Marvel strikes theaters with another hit. Despite not being a fan of previous Thor movies, I entered the theater with high hopes for Thor: Ragnarok for two reasons. One being the major hype for the change of tone from the usual serious mood of Thor and Thor: The Dark World to a lighthearted tone more associated with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The second reason was the high praise in critical reviews, the movie sporting one of Marvel’s highest Rotten Tomatoes scores at 93% fresh. And when I left the theater, I wasn’t disappointed. The god of thunder’s highly praised third outing revolves around Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), And new hero Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) trying to stop Asgard and the world from being destroyed by Hela (Cate Blanchett). So this is where I warn of spoilers ahead. I will try to keep them minimal and for small things, but a warning will still be announced.

Of course the movie had a few flaws, every movie does. The main villain Hela was starting Ragnarok, which is basically the Norse apocalypse, because she wanted revenge. Cate Blanchett did an amazing job with the goddess of death, but she was your run-of-the-mill, revenge-attaining villain that could conjure weapons to kill people out of thin air.

Quite a few critics said that Ragnarok was bland and boring, aside from a few jokes. That isn’t something I entirely agree with. The movie starts out with Thor destroying some not-so-friendly residents of Muspelheim (the realm of lots and lots of fire). A little while after Thor returns to Asgard, Thor and Loki have their first run in with Hela, resulting in a wrestling match in the Bifrost. Then Thor battles it out against the Hulk and a spaceship chasse with firing guns ensues about ten or fifteen minutes later. I think the idea of it not being boring is gotten at this point, especially since the next major battles are very spoiler-ridden.

Next on the list is the humor, which is why there was such a ton change from the previous movies. Laughs were aplenty. There was something to laugh at maybe twice more than when someone was getting beaten up or stabbed by Hela (she really likes sharp objects). And an interesting fact revealed by director Taika Waititi revealed that about 80% of the dialogue was improvised (Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Grandmaster, had much to do with that). Stan Lee also had one of his best cameos, which added to the humor of the movie.

However a small flaw was the predictability of the fates of Hela and her second in command lackey, Skurge. I won’t say what they were, just that it’s kind of how every other Marvel movie ends. Loki also tries pulling a familiar trick, which adds for a predictable moment but a funny joke.

And to comment on the ending without giving much away, Thor suffers a small loss that impacts who he will be and how his character is torn down throughout the movie (and I don’t mean the loss of his hammer, since that was teased in the trailers).

Overall, It was an enjoyable movie. Chris Hemsworth got to flex his humor muscles, in addition to the physical ones he has, as Thor grew stronger after being torn down by the end of the world and the wrath of Hela.