Rating: 7.5/10 (Best Thor Yet) 

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Taika Waititi

Director: Taika Waititi

Producer: Kevin Feige

Banner: Marvel Studios

The Thor series have been Marvel's sore thumb so to speak. While the box office numbers speak for themselves, the general tone and reception of the two preiovus films in the franchise haven't excatly been the best. Keeping this in mind, Thor Ragnarok changes it's course and has director Taika Waititi at the helm of things? Can this film deliver a solid film for the Thor franchise? It def does. Let's find out why

Plot: When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) gets stranded and is taken prisoner on the alien planet Sakkar, he must find a way to escape and prevent Ragnarok, the prophecy of Asgard's extinction from becoming a reality with the help of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).

Performances: In his 5th outing as the Norse god, Chris Hemsworth is  the main attraction in Thor Ragnarok. The Australian star has always been a fit man and has taken his next physique to the next level in this film. He delivers a knockout performance as Thor and showcases his excellent comic timing and carries the film.

Tom Hiddleston gives another solid performance as Loki. Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk is superb in whatever screen time is given to him. Even though the trailers made it seem like a cameo appearance, he has a much larger role in the film than one would expect. The scenes between Hulk and Thor are an absolute delight to watch.

Tessa Thompson as Valykrie does a good job but her character isn't anything special. Jeff Goldblum is excellent as the witty Grandmaster on Sakkar.

It's director Taika Waititi who steals the show as Korg, a motion capture Rock like character. His accent, dialogues, and the way he says hey man will have you in splits every time. He is outstanding.

Cate Blanchett as Hela is wasted in another poorly written comic book movie villain role. Idris Elba makes the most of his cameo as Heimdall and Karl Urban entertains as Skurge.

Direction: Full credit has to go to Taika Waititi. The New Zealand native has made a film that has broken all the conventions of the Thor franchise and has made a hilarious film from start to finish. The film is just an absolute joy ride and Waititi's knack for witty humor works in favor of the film. His grip on comedy and the way he has created such an entertaining character in the form of Thor needs to be commended. The film however, is not without it's flaws. The film is a little too funny for it's own good and ends up being entertaining in certain instances where it needs to be serious. Also add the fact that having an actress of Cate Blanchett's caliber and wasting her in a hollow villain role doesn't help the film either. Nevertheless, Taika Waititi knocks Thor Ragnarok out of the park and delivers a supremely entertaining film in the end.

Technicalities: Music and BGM by Mark Mothersbaugh is good. Cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe is phenomenal. Some of the slow motion shots in the climax and the visuals during the opening scene and the Thor-Hulk fight sequence are excellent. Production Design is excellent. The Thor films always feature extravagant sets and Ragnarok is no different. Editing by Joel Negron and Zene Baker is fine. Dialogues are hilarious and Hemsworth gets to mouth some of the best one-liners. Action sequences are incredible and beautifully choreographed. Production Values by Kevin Feige are world-class as usual.

Positives: 

+ Performances

+ Humor

+ Direction

Negatives: 

- Villain

- Sticks to the Formula

Final Take and Analysis: Thor Ragnarok is by far one of the funniest Marvel movies ever made. If you hated the first two Thor's, you're bound to like this one. And if you loved them, then of course you'll like this one.

While Taika Waititi breaks down barriers and starts afresh with the 3rd entry, the film does suffer from following the Marvel formula. In other words, despite having excellent humor and good situational jokes in a rather boring franchise, Thor Ragnarok doesn't deviate from the Marvel formula one bit, essentially undoing any out of the box progress it's made.

While the film is definitely entertaining, it does suffer from it's flaws mentioned in this section. Nevertheless, Thor Ragnarok proves to be one of Marvel's most entertaining entries ever with an in form Chris Hemsworth leading the way.

Overall, Thor Ragnarok is no doubt the best Thor made and a sure shot blockbuster. Amazing fights, good performances, and excellent comedy are the highlights of this popcorn blockbuster. If you're a Marvel fan or a Thor fan, go for it and thank me later.