I’ve been watching every single Marvel and DC film that’s been popping out ever since I’ve had a say in what movie I can watch, and I don’t remember a single one that had me laughing in the first three minutes. That’s what happened when I settled in to watch Thor: Ragnarok on Friday. And I don’t mean a chuckle, like the Iron Man movies usually get out of you, but an actual cackling laugh.

I know what you are thinking. “Hey! You forgot Deadpool!” Well. I didn’t. Deadpool’s humour comes from its irreverence, which is completely different.

Picture this: There’s Thor bound and swinging from a chain, talking to a fiery monster who is spewing doomsday dialogue, which has to be paused midway because, well, Thor’s swung around away from him. Yes, it was that silly. And it set the tone for the rest of the movie, which according to me, is best described as a comedy film disguised as a superhero movie.

What works

As I’ve already said, the humour is the best thing about the film. It is the same kind of crazy, silly, humour that made director Taika Waititi’s What We Do In The Shadows (a must-watch mocumentary on vampires in New Zealand) such a riot to watch. The whole film is just one crazy laugh after another.

But a lot of that same humour also comes from Chris Hemsworth, who’s finally found the right fit for Thor. This is not the Thor who is a fish out of water that he was for the first Thor film and for The Avengers. This is not the Thor that took himself too seriously in Thor: The Dark World. This is the Lord of Thunder, umm, we mean God of Thunder, who has the most fun when his very Thor-ness throws up obstacles in his face. And it is hilarious. You know, like that time he threw a ball at a window while saying how what he was doing was what heroes do, only to have the ball ricochet and hit him in the face before he could finish the sentence. Perfect!

Then there is Loki. There can never be enough of Loki, who not only trumped Hemsworth in the last two Thor movies, but also managed to outdo the entire Avengers put together. The God of Mischief is up to no good, obviously, and Tom Hiddleston brings out the best in himself and in Hemsworth when they are facing off each other. Do I have favourite Loki moments? Of course I do — the first reveal and the “Get help” one.

While we are on the topic of the known guys we love, we cannot miss the big, green Hulk-ing brute. Hulk fans, there is a lot of Hulk-smash going in the film which is an absolute treat. Again, some of the best moments of the film are between the Big Guy and Thor, and some of them when the Big Guy is in his nerdy science avatar too. Mark Ruffalo hits the pitch perfect note as Bruce Banner, the guy who basically plays second fiddle to the Hulk.

Let’s get on to Team Revengers then, the last member of which is Tessa Thompson’s boozy, emo Valkyrie, who I wasn’t very fond of at first glance but boy, does she get badasser as the film unfolds! She easily overshadows Cate Blanchett’s Hela, but more on that later.

There are two other standout characters from Thor: Ragnarok (I wish Heimdall was one of them but as usual, Idris Elba was given very little to do, and yes, it makes me want to hurt somebody!). One is Korg, played in motion-capture by Waititi himself; the other is, of course, the Grandmaster — the one, the only Jeff Goldblum. He should be patting himself on the back (a film reference) for pulling off one of the Goldblummiest characters yet, what with all the s-words (it’s not what you think) and the b-words (again, not what you think) and the other mumbled, grumbled mumbo-jumbo. Both Korg, with his “another day, another Doug” dialogues, and the Grandmaster are exactly what this silly, funny, crazy film needed.

Don’t for a moment think that Ragnarok forgets to deliver the jumbo-style superhero pow-wows in pursuit of comedy, because they are there aplenty and they are spectacular.

What doesn’t work

There could have been some pretty emotional moments, especially between Odin and his sons, and Thor’s realisation of his true powers, but the levity in the rest of the film takes away from it.
Also, it is great that we finally have a female supervillain from Marvel, but alas it is a bit too campy to make a mark.

P.S. Thank Thor that there was “mutual dumping” of one Jane Foster aka Natalie Portman! The film is even better for not having her in it.

Chandreyee Chatterjee