‘Thor: Ragnarok’ fixes the franchise by breaking it

Out of all the film franchises under the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s billion-dollar banner, only one feels consistently dwarfed by the rest. Ironically, it’s the one that stars the literal god who walks among men.

Going by numerous reviews and aggregate site ratings, it’s safe to say that neither of the earlier “Thor” films left any sort of memorable impact on anyone but the titular character’s most diehard fans. Disjointed storytelling, a dearth of substance, and the unshakable feeling of simply going through the motions nearly prove to be too cumbersome a load for even the God of Thunder’s broad shoulders to carry.

From the lackluster origin film to its uninspired, unwieldy sequel, Thor’s filmmaking playbook seemed to revolve around a single objective: “Aim for — but fall short of — epic.”

Needless to say, allowing director Taika Waititi to chuck the entire tome out the window was a stroke of brilliance.

There’s something decidedly un-“Thor”-like about “Thor: Ragnarok.” For starters, it does not take its star seriously, by any measure. This not only gives Chris Hemsworth a chance to fully utilize his comedic talents, but also lets other characters shine under the spotlight with their own distinctive quirks. Whether it’s Cate Blanchett oozing with casually vicious villainy as Hela or Jeff Goldblum stealing every scene as the glittering Grandmaster, you will definitely find something to enjoy in this production.

This time around, Thor finds himself partnered with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), yet another character whose previous solo outings didn’t exactly go so well. Playing off each other’s bravado, bluster, and occasional buffoonery, these two Herculean heroes go together as well as French fries and ketchup. In fact, after you step out of the theater, you'd probably find it challenging to imagine a movie that stars one and omits the other.

Though it has its fair share of emotional scenes and action-packed, high-stakes showdowns, “Thor: Ragnarok” will also have you guffawing far more than you’d think — sometimes, even during the most inappropriate scenes for laughter.

Glittering Goldblum? Count us in.

In many ways, “Thor: Ragnarok” is MCU Phase Three’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1”: an unabashedly retro space romp, disregarding continuity and canon in the most entertaining ways possible. It would be quite challenging to gauge how much you would like it, unless you actually see the film for yourself.

What’s certain, though, is that you can confidently leave all your expectations outside the cinema. “Thor: Ragnarok” doesn’t try to replicate the depth and scale of “Lord of the Rings,” nor does it attempt to be the next “Deadpool.” In fact, it’s the absence of any attempt at a singular, genre-bound identity that makes “Thor: Ragnarok” so refreshing and enjoyable.

Thor’s journey in this film involves losing certain things that he thought defined him and pushing the limits of what he can accomplish. Incidentally, this captures the spirit of “Thor: Ragnarok” in its entirety: an end and a rebirth, true to its name. In other words, "Thor: Ragnarok" is the shot in the arm that this fair-to-middling franchise so desperately needs. — AT, GMA News

"Thor: Ragnarok" hits Philippine cinemas on October 25, 2017.