Thor: Ragnarok brings humor to family relationships
Previous experience watching Thor films helps viewer catch jokes
Laughter rippled through the audience in “Thor: Ragnarok” in multiple scenes throughout one of its first showings last week.
While the film did not really adhere to a plot, it relieves the audience and provides them with an excuse to laugh, despite the growing intensity of college assignments.
So, if you are seeking an excuse to break from concentration in the textbooks or computer screen, go!
“Thor: Ragnarok” pokes fun at all the characters, heroes and villains alike. Thor’s father Odin bums around, waiting for death instead of honoring his duties as a god. As an Anthony Hopkins fan, it has been interesting to see the many roles he has played, from my own hero C.S. Lewis in “Shadowlands” to Hannibal in “Silence of the Lambs”.
He does carry a similar trait in all of his movies in that he muses upon situations before he acts on them. In contrast in his brief role in this movie, it is rather funny to see him so passive.
Meanwhile after Thor (Chris Hemsworth) engaged in a showdown with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), he tries to activate a password by mimicking the Hulk’s voice so the two of them can escape.
The irony is that the Hulk has forgotten who Thor is because he’s been trapped in the world of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Yet, the irony of the Grandmaster is that he has short term memory because he gets too caught up in the moment and will even laugh at himself.
It is also tickling to see Hulk in his alter ego as a smashing giant and then crumble to Bruce Banner, an emotional individual who lacks confidence—for a while.
Later you will see him influence a huge part in saving Asgard through his passionate demeanor and where his strength as the Hulk still pulls everyone else through.
In the movie, Thor’s sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), the goddess of death, appears when she has claimed Odin and is ready to take her revenge on Thor since she was also banned from Asgard.
She believes that Thor destroyed their familial relationship and the Viking reputation in conquering other worlds. As I understood the movie, she also teams with the Grandmaster to bring down Asgard’s fall.
Then there is Loki, who according to an article from Eric Francisco called “All the Biggest Easter Eggs in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’”, turned Thor into a frog in a Marvel comic. Instead Loki is the character type who will go along with one side for a while but then switch when the other side starts losing.
This also plays a part of the sibling rivalry between him and Thor in “Thor: Ragnarok” and adds to the comedy theme threaded throughout the plot, well, what little there is.
What it comes down to is, if you haven’t seen the previous “Thor” franchise movies, you will not catch the humor in this one. The humor played from the characters flaws remind me of what is done in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies so if you enjoy those, you’ll certainly enjoy Thor: Ragnarok.