The third Thor film (after Thor, 2011; and Thor: The Dark World, 2013) is a rousing example of how to refresh a comic-book franchise.
New Zealand director Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) provides a fun new spin on the superhero adventure, with the titular warrior (Chris Hemsworth, reprising his signature role) rendered practically helpless when his battle hammer is smashed by a self-proclaimed goddess of death (two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett).
Playing Thor’s disgruntled sister, Blanchett brings us — with typical dramatic flair — the first leading female villain in Marvel’s cinematic universe.
Thor, meanwhile, finds himself faced with the destruction of his realm, hurled through an intergalactic portal and held captive on an alien planet. He is also forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena, against his former ally The Hulk.
The film is crammed with witty one-liners, funky production design and flashes of CGI-heavy action, though it does lose some of its verve in the slam-bang climax.
Besides the mandatory Stan Lee cameo (this time, he’s the barber responsible for Thor’s new trim), expect a couple of tiny walk-on roles for Matt Damon and Sam Neill.
And prepare to be wowed by Jeff Goldblum, who steals the show as the zany ‘grandmaster’ and appears in what is surely the funniest end-credits scene of any Marvel movie to date. Do wait for it.
{{/usCountry}}And prepare to be wowed by Jeff Goldblum, who steals the show as the zany ‘grandmaster’ and appears in what is surely the funniest end-credits scene of any Marvel movie to date. Do wait for it.
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