In the clever opening scene of Taika Waititi’s movie Thor: Ragnarok, Thor, God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) is wrapped in chains and suspended over a bottomless pit. “I know what you are thinking,” Thor tells the audience. “How did this happen? Well, it’s a long story… The recap that follows brings anyone unfamiliar with the MARVEL multiverse be up to speed. It also allows the filmmakers to set the tongue-in-cheek tone of the entire movie. For Thor isn’t bothered with his current predicament—even when the over 1,000-foot-high, horned fire-demon, Surtur (voiced by Clancy Brown), appears and explains: “It is prophesied. Ragnarok—The End of Times, cannot be stopped. What makes you think you can proceed?”
Thor replies, “Because that’s what heroes do.”
And there, in a nutshell, is why Thor is so cool. He is always positive that he will succeed and things will turn out okay.
Of course, there are a few pesky problems along the way, like saving his homeland and all the Asgardians from their prophesied extinction. So whisks across the galaxies to Asgard. Thor happens to arrive during a stage performance designed to kiss-up to Odin. (Savvy members of the film audience realize that this really an excuse for cameos by Sam Neil, Luke Hemsworth, and Matt Damon). Thor smells his brother’s evil handiwork, and discovers that the Odin currently ruling Asgard (Anthony Hopkins), is in reality, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in disguise.
The brothers travel to Earth to release their father from the old-age facility where Loki placed him for safekeeping. To Loki’s surprise, all they find is rubble and a sign saying “Old Age Home.” Suddenly, a circle of flames appears around Loki’s feet, and the brothers end up inside Doctor Strange the Magician’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) New York brownstone. Which, for those of us who watched the Doctor Strange movie, already knew was going to happen because of a “secret reveal” clip shown in that film’s closing credits.
The brothers manage to find Odin on the coast of Norway, where they learn that since their father is away from Asgard, their sister Hela, Goddess of Death (Cate Blanchett) has returned from banishment to claim the throne as Odin’s first-born. Blanchett basically reprises her role as Cinderella’s evil step-mother with the addition of adding way too many deaths of CG warriors, Avenger wannabes, and homespun-wearing men, women and children.
Before he can fight Hela, Thor gets captured by the alcoholic slave trader Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), who sells him as a gladiator contender to the Grandmaster, (Jeff Goldblum, who almost steals the movie with his quirky mannerisms and sensibilities). “Slaves is such a harsh word,” the Grandmaster tells Topaz, his assistant (Rachel House), “ I prefer to call them prisoners with benefits.”
As a gladiator, Thor meets several other “prisoners with benefits” who will eventually stand by his side fighting Hela. The first one to introduce himself says, “My name is Korg (voiced by Taika Waititi). I’m kind of like the leader in here. I’m made of rocks, as you can see, but don’t let that intimidate you. You don’t need to be afraid, unless you’re made of scissors! Just a little Rock, Paper, Scissors joke for you.”
The Grandmaster introduces Thor’s battle-to-the-death contest by announcing: “It’s main event time. And now, I give you your Incredible… Hulk (bursts through the stadium door] and when Thor proclaims “YES!” Everyone in the stadium looks confused so Thor explains, “We know each other. He’s a friend from work.”
So Thor, the incredible Hulk/ Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Valkyrie, Korg and even Loki join forces to steal spaceships and fight their way to Asgard, where Heimdall, the Gatekeeper (Idris Elba) has rescued the Asgardians and safely hidden them in a cave. Now the only challenge is to cross the rainbow bifrost bridge and board a space freighter for transport to a safe haven far removed from the death and destruction sown by Hela and Surter. But before they escape, will Hela reanimate her long-dead warriors and Garnr the Watch Dog? Will Surtur be reborn by the eternal flame? Will there be a humongous battle on the bridge?
You’ll just have to see Thor: Ragnarok to find out.
