There's nothing wrong with making a dark, moody superhero film...if its good. Marvel should have focused on that instead of blowing up the formula and trying to turn Thor into something he is not.