I enjoyed Ragnarok but I would be lying if the changes weren't distracting. This movie basically erases Thor and Thor 2, killing 3/4 of Thors friends (whom he doesn't even mention), changes the tone completely, has a relatively pointless cameo from Dr. Strange and the after credits scene (assuming Thanos destroys Thors ship and kills almost everyone) kind of makes the entire movie pointless.
It kind of felt like Thor was stuck inside of a different movie/franchise from the one he originally came from. I understand that changes had to be made due to Natalie Portman leaving, Anthony Hopkins not giving a shit about these movies and so forth but it was just kind of distracting. Overall a good movie though.
After seeing it a couple of times (loved it the first time) and looking at the enormous success it’s been, I can comfortably say the change needed to happen. Being distracted by the complete change in tone is understandable, but man... the Thor franchise had to revamp itself in order to keep interest and BUILD interest in the “b character” that is the God of Thunder. Truth is, the rather gloomy The Dark World disappointed a lot of people. I personally never had any major issues with that sequel but I can see why there were concerns when it came to the Thor series’ future. So with the third entry, they had to make something that would standout...
In comes Thor: Ragnarok, and sure enough this character and series has never been better and more exciting. It’s a wildly different movie that doesn’t necessarily forget its roots, but yet it does succeed in trying to set itself apart from the others. Thor himself doesn’t feel like a different character, he just let himself be more loose and in return he makes for a more interesting character. Although not every joke may land, the whole movie is done right. And regarding Strange’s cameo, his part in Ragnarok was like an extended scene from the post-credits of Doctor Strange. The guy ultimately did help Thor and Loki get where they needed to be though, and also it made sense to get one more look at him before Infinity War. Pointless? I’d say it happened for a good reason.
It just kind of seemed like the main story of Ragnarok was supposed to feel more like a serious storyline with a lot of stakes but it all sort of felt like one big joke. I understand that this had to happen due to the success of the previous movies having rather comedic and lighter tones though. I guess I wish it was what they built up to in AOU and felt like a more impactful story.
I kind of miss the days of single contained super hero-esc movies where there wasn't references to other things/characters and movies where the storyline and characters were the main focus, not references and punchlines. I love the Marvel movies but I'm starting to feel the fatigue. Can't wait for Infinity War though.
No, I get it. A notably drama-heavy Thor movie highlighting the coming Ragnarok would have certainly been more impactful. In fact, that’s what I was expecting especially given what was shown in Age of Ultron (the previous movies being major successes or not, Ragnarok’s director would have made the same third movie regardless). But, for me, the comedic tone... it might go overboard at times... eventually worked out fine and the movie still packs a punch.
As for the connections and references in all the Marvel movies, the reason that exists is because it’s all been leading up to Infinity War. Marvel created a shared universe like nothing we haven’t seen before, and it obviously made all these mighty superheroes come to the big screen together in a way never thought possible. At any event, I continue to look forward to all their upcoming movies—and I’m positive things will change dramatically after the final Avengers film.
I was surprised how quickly they killed off Thor's longtime friends, and Thor didn't seem to grieve. And can we assume Sif is dead too? Or maybe Thor was so busy with everything else, he still doesn't know his friends are dead.
The radical shift in tone reminds me a bit of BvS going into Justice League, where Batman goes from morose grouch to comedic figure. I found a lot of the jokes funny in Thor Ragarok, but I also think they could've toned it down a bit. Because in many action sequences where lives are supposed to be at stake, they never felt at stake. In Thor Dark World, I was actually more engaged in some of the chases and action scenes because I felt like certain characters were truly in peril.