Review by Aaron Haughton

Taika Waititi steps up to the helm of the Thor franchise to bring his awkward New Zealand comedic charm to the superhero blockbuster series. The result is somewhat of a breath of fresh air. The film tells a story we've seen before, but when you sprinkle the cutesy Waititi charisma over top the fun superhero action Marvel is known for, the franchise begins to crinkle with a bit of crisp freshness again, despite it being the 17th effort. However, the thing that really keeps the film afloat over its 160 minute runtime is its strong, steady heartbeat that undulates underneath its fairly simplistic storyline, akin to James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, which should prove to be just endearing enough to overcome any of its low points or missteps.

Thor: Ragnarok finds our titular hero imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his trusty hammer (or Mjölnir, if you wanna be an uber nerd about is). In a race against time, Thor hustles to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok — the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization — at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (played by Cate Blanchett). However, before he can return home, he first must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger, The Incredible Hulk.