Thor – Ragnarok: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok – the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization – at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger – the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – and grapple with his silver-tongued adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the fierce warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the eccentric Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum).
Dare I say that this is ONE of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and THE best Thor film yet. It’s not every day that the third entry in a film franchise surpasses the ones before it by far but Taika Waititi has made that a reality. The overall story has some connectivity to the rest of the films but it’s very minor and therefore is fairly standalone. I love the fact that this film blends in aspects of one of my favorite Hulk stories (Planet Hulk) and because of that it totally feels like it could be a Hulk film as well. They really did a great job at balancing the characters and each one felt like they got the perfect amount of screen time. I loved what they brought to the story with the blend of comedy and action. I honestly wouldn’t have ever thought it would’ve worked the way it did and it ended up being a whole lot of fun to watch. I’m hoping that this is the direction going forward for Thor and his adventures because it works so well. This is a definite MUST WATCH and a MUST BUY especially if you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 9/10
Special Features:
Director Intro – Taika Waititi explains why he got into movie making and talks a bit about the cinematic influences.
Getting In Touch With Your Inner Thor – A great feature that dives into the character’s evolution and Hemsworth’s take on Thor.
Unstoppable Women: Hela & Valkyrie – A great profile on the 2 strong female characters in the film.
Finding Korg – A very funny feature that looks at Waititi’s directing duties and him voicing the character of Korg.
Sakaar: On the Edge of the Known and Unknown – The cast and crew talks about the very colorful planet of Sakaar.
Journey Into Mystery – A fantastic piece on the influences the film takes from the comics, the art style of Jack Kirby and where the film fits into the overall MCU narrative.
Gag Reel – A VERY hilarious collection of goofing off, line flubs and just fun mistakes.
Team Darryl – A really funny short that shows Thor’s old roommate now gaining a new one.
Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years – The Evolution of Heroes – A great recap and look to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Deleted Scenes – About 5 scenes here that have rough CGI but are actually really entertaining to check out.
8-Bit Sequences – 2 rough CGI action sequences.
Director’s Commentary
