Thor Ragnarok is the 3rd Thor film, and the 17th movie in the ever-growing MCU. Out of fear of spoiling anything, let's just say this movie is about the end-of-times and Thor and company have to save the day. I liked the first Thor movie quite a bit. I thought it was an enjoyable, if unremarkable origin story. I loved seeing Thor's development and change in demeanor as he became worthy. Thor 2 on the other hand, was a forgettable, lacklustre sequel that brought nothing new to the table whatsoever. The main reason I was excited for this movie was the director, Taika Waititi. I absolutely adored his work on What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. The main takeaway from the trailers for me was that Ragnarok looked like a Waititi movie, and not so much of a Marvel movie. I was hoping this was the case, as the thought of one of the most exciting directors today being given a $180 million dollar budget to make his Thor movie, and not Marvel's, sounded like a definite win.

That definitely is the case, for the most part. Thor: Ragnarok is Taika Waititi's baby, and it is all the better for it. This is a fun, colorful, hysterical, weird adventure: the weirdest MCU movie as of far. If you thought GoTG was different from the other movies, just wait till you see this. It is choke full of colour, unexpected transitions, laugh-out-loud references and visual gags that made me squeal as an MCU fan, and character designs out of an old Star Wars movie. The script for this movie is exceptional, and almost every joke not only landed, but landed hard. Of course, a great script is nothing without a great cast to deliver: Thor: Ragnarok is packed with great performances and great comedic timing from everyone involved.

Chris Hemsworth has never seemed more comfortable in his role then he is in this movie. I mean it when I say his role, because he took the role and absolutely made it his. I hope to see him in more comedic roles, because he's absolutely in his element here. Joining him is Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner AKA Hulk AKA 'the other guy.' Ruffalo was a highlight of the first Avengers, yet somehow managed to be an annoying presence in the second movie. He reminds us why we loved him in the first place, with his performance in Ragnarok, and the reason this is, is because he brings a much needed human element to a movie about gods and worlds ending. The banter between Thor and Banner is a highlight of the movie's script, and there's a great deal of references to their interactions and experiences in past movies that are amusing but always befitting and never forced, and I loved seeing the difference between the way Thor and Banner got along, and the way Thor and Hulk got along.

Tom Hiddleston is predictably solid as Loki. This is probably his weakest performance as the character, as he does nothing new the god of mischief that we haven't already seen, but he remains a welcome addition.

The real MVPs of the movie however, were the newcomers. Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie was fantastic. Not only is she a badass character who kicks butt and takes names, but Tessa brought a lot of wit and charisma to the role, and everything, down to her demeanor, brought the writing to life with a lot of personality. Jeff Goldblum was great as The Grandmaster - he had a lot of fun with his role and it was contagious. But my favourite performance in the film (and I'm sure everyone else in the theatre felt the same way judging by their reactions) was the man himself, Taika Waititi, as Korg. Every single line this character says is comedic gold. In part because of the fantastic writing, but also because of Waititi's exceptional comedic timing and accent. Korg and Thor. Valkyrie and Thor. Loki and Valkyrie. Loki and Hulk. Hulk and Thor.... you name it: the characters had exceptional chemistry and bounced off each other exceptionally well. None of it felt forced, and each of them had conflicting personalities (the basis of every comedy) that made for hilarious, memorable interactions.

There are disappointments in the cast, but they are few, but it's even more disappointing because more often then not, it's the writing that lets them down and not the character. For example, Karl Urban gave it his all as Skurge, but his character is terribly written and woefully incorporated into the movie. We all know Cate Blanchett is a great actress, and I, like anyone else, was excited to see what she would do as the villain Hela. I wouldn't say she's wasted, because every scene with her bustles with personality and she kicks ass in action: but again - she's so good, it's disappointing that she wasn't given more to do. But given how good the rest of the cast and how fleshed out their interactions and personalities were - this is merely a blemish in a palette of greatness. If that makes any sense 0.o

Visually, it is every bit as gorgeous as the trailers suggested, if not more gorgeous. The movie is booming with colour and dynamic camera angles that separate this from any other MCU film in terms of personality and style. If I have to hear one more person complain that every MCU movie looks the same, or is filmed by committee, I will start a revolution. Because there are images in this movie that deserve to be framed. It is action packed, and most of the action lands - the fight between Hulk and Thor being a highlight - and another great action sequence which involves Hela, who in general is probably the most visually stunning CBM villain put to the screen. I was also incredibly impressed at how good Hulk looked and how far we've come with technology. You could tell 100% it was Ruffalo doing the mo-cap. Unfortunately, the action became less progressively less-interesting, and I found myself waiting for the action to wrap up so I could watch the characters just bounce off each other, which made the movie so great in the first place.

If you don't like the comedy aspect of the MCU and think they should tone it down, you're probably not gonna like this one, as this is one of the most humor-centric Marvel entries. Personally, I don't mind humor as long as it lands, and the humor in Ragnarok definitely landed. It's not a perfect movie, as it lacks the emotional impact of Waititi's other films and becomes a bit muddled in the final act, but on the whole, it was a refreshing change-of-pace to watch an MCU film that was weird. That was colorful. That wasn't afraid to be silly. That wasn't afraid to do interesting things with the camera. That had all these bizarre references. Everyone killed it with their performances, and the cast had great chemistry with one another. And yes, it has a great original score. How's that for surprising? It's the most fun I've had with an MCU movie since we first saw the avengers assemble in 2012. Go see it.