Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Thor: Ragnarok
February 26, 2018
Thor: Ragnarok - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Thor: Ragnarok opened with some of the best reviews of the MCU and was easily the biggest hit in the Thor franchise. And now it is being completely overshadowed by Black Panther’s success. Is it worth checking out? Is it really one of the best films in the MCU?
The film begins with Thor performing a reverse interrogation on Surtur in order to find a way to stop Ragnarok. However, he also learns Odin is no longer in Asgard. This comes as a shock to Thor, but when he gets back to Asgard and confronts Odin, he quickly uncovers Loki has been pretending to be Odin since the end of The Dark World. Loki admits he left Odin on Earth in a nursing home, but when they travel there, the nursing home is gone. They don’t get very far in searching for Odin when Loki is captured and Thor is summoned by Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange offers to find Odin, if Thor takes Loki away from Earth immediately.
Unfortunately for all parties, it isn’t that simple. Odin isn’t well. He’s broken free of Loki’s spell, but he’s dying of old age. He warns Thor that his life is the only thing keeping Hela exiled and when he dies, Hela will be released. Oh right, Hela is Thor’s older sister, Odin’s firstborn, rightful heir to the throne, and someone who wants to conquer the universe and kill all those who oppose her. She is going to be very difficult to defeat, especially after she destroyed Mjolnir with her bare hands. Worse still, while trying to escape to Asgard, Loki and Thor are thrown from the Bifröst bridge and Thor winds up on Sakaar, where he is captured by Scrapper 142 and sold to Grandmaster and forced to fight as a gladiator.
I realize I’m going over a lot details in very little time, but there’s a reason for that. The opening of the movie deals with a lot in very little time and this compression hurts the pacing early in the movie. On the positive side, this is my only significant complaint.
I’ve always been a fan of the Thor franchise and I think the first two films are underappreciated. The concept behind the Thor movies is rather absurd, so there’s always been room for jokes. This time, the jokes are cranked up, a lot. If you are a fan of Taika Waititi’s sense of humor, then you will love this movie. Obviously I can’t go into details without spoiling the jokes. You can also see Taika Waititi’s style in the visuals of the movie; he really was the perfect director to get Jack Kirby’s style onto the big screen.
It’s not just the humor that makes this movie one of the best in the MCU. I always like the chemistry between Thor and Loki and this movie has some great payoffs in their relationship. Including, and this is a bit of a spoiler for all three movies, Thor has a real blind spot for Loki’s duplicity. Loki is a trickster and Thor knows this and even uses Loki’s ability to lie to his advantage a couple of times. However, Thor always seems to get betrayed by Loki and never sees it coming. A lot of people have complained this is a plot hole, but this happens in real life. In this movie, Thor learns his lesson. Not only does he see Loki’s betrayal coming, he is actually one step ahead of him. Additionally, there’s great chemistry between Thor and Hulk in both forms of that character.
There are also several new characters that I hope to see in more movies in the future. Tessa Thompson plays Scrapper 142 / Valkyrie and there’s already a lot of people who want to see her as part of an all-female MCU and that’s clearly a good idea. Hela doesn’t get a lot of screen time in the movie and there’s not a lot of complexity to her character, but Cate Blanchett shines every time she’s on the screen. Finally, I don’t think I need to tell you Jeff Goldblum is perfect as Grandmaster.
Also, it goes without saying that the action scenes are amazing. The Thor vs. Hulk fight makes the Blu-ray worth buying all by itself.
Some have called Thor: Ragnarok one of the best movies in the MCU and if you look at its reviews, it’s tied for third place with a Tomatometer Score of 92%. I think that’s overstating things a little. I do think it is in the top half of the MCU, but there are a lot of great movies in the MCU to compare it to, so don’t think that this is an insult.
Extras begin with a short introduction by Taika Waititi. He also does an audio commentary track.
Up next are five featurettes with a total running time of 34 minutes. Getting in Touch with Your Inner Thor looks at how the character of Thor has changed throughout the franchise. Unstoppable Women: Hela & Valkyrie is about Hela and Valkyrie. Finding Korg focuses on Taika Waititi, both of as a director and as the actor who portrayed Korg. Sakaar: On the Edge of the Known and Unknown is about the planet where most of the movie takes place. Journey into Mystery is about how the comic books inspired the movie. There’s another featurette, Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years - The Evolution of Heroes, which is a five-minute overview of the MCU.
Up next are two minutes of outtakes. The One Shots make a return with Team Darryl, which is about Darryl’s search for a new roommate and being stuck with Grandmaster. There are also five extended / deleted scenes with a total running time of seven minutes. There are a couple of 8-Bit Sequences, which are video game like visuals for some of the major action scenes.
There are also a couple of extras exclusive to the digital version of the movie, a featurette on Thor and Hulk’s friendship, as well as an additional two deleted / extended scenes.
Thor: Ragnarok is Pick of the Week material. That’s not even up for debate. On the other hand, the DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack don’t come out till next week, so if you can’t wait, I guess the Video on Demand is okay. I would wait, but I vastly prefer my movies on physical media.
Video on Demand (Theatrical Version) or Video on Demand (With Bonus Content)
The Movie
The Extras
The Verdict
Filed under: Video Review, Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor, Cate Blanchett, Clancy Brown, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeff Goldblum, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Jack Kirby, Taika Waititi