The funniest gag in Avengers (2012) and perhaps any Marvel movie was when Thor’s brother, the trickster Loki (Tom Hiddleston) had just begun an arrogant monologue on why he was a god and hence deserved the respect of one, when he was picked up by Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and smashed around from side to side with utter disdain like a ragdoll. It is as if Marvel considered that now iconic scene with great keenness and wondered: ‘Why can’t we do a whole movie just like that?’

The Thor films haven’t really set the world on fire until now. The first was merely watchable, while its sequel, Thor: The Dark World (2013), was one of the weakest films in the otherwise impressive Marvel Studios cinematic universe. That, and the fact that the two star characters from the above-mentioned scene were set to be part of this third installment made Thor: Ragnarok the perfect candidate for Marvel’s attempt at a two-hour-long nearly non-stop joke-fest. And while no single moment matches the hilarity of that “puny god” scene, dozens come close on the belly-laugh meter, making this not only the funniest Marvel movie yet — yes even edging out the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) — but one of the funniest films in years, full stop. This is especially interesting considering how writers Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, though veterans of Marvel cinema, aren’t particularly known for their comedic work!

Thor: Ragnarok takes place two years after the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. You may recall that, mysteriously enough, neither Thor nor Hulk have been around since then. Well, as it turns out, the hammer-wielding superhero has been looking for the incredibly powerful Infinity Stones while the big green monster (and his alter ego Dr Bruce Banner) after fleeing Earth, has ended up on a weird planet called Sakaar, that is located near several wormholes and is the home to gladiator tournaments run by a being known as Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum).

Thor: Ragnarok is Marvel’s attempt at a two-hour-long nonstop joke-fest

Without giving too much away, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is reunited with his brother Loki. The brothers are also introduced to their bloodthirsty and incredibly powerful sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), the goddess of death. With their home Asgard in peril, the two also end up on Sakaar where they meet an old foe of Hela, Valkyrie (Tess Thompson). Thor involuntarily becomes a gladiator, soon discovering what makes him the god of thunder. Here, Thor recruits new friends and old to try and save his planet with only Heimdall (Idris Elba) standing between Asgard and its destruction. Amusingly enough, after some thought, Thor calls this new team “The Revengers.”

Aside from the fantastic writing and characterisation what makes Thor: Ragnarok work is the chemistry between the actors as well as the outstanding performances. Blanchett is superb as an alluring villain, while Hemsworth, Hiddleston and Ruffalo are the funniest they’ve been in the Marvel universe, firing off one-liners with perfect comedic timing. Of the newcomers, Goldblum is particularly entertaining, while Thompson makes her rather clichéd character quite believable with a roguish performance.

If you want to be critical of Thor: Ragnarok you can argue from a purist’s perspective that it strays too far from the characterisation in the comics or even the depiction in other Marvel films. Just about everyone in the film has a gag, and Thor even gets into physical comedy. What’s more, the film uses one of the best Hulk comic books, Planet Hulk, for inspiration without letting the beloved character be the principal focus.

While I am disappointed that this is the closest we’ll get to seeing an actual Planet Hulk film, I believe the other trade-offs are worth it. Thor: Ragnarok is an instant classic that puts the ‘comic’ back in comic book films.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material

Published in Dawn, ICON, November 12th, 2017