#taika waititi: paying it forward on thor: ragnarok

[allatariel]

Taika Waititi is just amazing. Every time I watch Thor: Ragnarok I get more and more out of it. And the more I learn about what he did behind the scenes, just adds to what I get out if this film. Māori himself, Taika Waititi took many opportunities to include indigenous people and culture during production of his film. I couldn't pick just one quote from this article so I've included three. And if you've never seen any of Taika Waititi's other films, I recommend you remedy that as soon as you can!

On indigenous cultural influence on the design of the film:

“I wanted to fill it with a few in-jokes and things for Kiwis and Australians,” he says in Sydney.

“For me anyway, it would just ground me… so while I'm making this giant Marvel movie I could look around and go, ‘that spaceship, that's painted with the Aboriginal flag colours. No one else knows that but us’. And Valkyrie's spaceship has the colours of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag.”

But while some of the design and look of Thor: Ragnarok is inspired by Australia and New Zealand, he says, “I was very careful in these design meetings.”

“You need to follow-up by saying ‘don't copy that, but use it as inspiration’, because the next thing you know you have 50 people who have appropriated all these like beautiful ancient designs without asking what they mean, or who owns them, or for any permission.”

On offering opportunities to indigenous filmmakers on set:

Another part of that was bringing Indigenous interns onto the set at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. Funded by Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department, these eight attachments were able to join different departments during production – from stunts to set design to shadowing Waititi himself.

It's something Waititi suggested to Marvel producer Brad Winderbaum some five months before the shoot kicked off, when they were discussing who would make up the crew.

“I just said to Brad, whenever I do my films I make sure we try to get any locals who might be interested in the film industry to come in and get some work experience, or just to sit around on set and see how it's done,” he says. “Because I never had that opportunity when I was a kid.”

On respecting the indigenous people and the land on which they filmed:

Waititi says about filming in Australia, “it was really all about just doing things right.” So on 4 July 2016, the first day of production, the traditional owners of the land performed a Welcome to Country.

“You wouldn't really start a movie in New Zealand without asking the local tribe to come in and bless you and send you to work with some good mojo. Especially if you're on their land, you're in their backyard it's sort of just nice manners to get in touch…

“And the studio were very receptive (and) jumped on board, so we got some locals from the Yugambeh mob, they came in and welcomed us. And one of our Kaumātua (a Māori elder), came over to do a Karakia, a kind of open-up ceremony from my side of things as well.

“Because it really felt like two nations coming together and making this thing.”

The production … also contracted an Aboriginal company to supply water to the set.”

[cogentranting]

So I was thinking about Thor’s character across the whole MCU but Infinity War and Endgame in particular. And while I still don’t like how Endgame handles his arc, I’ve come to where I really appreciate it conceptually. 

The thing about Thor’s arc in Endgame is that it really can’t give him hardly any resolution. 

Beginning in Dark World but mainly in Ragnarok and Infinity War, Thor loses everything. His mom dies. Jane leaves him. HIs entire concept of who his father, his family and his nation are are shaken by the revelations in Ragnarok. His father dies. Three of his best friends die. He loses an eye. His sister dies. His home world is destroyed. But he manages to pull it together and come out the other side with a renewed sense of purpose, and who he is and what he stands for.  Then half his people are killed, at most a few days after he becomes king, attacking that sense of purpose and identity he found as their leader and protector. Another one of his best friends dies. His brother dies. And he’s still hanging on with this last thread of hope of “I can beat Thanos”. And he misses his shot and he fails and he ends up with nothing left. 

That’s all clear in Infinity War. And for most of Endgame it doesn’t set him apart all that much because with all the remaining characters (except for Tony, notably) there’s that same sense of having lost everything. That’s what Endgame’s all about. BUT. But here’s the thing:

Everyone else gets it all back. And Thor doesn’t get anything back. 

Thor stands apart from the other main characters of Endgame (because yes, I know characters like Wanda didn’t get back what they lost but I’m talking about the Endgame leads--- the 6 original avengers, and Nebula, Rocket and Scott) because he lost everything but not in the Snap. The Snap didn’t really cost Thor anything. His family and friends were already murdered. HIs home was already destroyed. Even Thanos killing half his people had already happened. And the Avengers who died in the Snap weren’t really ones who Thor knew-- he’d met Sam and Wanda and the Guardians, but as like a passing acquaintance. 

The only thing Thor really gets back in Endgame is he’s able to redeem himself for his failure to defeat Thanos before. But even that isn’t really Thor’s doing. His role in the success in Endgame is pretty minimal. He provides some information to help with the stones. He goes on the mission to get the aether but Rocket’s the one who actually does all the work. He fights in the final battle but even when it’s Thanos vs the Big Three, where you might normally see Thor as the heavy-hitter, here Tony and Steve are really the focus. And after that point Thor isn’t a major factor. 

Really the things that help Thor most in Endgame are 1. gaining some hope back through the final victory, 2. being told he’s still worthy by lifting Mjolnir, 3. talking to his mom. But those things aren’t enough for resolution for Thor-- they’re enough to get him back on his feet just enough to begin his journey toward healing and resolution. 

Which puts a lot of pressure on Thor: Love and Thunder to provide that actual ending for him. And what makes it even more burdened is that if you’re looking at Marvel’s three completed solo trilogies (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor) on their own, I think Thor’s trilogy has the best character arc. Not the best trilogy overall (I think that’s the Captain America trilogy). But Thor’s arc is so much clearer and more focused than Steve’s or Tony’s. Thor 1 is about him being arrogant and wanting to be king, but being humbled and learning he’s not ready. Thor 2 is him choosing to walk away and abdicate the throne to pursue what he wants. Thor 3 is him coming into his full power and realizing that the very reason why he is the best choice to be king is because he doesn’t desire it. It’s really neat and really clean and as a macro-story really well executed (thanks in large part to Taika Waititi).  And while I get why Infinity War/Endgame went the route they did with Thor, they essentially undid his arc and left Thor without a clear story to move forward with. (And all that ignoring the fact that while I get the concept of what they were doing with Thor in Endgame, I think its played far too much for comedy in the actual execution. Also Valkyrie as queen of Asgard is unearned. Her arc did not lead to that. And to be clear that’s a story issue, not in an in world issue-- in world clearly she’s capable of doing the job because she already was. But from a story perspective, that’s a tacked on response that doesn’t really fit with what we’ve seen before and doesn’t pay off a story that was told. If Valkyrie has had a a personal journey of growth that makes her a fitting ruler of Asgard, it happened entirely off screen between movies. Which might be fine for a secondary character if the leadership of Asgard had not been a central focus of three. full. movies.) 

But Love and Thunder has an uphill battle to bring Thor’s story back around to a satisfying and unifying conclusion. And it will be interesting to see where it goes. 

[filmadaydiary]

1/22/21 to 1/23/21

Marvel Part 3

This is the biggest chunk of the films by a bit, and a lot happens in here. I think there are four origin stories, and there’s even a sequel to one of those origins within the same group. A LOT happens, and in general things have been settled into a comfortable formula. And yet here we have some new directors, a lot of new characters, and some new takes on old favorites. Now that the MCU is so established, it seems people were more comfortable taking risks with these stories, and I think it pays off in audience satisfaction. Also, yes, we did watch seven movies in two days. What can I say? We’re good kids staying locked down.

1/22/21

Ant-Man – Peyton Reed, 2015

I’m very disappointed that this could have been an Edgar Wright movie. It comes so close, with the way Luis tells his stories and the structure of the final battle between the two tiny men. And yet it is definitely not Edgar Wright. It’s a pretty basic superhero origin story. That being said, Paul Rudd is a national treasure and absolutely carries this film. He is a delight to watch as the funny, clever lead, as he always is. He was made to be a quippy genius in a cool suit. Okay, that makes him sound like Iron Man. In a way, Ant-Man is Iron Man Lite. He’s not rich, he’s just an everyday guy. He is an engineer, but maybe not a genius. Most importantly, he’s genuinely funny, not rude, and he cares about his family. I do think the characterizations are what make this movie compelling, not the plot. It ties in very nicely to Civil War, and I enjoyed watching it directly before the epic crossover event. Having light-hearted characters with less worldly stakes keeps the MCU grounded and keeps superheroes from being too out of touch. 

Captain America: Civil War – Joe and Anthony Russo, 2016

I hesitate to say this, but I think this might be my favorite movie in the MCU. I can’t quite put my finger on why, because there are certainly more epic team-ups, and I hate when friends fight. And yet, I still love this film. One, you get Hawkeye in a non-Avengers event, which is always terribly exciting. Two, you get the character intros of some of the best characters ever (Spider-Man and Black Panther). And three, you get an intense debate about morals that actually gives you something to talk about after you leave the theater. It feels rare to have a superhero movie that doesn’t have morals hitting you over the head with righteousness and love. This movie really makes you think about control and consequences. And I love a movie that makes you think. I’m also slightly biased because I had a great premiere experience, I got to see an early screening and the exclusivity made it more exciting too. It pulls on a lot of existing threads within the MCU and brings the conflict to a head in a spectacular way. 

1/23/21

Spider-Man: Homecoming – Jon Watts, 2017

The stand-out role in Civil War, seeing Spider-Man on the big screen under Disney’s purview was certainly a treat. I appreciate that they didn’t go for yet another Peter Parker origin story, instead jumping in after he’s already become Spider-Man. We all know the story of the radioactive spider bite by now, so getting to see Spider-Man grow as a friendly neighborhood guy is delightful. It’s a high school coming-of-age movie that happens to feature superheroes. The stakes are brought down to a relatable level. Asking out the girl he likes is just as important as catching the bad guy, perhaps even more so. Tom Holland is the absolutely perfect casting choice, capturing both being an awkward teenager and being a web-slinging badass. And Tony Stark gets the opportunity to right his wrongs and step up to be a father figure for someone who desperately needs one. I do wish we got to focus on Peter’s story a little more, instead of using him as a pawn to fulfill Tony’s character arc. But that’s a small criticism for an otherwise lovely movie.

Black Panther – Ryan Coogler, 2018

Black Panther rocked the world when it came out, and rightfully so. Here we have a Black superhero who brings a respectful version of African traditions to the big screen. The worldbuilding of Wakanda is spectacular, showing that this hidden nation knows more about technology than anyone else in the world. It flies in the face of negative stereotypes about African peoples and blends aspects of tribalism in without making them feel like tokens. I think I like the Dora Milaje the best, the squad of women warriors who protect the king. They are so strong and beautiful with their shaved heads and spears and I love them. After Black Panther’s introduction in Civil War, it was nice to go into this movie and see what he dealt with in the weeks after his father’s death. Once again, seeing things in chronological order helped clarify any confusion I had about the timeline of things when they came out months apart in theaters. T’Challa had a really rough couple of weeks in there. Oh, and Michael B. Jordan is also excellent in his role as Killmonger. It’s a great movie for so many reasons. 

Doctor Strange – Scott Derrickson, 2016

I feel like a lot of people don’t like this movie. It is true that Doctor Strange is a little bit like a discount Tony Stark, a man who thinks the rest of the world is below him because of his superior intellect. At least this movie has the decency to break him down to nothing before giving him ridiculous superpowers that serve to reaffirm that belief. I think this movie is fine. It’s definitely one of the more visually arresting films, which I always appreciate. On visuals alone, I’d pick this over something like Ant-Man or Thor 2. The concept is also relatively cool, making it seem like wizardry can be learned by anybody. However, it does feel out of place in the timeline. We’re getting close to the end of the line here, and all this movie does for the overarching plot is introduce the Time Stone. But while I think it’s a perfectly passable origin story, it doesn’t make sense here at this point in Phase 3 of the MCU. Plus Marvel didn’t really need another overpowered quippy white man. Again, this is a fun movie to watch, but for the first time in awhile, this is better on its own than in sequence.

Thor: Ragnarok – Taika Waititi, 2017

Taika Waititi is a creative genius and should be allowed to take over the entire film industry. What We Do in the Shadows is one of my favorite movies of all time and I’m so glad that he is now on the map and taking over the Thor franchise going forward. He took the goofy Thor we all know and love and turned up the humor without compromising character, adding in nods to the previous movies and the fans without offending anybody. To say nothing of Korg, arguably one of the best side characters we’ve seen in the MCU thus far. After seeing it for the first time on my birthday, my brother announced upon leaving the theater that this was his new favorite MCU movie. I do think that this ranks pretty highly for me. It makes Thor fun again. Plus it’s just a really good movie. Like it features characters we already know, and then uses characteristics we haven’t seen before to make them well-rounded and more interesting to watch. And it’s stylistically very well done too! The scene with Thor using his lightning and the flashback with the Valkyries and the fight on the rainbow bridge... It’s all so good. And I haven’t even mentioned Jeff Goldblum. There’s a very good reason my brother likes this movie so much. It’s because it’s excellent.

Ant-Man and the Wasp – Peyton Reed, 2018

Now, Thor: Ragnarok leads directly into Infinity War, so I do sort of wish we’d gone into that next. But it was more important for us to watch Infinity War and Endgame back to back, so we decided to throw the Ant-Man sequel in here. This movie is about what Ant-Man and his friends were up to immediately before the events of Infinity War, maybe even during, because he wasn’t in that movie. And it sets up some VERY important plot points for Endgame. It makes a lot of sense to release these in the order they did. This is still an okay movie, but it ultimately feels like filler. Which is a shame, because these are good characters. Paul Rudd is still a delight, and so is the supporting cast of thieves. At the end of the day, it does feel necessary to watch this movie at some point so that the other ones make sense, but it also doesn’t feel like it has much impact on its own. The villain is interesting enough, the dialogue is still snappy, but the most impactful part of the film is the end credits scene when you see the Pym family get dusted. It’s a preview of what’s to come, even more haunting if you know it’s coming. But the part of the movie that makes you sit up and pay attention should not be hidden away in the credits. 

[fandumbstuff]

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ranked Best to Worst.

Why watch a movie when you can experience it? And that’s what the MCU demands you do. These films are less about settling in to watch a movie. It’s about getting together your family, your friends and making an entire event of them. Marvel Studios has forever changed cinema going, and boy am I eager to get back to them. So with that, let me break down the franchise and my take on the best and worst it has to offer.

1. Iron Man 3 Directed by Shane Black

Iron Man 3 still holds up as one of the MCU’s strongest screenplays. It’s their first (and one of their only) real character study of a superhero, and the psychology behind being one. Tony Stark suffers from PTSD and struggles to understand his relationship with Iron Man. He is forced to contend with human issues and find what it is that truly makes him a hero. It’s also a movie chock full of incredible action set pieces- the Air Force One scene still holding up as one of my favourites- and wickedly funny dialogue. It continues to be my most satisfying re-watch out of the MCU.

2. Black Panther Directed by Ryan Coogler

Marvel’s best villain, best score, best production design, and best picture candidate. It’s the movie that forced Hollywood to take them seriously. Ryan Coogler showed the world that he can perform even within a studio system that had largely been criticised for being too overbearing. The world may have always known that Black Panther existed, but Coogler showed us why he matters so much. The story is the MCU’s most inspiring yet. Killmonger forces not just T'Challa, but every audience member to consider his motivations seriously. It shows humanity that heroism doesn’t come from superficial acts, but from overcoming our own flaws and learning hard lessons from our history.

3. Thor: Ragnarok Directed by Taika Waititi

In letting Taika Waititi have free reign over Ragnarok, Marvel is given their most unique film yet. The movie feels very much like Waititi’s own vision, chock full of his signature wit and charm. And its within this vision that we finally see Chris Hemsworth come into his own as Thor. Finally at ease, he’s allowed to be funny, and absurd, and play the emotional scenes without any melodrama. Waititi really makes the character dynamics in this film memorable, introducing us to the Grandmaster and Valkyrie, and fleshing out Banner and Loki. It’s a cast that charms us enough to consider staying with the MCU and seeing where they go.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Chris Evans finally comes into his own as Captain America, as Winter Soldier gives him a captivating character arc to work through. Steve Rogers is placed in a conflict that makes him question his own motivations. The morality that he stands for is in direct opposition to the authority he serves, leaving him to question what it means to be Captain America. We also see him learn from his relationships with the supporting cast- with a franchise best portrayal of Nick Fury and Black Widow and a particularly strong introduction of Falcon. The Russos create something truly remarkable by taking a character that has been criticized for being too traditional and show him learn and change significantly. But in addition to all this they direct what is easily the MCU’s best pure action movie yet, showcasing the franchise’s best car chase (Fury vs Cops) and its best fight scene (THAT knife scene).

5. Avengers: Endgame Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Stunning, momentous and joyous, Endgame is the theatrical experience that Marvel has spent over 10 years honing to perfection. Just one year after Infinity War, the MCU brings together their iconic, colossal cast for their grandest, most ambitious adventure yet. And while Endgame is chock-full of some stunning action sequences and gleeful references, it carries a genuine heart to it. These heroes struggle with PTSD from the events of Infinity War. We see them at their very lowest, and watch their desperation mount and grow to determination. This epic struggle is what has made superheroes so compelling for so many years. By breaking these characters down, the Russos show us just what makes them great. We’ve witnessed writers, directors and certainly the actors take these characters on journeys that have seemed at times thrilling, at time out of touch, but in Endgame, they’re at their very best. The moments of reprieve in the action where we simply sit with them to listen in on their banter are the best. Building to it’s inevitably emotional ending, Endgame winds up being one of the most wholly cathartic experience I have had with a film.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Directed by James Gunn

At the time of it’s release, Guardians was the franchise’s best-looking movie yet, and it still holds up. The slick space opera designs set to the now iconic soundtrack made the first Guardians an aesthetic marvel. It’s the substance that comes with this that makes the movie one of the MCU’s best. The ragtag group are misfits who find their purpose by banding together, and while the sequel may have drawn this out to nauseating lengths, the first movie made it succinctly effective. It found the right balance of humour and sentiment, endearing us to a cast of characters that seemed too obscure to be popular- and guaran-damn-teeing that Marvel can do whatever the hell it pleases moving forward.

7. Avengers: Infinity War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

To handle ten years of storytelling and world building and bring it to such a satisfying crescendo is commendable. The Russo brothers handle each character well- each new introduction is a pleasing moment of familiarity and excitement to the fans that have stuck with this franchise. It’s a perfect match to the comic book format. And ultimately Infinity War is as good as any major comic book event. A chance to see our favourite characters interact with each other with conceivable motivations, and face a threat that is alarmingly critical. Its in this respect that Infinity War outshines its predecessors. For the first time, the Avengers face real emotional consequences if they fail. The Russo’s pull no punches to make this clear and despite a fair amount of signature MCU levity, Infinity War winds up being their darkest film yet.

8. The Avengers Directed by Joss Whedon

There’s no questioning the milestone achievement that The Avengers accomplished. As a superhero ensemble, it never once feels congested or jarring-something that most blockbusters consistently suffer from. Instead the protagonists are given clear goals, and their obstacles make real sense. Their hostility towards each other stems from their innate character flaws that they need to address to face the true antagonist in Loki. It highlights what Marvel does so well- offer us adventures that don’t tie up all their loose ends but rather leave them dangling to set up more ambitious stories.

9. Spiderman: Homecoming Directed by Jon Watts

I’ve long considered Spider-Man an uninteresting superhero, so it is highly commendable that Homecoming manages to change that. We skip the origin story and meet a Peter Parker that is inexperienced and has a lot of growing up to do. He contends with Michael Keaton’s Vulture- a villain that is simultaneously charismatic, intimidating, and relatable. Supported by what is probably the best supporting cast in any MCU film. Martin Starr, Hannibal Burress, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei flesh out Spidey’s own universe of Queens- wholly believable and charming.

10. Captain America: Civil War Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

In all respects, this should have been the second Avengers film. The Russo brothers do what Joss Whedon couldn’t. They show these characters change and clarify their motivations based on the 8 years that we’ve been watching them. They introduce new characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther in seamless fashion. They provide exciting action set pieces and compelling moments of drama. The payoff at the end truly shows us how much of a battering these heroes take- emotionally and physically. We see their vulnerability more clearly than any other MCU film, forcing us to address the question that they can’t keep doing this forever.

11. Captain Marvel Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

The biggest issue that this movie suffers from is that it seems very episodic to a larger MCU. Its hard to get around this though, with it’s release date being less than 2 months away from Endgame. It feels like there are some key world building details that had to be gotten across. Had this not been the case, perhaps they could have explored Carol’s character a bit more. She does seem interesting, and Brie Larson does an expectedly great job, but it seems like we’re only getting a taste of a much larger character study. From what we see though, it is refreshing to see a female character who simply goes out and kicks ass without ever being sexualised, even in terms of costume design. The highlight of the film though, is undoubtedly Samuel L. Jackson’s incredible portrayal of a young Nick Fury, through the most magical of magic tricks in VFX.

12. Iron Man Directed by Jon Favreau

While I do feel like the movie has lost some of it’s lustre since it’s release, there’s no denying that Jon Favreau achieved something remarkable with Iron Man. Forever considered one of Marvel’s B-characters, Favreau brings Tony Stark into a modern era and instantly relevant setting. This is obviously due in large part to his gamble of casting the debilitated Robert Downey Jr. in the lead. Downey Jr. pays off in spades, revitalising his career and sadly typecasting himself forever with a roguishly charming performance.

13. Doctor Strange Directed Scott Derrickson

Doctor Strange is proof of the amazing world-building prowess the MCU has. They introduce key elements to the universe that seem incredibly important, without ever overwhelming the story. Benedict Cumberbatch puts on his best American accent yet and capably sells Stephen Strange as one of the MCU’s more level-headed heroes. The rich mythos of Doctor Strange fits immediately into the greater MCU framework while telling it’s own compelling narrative culminating in my favourite climax to any MCU film- “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain.”

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home Directed by Jon Watts

The real standout from this film is Jake Gyllenhaal with his pitch-perfect performance as Quentin Beck/Mysterio. He threads that line of MCU humour extremely well, but also manages to come off as wholly and realistically threatening when he needs to. Far From Home had the tough task of following the monumental Endgame,  but it fulfills its purpose of truly setting the tone for the future. A lot rests on Peter Parker’s shoulders and Far From Home shows him having to deal with it responsibly, maturing and growing to fill a greater role in the MCU. 

15. Ant-Man Directed by Peyton Reed

If you ignore the fact that this movie was almost directed by Edgar Wright and how amazing that could have been, Ant-Man still delivers as a very entertaining movie and one of the franchises strongest origin stories. Scott Lang is instantly the MCU’s most relatable character- not a god, not a spy, just a thief with no powers and no resources (initially). And there is no one who could have played this character better than Paul Rudd. Bringing his signature charm and impeccable comedic timing to the franchise is a breath of fresh air and a brand-new dynamic. 

16. Captain America: The First Avenger Directed by Joe Johnston

Ultimately my biggest problem with Captain America has always been his origin story, so I have some natural issues with this film. It is also bogged down with some cliched romantic drama between Steve and Peggy which takes away from its otherwise engrossing plot. Hugo Weaving proves to be an effective Red Skull, showing us a deeply disturbing quest for power. The movie excels in its WW2 setting, laying down real consequences and motives behind Captain America’s heroism. It takes a few movies for Chris Evans to settle into the role, but this is a strong start.

17. Iron Man 2. Directed by Jon Favreau

Iron Man 2 consistently threads the line of poignant storytelling. Ivan Vanko’s vengeful motives, Tony Stark’s descent into alcoholism and the nature of war profiteering. It’s especially unfortunate then that the movie gets bogged down with a persistent need for levity. More than any other film in MCU, the humour in Iron Man 2 seems particularly cumbersome- taking away from what would surely be strong performances from Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell. As a result, we’re left with villains who don’t seem to be a threat at all- mere caricatures for Iron Man to dispatch without ever really pondering their motivations.

18. Ant-Man and the Wasp Directed by Peyton Reed

My initial reaction to this movie was pretty positive, but given time I realise it’s totally forgettable. While it does feature some integral world building to the larger MCU, there’s very little done to explore some of their characters, particularly the Pym/van Dynes. There are still a lot of great aspects, including some clever action set pieces that explore Ant-Man’s powers more. Scott’s relationship with Cassie is expanded on and Paul Rudd and Abby Ryder Fortson do a great job selling this, making it seem truly endearing without ever being corny. Also Randall Park is in it and he might be the greatest actor of his generation.

19. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Directed by James Gunn

More of the same, but not nearly as fresh is what Guardians 2 serves up. It rehashes a lot of its predecessors joke formulas, action montages and even the basic emotional tone. It’s hard for any of this to seem anything other than repetitive and I’m left wanting these characters to go on real adventures rather than wallow in their own angst. Without offering any new developments to these characters and a rather uninteresting plot, the movie is another totally dismissible filler episode in the MCU.

20. Thor Directed by Kenneth Branagh

It’s really baffling that with as big of a name as Kenneth Branagh attached to it, Thor winds up being one of the MCU’s most poorly directed films. Poorly constructed shots framed on a dutch tilt and coloured with a gaudy high contrast palette make this movie a downright eyesore. It’s especially unfortunate because it’s got some great moments of storytelling in it. While the first three quarters of the movie seem tedious, it pays off in the last 30 minutes- exposing a complex family drama that drives most of the film. While Chris Hemsworth took a few films to polish his acting chops, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins provide strong performances to really sell their characters and make us care.

21. The Incredible Hulk Directed by Louis Leterrier

This movie has easily become the sore thumb in Marvel’s formula. It seems entirely different from the rest of the movies. This is due in large part I believe to make it similar to the original TV series. None of this is a good thing. The movie has a largely meandering plotline, with no sensible character development. Bruce Banner goes back and forth between being tortured by the Hulk and accepting him. In a world populated by poor villains, Tim Roth’s Abomination might be the worst one. At no point do his motivations make sense or seem clear at all.

22. Avengers: Age of Ultron Directed by Joss Whedon

It seems like Joss Whedon decided to make a sequel to The Avengers without taking into consideration the four other movies that came out after it. Ignoring most of the character development and brushing aside key plot points, Whedon instead tries to explore their team dynamic by sewing seeds of hostility and testing them against a new villain. However, as good as James Spader is, Ultron never feels like a real threat. The real antagonist for the Avengers winds up being themselves, constantly bickering over right and wrong- and while this isn’t necessarily bad, Civil War would do a much better job of this just a year later. This makes Age of Ultron a dispensable entry in the MCU, and Whedon’s extremely poor handling of Natasha and Bruce’s relationship make it an arduous rewatch.

23. Thor: The Dark World Directed by Alan Taylor

The Dark World suffers from some bizarre shifts in tone and horribly forced humour. They reduce Jane Foster and Thor’s relationship to a cliched romantic comedy and then use it to add unnecessary comedy to the family dynamic established in the first Thor. Even the performances seem poor here- as if the actors never truly felt comfortable in their role. They posture and exaggerate to sell a script that offers them very little to work with. With a caricature of an evil villain and a generic McGuffin to chase, The Dark World is everything you could criticize the MCU of, rolled into one movie.

[ramajmedia]

10 Marvel Characters Who Have Been Underused By The MCU (That Could Take The Spotlight)

No-one in Hollywood has ever attempted anything as ambitious as the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that it worked out as well as it did. However, along the way, with a franchise this massive, there were invariably going to be some players who got dealt the short straw.

RELATED: 10 Characters Who Should Probably Retire From The MCU Soon

As a result, some characters who arguably deserved larger roles were marginalized by the wider universe. With several major characters now out of the picture, those characters could finally have their day. Here are some characters from the MCU who haven't gotten to spotlight they deserve just yet, but may do going forward. Watch out for spoilers if you aren't up to speed with the Infinity Saga!

10 Scarlet Witch

Despite the fact that she has the mutant abilities to manipulate reality and control people’s minds, Scarlet Witch has barely been given a role in the MCU. When she acted fast and stopped a bomb from killing quite so many people in Captain America: Civil War, she was locked in her room. She got a brief couple of moments in the battle scenes of Infinity War and Endgame where she got a chance to shine, but it wasn’t enough.

Hopefully, with her co-starring role in Disney+’s WandaVision and her supporting part in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU can finally get this character back on track.

9 Jane Foster

Jane Foster will definitely be taking the spotlight in the MCU’s future; at least in Thor: Love and Thunder, in which she’ll be given the mantle of Thor. Brief time-travel appearance in Endgame aside, we haven’t seen Jane in years. After two movies as Thor’s banal love interest, both the audience and Natalie Portman had grown tired enough of Jane that she broke up with Thor off-screen.

However, with Taika Waititi at the helm, Jane should finally get an interesting role in the MCU – just like Thor did in Waititi’s Ragnarok – that Portman will enjoy playing and the fans will enjoy watching.

8 War Machine

In the comics, War Machine is Iron Man’s sidekick, and to an extent, that’s how he was characterized in the MCU. That was fine when Iron Man was enjoying solo movies every couple of years, but since Tony Stark got a head-start on his trilogy, it ended years before everyone else’s solo series. Cap, Thor, and their supporting characters had plenty of time to grow personally between the major events.

RELATED: War Machine's 10 Most Quotable MCU Lines

However, when Iron Man was out of solo movies, he was relegated to supporting roles, which meant that War Machine got bumped even further down. Now that Iron Man is dead and War Machine is alive and well, maybe we can finally get that solo movie we were promised.

7 Heimdall

Thor’s all-seeing best friend Heimdall was never featured prominently in his solo movies, but when he was, he was a heroic badass that fans loved. He took down one of the Dark Elves’ ships with his bare hands, led the surviving Asgardians to safety during Hela’s takeover and resurrected the Hulk and sent him to Earth to warn Doctor Strange about Thanos.

It’s a shame that the Mad Titan killed him in the opening scene of Infinity War, because he was a fantastic character. Still, with a younger Loki returning in another post-2012 timeline, perhaps Idris Elba’s Heimdall can return.

6 Hawkeye

Many MCU fans have criticized Hawkeye for being useless, but that's not the case. The MCU has just underused him. Clint Barton is a great character in the comics, and he’s really interesting when he’s fighting his own small-scale battles. He only appears pointless when he’s up against alien invaders and flying robots.

In his own career as a spy, he’s faced ground-level threats that he efficiently dealt with. Joss Whedon gave Clint a family in an attempt to make him more interesting, but he didn’t need a family – he just needs his own movie, framed as a spy thriller, where he can face an enemy he can handle.

5 Maria Hill

Ever since Natasha Romanoff left her S.H.I.E.L.D. career behind to become a full-time Avenger, Maria Hill has become Nick Fury’s sidekick. Cobie Smulders is incredibly likeable and Hill has been involved in some awesome action scenes, but she’s been woefully underused so far.

She was tipped for a large role in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which was exciting, but it turned out to not really be her the whole time, as she was a disguised Skrull. Fury’s whereabouts were explained in a post-credits scene, but the real Hill’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Hopefully, she can get a significant role alongside Fury and S.W.O.R.D. in the future.

4 Ultron

When Spidey was busting one of the Vulture’s arms smuggling operations in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he ended up stuck in a Damage Control warehouse in Maryland. He went digging around and found an Ultron head with glowing eyes.

With Tony Stark dead, someone like Justin Hammer or Thaddeus Ross could come in to revive the Ultron program and create “a suit of armor around the world” (an idea Tony brought up again in Endgame) – except Hammer and Ross would fail even harder than Tony did and wouldn’t have as easy a solution to it. Ultron was disappointingly easy to defeat in Age of Ultron; this could fix that.

3 Lady Sif

Lady Sif is one of Thor’s most trusted Asgardian warriors. They went into battle a bunch of times and had a lot of fun banter – she was the Black Widow to Thor’s Cap. In Thor: The Dark World, she was set up as a more suitable love interest for Thor than Jane Foster, since she lived on the same planet as him and didn’t have a fraction of his lifespan, and yet, after that, she was swept under the rug and forgotten about.

Jaimie Alexander is eager to continue playing the character, so maybe Taika Waititi could bring her back in Thor: Love and Thunder and give her the larger role she’s always deserved.

2 Aaron Davis

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Donald Glover appeared in two scenes as Aaron Davis. When he was being interrogated by Spidey, he mentioned his “nephew” who lived in the area. That nephew, of course, was Miles Morales, one of the other characters to take on the Spider-Man mantle.

RELATED: Spider-Man: 10 Ways The MCU Might Still Pay Off Far From Home's Big Identity Twist

Aaron himself becomes the villain the Prowler in the comics. Since Spider-Man seems to definitely be out of the MCU, Aaron probably won’t take the spotlight in that franchise. With Sony giving Spider-Man his own cinematic universe, however, perhaps he and Miles can take on an even bigger role than they would have in the MCU.

1 Black Widow

It took the MCU over a decade to finally give a solo movie to a female character, and they gave it to Carol Danvers. Captain Marvel was a great movie, but if there’s any female Marvel character who earned that movie, surely it was Natasha Romanoff.

In supporting roles, she was a sidekick or a love interest or a hostage, and she deserved so much better. She’ll finally be getting her own solo movie next year, but after her controversial death in Avengers: Endgame, it feels like an afterthought. Hopefully, it can lead into something great and fitting for the character.

NEXT: Everything We Know (So Far) About Marvel's Black Widow Prequel

source https://screenrant.com/mcu-marvel-characters-underused-underrated-potential-phase-4-spotlight/

[takenews-blog1]

From Blade Runner 2049 to Child Driver: The perfect film trailers of 2017

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/from-blade-runner-2049-to-child-driver-the-perfect-film-trailers-of-2017/

From Blade Runner 2049 to Child Driver: The perfect film trailers of 2017

Polygon is kicking off its better of leisure sequence, which can run by the tip of December and starting of January, coming to a finale simply earlier than the 2017 Golden Globes. These private essays will study the very best, most essential and weirdest moments that occurred in tv, movie, streaming and YouTube/Twitch in 2017. Every will study why the writer believes that second to be certainly one of 2017’s most extraordinary. The sequence will finish with Polygon’s Better of TV and Better of Films items.

Trailers have develop into so essential to the celebration of films, and so essential to studios at giant, that we’ve discovered ourselves in a subversive trailer tradition.

The film trailer has develop into its personal artwork type, with teaser trailers for the trailer launched days prematurely. Within the case of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, typically meaning having a business for the teaser for the tease that can play earlier than the teaser trailer. It could possibly appear a bit of over-the-top at occasions, however as we identified earlier this yr, there’s no escaping the maintain that trailers have over us as cinephiles.

Simply check out the insanity surrounding the delayed launch of the Avengers: Infinity Warfare trailer.

This yr, we had been handled to a couple excellent trailers for films that in some circumstances enthralled us and in others left us disillusioned. The trailer for Blade Runner 2049 gave us a small style of the neon-infused world and the synth-heavy sounds of the anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 traditional. The primary teaser for It terrified us with the primary have a look at Warner Bros.’ reimagined evil clown, Pennywise, and the primary trailer for Black Panther had us roaring with pleasure over the way forward for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

Listed here are the 10 trailers from 2017 that Polygon continues to be obsessing over.

One among my greatest ongoing regrets yearly isn’t having sufficient time to cowl the flicks I need to speak about. Ingrid Goes West, a warning concerning the risks of social media and the phoniness of Los Angeles influencers, is a type of films. Ingrid Goes West, which stars Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid and Elizabeth Olsen as Instagram queen Taylor, was among the best films I stumbled upon this yr. The trailer, seen above, is paying homage to the dystopian, social media-ruled world we noticed within the trailer for The Social Community, however louder, angrier and wilder.

It’s straightforward to argue that Tommy Wiseau’s The Room is without doubt one of the most essential films of the previous few many years. It wasn’t a giant success — hell, it wasn’t even a hit — however what The Room did for cult films won’t ever be forgotten. The Catastrophe Artist tells the story of how The Room was constituted of actor and author Greg Sistero’s viewpoint. The film is an unimaginable feat, and has already been nominated for 2 Golden Globe awards, however the trailer itself can be worthy of applause.

Oh, hello, Mark.

Very like Ingrid Goes West, Good Time is one other film I want I had time to write down about this yr. The unusual and prolific post-Twilight profession Robert Pattinson has had lately is nothing in need of fascinating, as he chooses to make disturbing, fetishistic films with cinema’s veteran punks like David Cronenberg and unusual impartial jaunts with contemporary auteurs. Good Time follows Pattinson, who performs a financial institution robber in New York Metropolis, as he tries to assist his mentally disabled brother get out of bother. Pattinson’s appearing, in tangent with the neon-laced backdrops of New York Metropolis’s underground felony world, makes it a haunting watch — and a fair higher trailer.

No trailer has made me happier this yr than Fox Searchlight’s trailer for Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation film, Isle of Canines. Set to be launched in 2018, the film follows a boy in Japan who travels to an island the place all pets are saved in an try and retrieve his canine finest buddy. I’ll admit I bought a bit of misty eyed over the movie’s premise, however the trailer itself is gorgeous, and oddly humorous at occasions. It’s certainly one of my most anticipated films of 2018, and this trailer explains why.

2017 was the yr of synchronized trailers. Editors superbly lined up music used within the trailer to the beat of movie footage, making a pulsing trailer you couldn’t take your eyes off of. Atomic Blonde is an effective instance of this enhancing approach, however so is Child Driver. Edgar Wright’s film a few getaway driver who can solely full his job with the assistance of his trusted iPod Traditional, Child Driver helped redefine how creative trendy trailers could possibly be. Trailers, whereas nonetheless advertising ploys from studios, will be greater than that, and Child Driver helped show that to be the case.

Director Andy Muschietti’s It had so much to dwell as much as, as did actor Invoice Skarsgård’s portrayal of Pennywise. There was trepidation about how nicely It would carry out underneath the scrutiny of Steven King diehards, and fortunately for each Skarsgård and Muschietti, they had been up for the duty. Though the trailer doesn’t seize the brilliance of Stranger Issues’ Finn Wolfhard, it did handle to freak me out once I first watched it. I assume that’s all I may have requested for on the time.

Thor: Ragnarok was my favourite superhero film of 2017 for quite a few causes, however the minute I knew I used to be going to fall in love with this movie was once I watched the primary trailer. It’s a whole change in tone and course for the Thor franchise, and the trailer gave us our first hope that Ragnarok would let Chris Hemsworth use his comedic chops for the position. Gone had been the dreary days of Shakespearean makes an attempt to inform the god’s story. Director Taika Waititi confirmed that superheroes don’t must be critical on a regular basis, following within the course of Joss Whedon’s Avengers. This trailer nonetheless makes me giggle to today; the one factor it’s lacking is extra Korg.

Thor: Ragnarok’s trailer additionally takes dwelling the prize for finest one-liner utilized in a two-minute video: “We all know one another. He’s a buddy from work!”

After months and months of agonizing, with followers demanding that Marvel launch some sort of teaser akin to the one the studio confirmed at Disney’s biennial D23 convention and San Diego Comedian-Con, we lastly bought the primary trailer for Avengers: Infinity Warfare. It was nicely well worth the wait.

I’m not going to attempt to conceal my pleasure at seeing a few of my favourite superheroes banding collectively for what guarantees to be probably the most thrilling Marvel Cinematic Universe installment but. Watching Captain America run by the forests of Wakanda as Spider-Man gears as much as tackle Thanos alongside Iron Man … it’s what we’ve been ready for.

10 years of ready for this model of the MCU appeared to lastly arrive within the trailer for Infinity Warfare, and that’s one thing price celebrating.

The selection to make Blade Runner 2049 my second favourite trailer of the yr was a troublesome one. I like this trailer. I find it irresistible so, a lot. The primary trailer for Blade Runner 2049 promised the cyberpunk world that I’ve at all times needed to see in a theater. The soothing sounds of synthesizers appeared to cushion the important paintings and cinematography contained inside, reverberating across the gorgeous imagery.

I used to be taken with Blade Runner 2049 from the very first time this trailer performed. I wrote about how the trailer for Child Driver used enhancing methods to make its trailer standout; Blade Runner 2049 didn’t want any tips. It showcased a few of its most spectacular imagery and let the overwhelming sensation of all of it wash over folks.

Blade Runner 2049’s trailer was very near being my high trailer of the yr, and I’ll clarify very merely why it’s not under.

I’m going to let these superb, lovely folks sum up why Black Panther is Polygon’s primary trailer of 2017. It’s an essential film; certainly one of Marvel’s most essential. I feel every certainly one of these YouTubers does a greater job of expressing why this trailer is price celebrating.

[flickdirect]

Where to begin?!? Where to begin! I suppose with ALERT: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! Now then… While a fan of Marvel, its Cinematic Universe, and Thor in all film appearances (& beyond, er, before…), the Thor films have not been among my favorites. That is until now. Directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows; Flight of the Concords), Thor: Ragnarok lands among the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 17 film releases to date with a hero make-over that goes beyond the aesthetics. (Hello, Stan Lee!)

In his seventh film appearance (eighth if you're counting "Easter Eggs"), both Chris Hemsworth (Ghostbusters; Vacation) and his alter ego have evolved. There is a confidence and maturity in both character (c'mon...the dude's like 1,000[ish] years old, now) and portrayer (far younger than 1,000 making it a little more impressive...I suppose) that allow for some deft Asgardian humor that is intentional rather than merely situational amongst Midgardians.

The Lord...er, God of Thunder might only be slightly more humble, but he has learned to laugh at himself even when the punchline hits him right in the gut. The synthesis of ego and gained humility allow for a more aloof immortal who is (somewhat) more relatable to mere mortals. Yet, he remains determined, commanding...throne worthy.

As the film opens, we get a recap of Thor's adventures through the galaxy (ies?) courtesy of some boastful reminiscing on his part. In a cocksure feign of reluctance, he concedes his lack of success in obtaining any of the Infinity Stones. However, he's not catching up with Jane about their time apart, or chatting up a Valkyrie over an endless tankard of beer. No. His attentive friend is a skeleton with whom he shares a hanging cage. The humor in the opening scene sets the stage for what is to come...plenty of laughs throughout in the undoubtedly funniest of Thor films (& one of MCU's, too).

Of course, director Taika Waititi makes sure to remind us that this is still a world in which there will always be battles to be fought with plenty of exhilarating action. So, after one last chuckle at a fashionably late hammer, we are bestowed with some classic Thor wielding and soaring in a Hel-a well-executed choreography synched to Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song." Fitting in so many ways. (Some which extend beyond film)

Speaking of Hela...Cate Blanchett (...Benjamin Button; Lord of the Rings; how does one narrow the list??). Yes. Just Cate Blanchett, because how does one capture the essence of a preternatural occurrence within a supernatural realm with mere mortal locution. The challenge could be likened to preventing Ragnarok. Alas, similarly, it has already begun.

Blanchett makes for a magnificently mesmerizing and majestic Hela, Goddess of Death. Ambitious, vile, violent, and exceptionally exquisite every evil instance such that she captures one's adoration, adulation, and complete devotion. She is Thor's (lest we forget Loki's) spectacularly sinister sister. Odin's first-born; executioner capturing the nine realms at his side. Rightful heir to the throne?!? Oh, let the sibling rivalry ensue. Alas, the Goddess of Death can be as droll and sardonic as only a depraved sibling can be while unleashing sadistic brutality upon any and all.

Which brings us to Loki (whom we sorta skipped over, but Hel-o, Cate). Of course, Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island; High-Rise) is equally enchanting; unfailingly charming in his reprisal of Loki, God of Mischief. When Thor returns to Asgard from his rocked out Zeppelin driven defeat of Surtur, he discovers monuments and memorials to his "late" brother Loki have taken over. Stumbling upon Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins of...really? Ok...Hannibal; The Elephant Man) feeding on grapes, he is met with a bewildering theatrical reenactment paying homage to the royal family (with Loki as the beloved hero played by none other than Matt Damon! And Thor by another Hemsworth...Luke!). Oh, the fear in Odin's eyes when...wait a minute...Loki!

Off to New York in search of Odin. The laughs continue on Midgard (Earth, people. It's frickin' Earth, OK.) Some wizardry not at the hands of Loki, and we're off to a family reunion of sorts...Thor, Loki, Odin, Hela; courtesy of Benedict Cumberbatch's (Star Trek: Into Darkness; Sherlock) Dr. Strange and a strand of Thor's h. Dr. Strange, it seems, has also unearthed a sense of humor. (I look forward to more of it in his future appearances.) Needless to say, as often happens when family gathers, all Hell[a] breaks loose. A sibling brawl ensues that leaves one's toy (Thor's Mjölnir) destroyed by another (the bratty Hela), and results in all three (Thor, Hela & Loki) coming to blows on an astral rainbow highway straight out of MarioKart. (Just a typical day in any multi-child household.)

As with any highway, there are going to be some wacky exits along the way. Thor's exit off the sparkly highway lands him in Sakaar where he can only be food...or, a contender. As he is subdued and about to be made a meal by a gaggle of scavengers, a ship arrives and out stumbles Thor's drunk rescuer. His hero(ine)'s intentions turn out to be less about benevolence, and more about survival. She, 142, presents him to the Grandmaster (supreme ruler of Sakaar) and collects a generous reward for his delight in the contender that she has brought him. Tessa Thompson (Creed; Dear White People; Westworld) is commanding as the fierce and feisty 142.

Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park; Independence Day) tickles as the fanciful, freaky, 14 million(ish) year old Grandmaster that teased us in a GoG2 Easter Egg. (Perhaps, you're more familiar with his brother...Benicio del Toro's Collector.) Goldblum infuses the "First Lost/First To Be Found" with his quintessential quirk. Palatable in a rather endearing way; pushing creepy just the same. Spared the melting stick (yes, it really is called that), Sparkles, the Lord of Thunder (as the Grandmaster has baptized him) must now enter the gladiator ring in the "Contest of Champions."

Imagine Thor's delight and Loki's mortification (yes, he's in Sakaar...arrived weeks ago) when the current (& reigning) champion is none other than a friend of Thor's from work! It's Hulk! More comedic territory to cover with Mark Ruffalo (Now You See Me; Shutter Island) re-emerging as Hulk (and, eventually, Bruce Banner), but it's best to watch for yourself. We'll just fast forward through the highlights…

142 turns out to be a Valkyrie (legendary Asgardian female warriors & Thor's childhood dream job). She joins Thor and his friend Bruce (with whom she shares this feeling of familiarity as if they've met before...blah, blah) who's also the strongest Avenger, but wearing Tony Stark's Duran Duran Rio t-shirt (shout outs all over the place there). They form "The Revengers" with Loki as a sorta member, sorta prisoner, a sorta hero (wait, what?!?), sorta not; and, start a revolution with the help of Korg (delightfully animated by none other than a playful Taika Waititi). Out of The Devil's Anus (you heard [read] me), they soar to rescue Asgard which is a people, and not a place. (Phew! That was a mouthful.)

The elegant Idris Elba returns (& captivates) as Heimdall. Karl Urban joins as the imbecile Skurge. If you've seen any of his more outstanding performances, or have had a chance to speak with him as I have...Commercial Interruption: Check out my interview with Skurge's alter ego, Karl Urban! (Shameless cross-promotion is in my job description.) Back to my point, his performance as the moronic, survivalist Skurge is superb as Urban is a complete contrast to his onscreen alter ego.

Written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher L. Yost; based on comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. Presented by Marvel Entertainment from Marvel Studios for Walt Disney Pictures (or, something like that), tickets for Thor Ragnarok are now available. GO! NOW! RUN! Fill in the blanks for yourself! Peace out. Wait...I almost forgot! There are TWO Easter Eggs! [drop mic] Grade: A+

About Judith Raymer It was the classic movies shown Saturdays after the morning cartoon lineup that piqued Judith's curiosity for film. That curiosity would give way to a lifetime of exploration and contribution to media productions of all sorts — meandering through the worlds of fashion, public relations, advertising, film and television.

Read more reviews and content by Judith Raymer.

via FlickDirect Entertainment News and Film Reviews

[furederiko]

The closing chapter of a trilogy, but also a prologue to a whole new cosmic adventure...

This year, Marvel Studios has released three movies. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in May, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" in July, and of course, "Thor: Ragnarok" in... November. Yep, the last one opened yesterday in my country, meaning we local Marvel fans in several Asian and European countries got lucky and had it around a week earlier than the American. These three movies are different to one another in tone and taste. However, they also had one thing in common: the sensation is hard to put into words.

General consensus for "Thor: Ragnarok" calls it as loads of fun or a riot. That's not wrong, because Marvel Studios indeed delivered its funniest movie yet (it had me LOL-ing real hard yesterday). In a year where most comedies failed to hit the stride? THAT alone is an achievement. But it's also more than just a comedy. It's a dark dramedy, if I can be more specific, though I'm not even 100% sure if that's the most accurate term. You see, the events happening in this movie is DARK. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was true to his words, because the movie is wrapped in a game-changing condition. A sure end to the Thor trilogy.

Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth, who else?) shines in what is easily the best feature in his solo trilogy. If you've been following this character ever since his debut in "Thor", then you would be excited to see how far he has become. The growth in this character is amazing, whether personally or in relationship with others. At long last, the God of Thunder lives up to his namesake and legacy. One that sadly comes with major costs.

Fans of the Incredible Hulk (the great Mark Ruffalo) is in for a treat as well. Much like how "Captain America: Civil War" intertwined the story of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, Bruce Banner had his fair share in this movie as the second major Avenger. He and Thor even shared a wet fan-service scene that will make any fans blush in laughters. You'll be sooo thrilled to see how different Hulk had shaped up after the events of "Avengers: Age of Ultron". Fans might have shown a degree of hostility towards that movie, but one will easily admit, various elements from it plays out as crucial factor in Hulk's trajectory.

Loki Laufeyson (the ever charming Tom Hiddleston) was a tricky scene stealer in his brother's first two movies. That position has been taken away by the new characters in this one. It doesn't mean that he's been eclipsed or something like that. Suffice to say, Loki is still mischievous as always and important for the plot, but at the same time he also gets an unexpected redemption in his own way. I'm sure his devoted fans, and also those others who favors to ship these two adopted-brothers, would be more than happy with what they see here.

Rounding up the returning cast, we have Heimdall (the famous Idris Elba), Odin (the legendary Anthony Hopkins), and... several others. The first gets to do way more, with much better importance than his previous appearances. I love how Heimdall's ability to see everywhere anywhere is put to good use. The latter, gets to deliver a more casual interpretation of the great Al-Father, and is in involved in the movie's most iconic moments. The movie also reveals a very interesting facet of this character that will surprise any fans of the movies, which is a somewhat grand departure from the source material. There are also other returning characters who show up, but talking about them means dwelving into spoiler territory, so I won't go that route. Regardless, if there's any part of the movie I'm not too fond of, it's definitely concerning these minor ones.

The new characters, are simply astonishing. Director Taika Waititi gets the privilege to introduce them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time, and because of that, they all exude his quirky personalities in different ways. Hela (scenery-chewing Cate Blanchett), is literally the Goddess of Death. She's imposing, and a scary antagonist with a shocking connection to the Asgardians. Most of her scenes take place in Asgard for the 'Ragnarok' part, being galaxies away from Thor, Hulk, and their friends who are busy with the 'Planet Hulk' part. She spends more time with Skurge the Executioner (a bald Karl Urban), thus igniting some negative feedback from critics. I feel Blanchett does fantastic work in this character. The issue here, is actually due to Hela being in charge for the more serious moments, while audience will easily pay more attention to the fun and glorious rampants of the protagonists.

And then there's Scrapper 142 (the super-talented Tessa Thompson), or The Valkyrie as she is widely promoted. She is a scene stealer who excites audience with her strong and couldn't-care-less persona, both in serious and comedic moments. Many will be comparing her to a recent DC super hero that debuted her solo movie this year, and I'm not surprised. It's hard to say how amazing she is, because I want to respect the actress' personal dislike of a particular phrase (Valkyrie is indeed ba**ss, though. Sorry Tessa... LOL). So I'm going to just sum it in this sentence: she totally rocks! The Grandmaster (the one and only Jeff Goldblum) is vying for the top spot. He might be one of the utmost perfect casting in Marvel Studios' history. Unlike his brother The Collector (played by Benicio del Toro) who has debuted before him, Grandmaster is just... an endless hillarious hoot. Most of the scenes with him had me cackling and giggling like lunatic. I totally can't wait to see him appearing in future movie. Moreso, interacting with that equally eccentric brother. Oh, and have I mentioned the Kronan warrior Korg (motion-captured and voiced by Waititi himself) and his BFF Miek? Brilliant, simply brilliant loveable characters. Nuff said. Lest not forget the fantastic cameos from those unexpected actors. Dang it, if only Liam is part of this too... ;D

This movie is not perfect. It started a bit shaky, particularly during that scene between Thor and Surtur (voiced by Clancy Brown). It picked up as soon as the setting changes though, so not to worry. Also, as I said before, some of its emotional moments are toned down by the humor. Oddly, in a way this also works, because once you stop and think about it, the main storyline is actually really dark, devastating, and depressing. Probably even more than a certain DC movie released March next year. However, on a positive note, this IS Waititi's signature style. If you've seen any of his previous movies, you'd know for sure that they often dealt crushing and heartbreaking moments with casual smiles and some laughters. Waititi doesn't turn them into an overly dramatic moment, but treats it realistically and as humanly as possible. This is the aspect that might NOT work with everyone.

The two post-credit scenes are also a bit of... an acquired taste. I won't spill the details, but here's some hints. The mid-credit one is a WTH moment that wraps the movie in a massive cliffhanger, likely leading towards next year's "Avengers: Infinity War". The post-credit one? Think of it along the line of the first "Guardians of the Galaxy". Yet despite the flaws I've just stated, somehow I'm dying to see more. When the end credits popped out, I just couldn't believe my eyes. Partly realizing how more than 2 hours had flown so quickly, and the other half because I still wanted to see more and more. I walked out the theatre feeling a bit disappointed, not because the movie was bad, but because it left me craving for another serving.

So allow me to wrap this up by circling back to what I said at the beginning. This movie is hard to describe, simply because that's the way it is. It's rich with flavours, those of laughters, sadness, epicness, tension, even deaths, and destruction. It had amazing nods and continuity call-backs to previous MCU movies, but is still highly enjoyable and LOL-worthy for newcomers. It's a riot, loads of fun from start to finish, a weird and playful piece in a very Waititi-way. It's also a bold, brave, boisterous move that advances the Asgardian lore and its characters forward. And I'm not kidding here, because "Thor: Ragnarok" marks the end of his solo trilogy, but at the same time heralds a new age for Thor and his companions. Does this mean we can expect another movie from this team in the next 'Phase'? If it's a genuine delight like this, then I sure hope so...

Overall Score: 8,3 out of 10