Thor 3 - Tag der Entscheidung

Eine absolute Massenangelegenheit, welche in die Welt von Thor kindische Elemente aus Star Wars integriert. Die Kostüme und das Make-up sind bunter als Das fünfte Element. Und ich wollte nicht, dass sich Thor in diese Richtung begibt. Dass in 70 % der Filmlänge eine leicht infantile Situationskomik ist und man sich nicht mit der Handlung beschäftigt. Das bedeutet nicht, dass sich die Massen, welche Guardians of the Galaxy mögen, nicht prachtvoll amüsieren werden. Und darum geht es. (13.11.2017)

“Darling, you have no idea what's possible.” I hope Waititi's next film is an adaptation of the Robot Unicorn Attack flash game, because this wasn’t far from it. Though the New Zealander with a fondness for pineapple-print shirts didn't write the screenplay, I think he deserves credit for how colourful, nutty and stylistically diverse the whole film is. In just the first few minutes, we become witnesses to the protagonist’s self-ironic conversation with a skeleton, a variation on the “Look at my shit” scene from Spring Breakers and a parody of the theatrical, statuesque nature of Thor’s first solo movie. I actually found it regrettable that Waititi had to stick to the Marvel canon and expand the MCU (the scene with Strange was a bit superfluous) and couldn’t construct the whole film as a laid-back buddy movie in which Thor’s patience is gradually tested by Loki, a talking pile of rocks who wants to start a revolution, a perpetually plastered Valkyrie, and an egghead with seven doctorates and a problem with self-control. The characters and their sparkling dialogue draw more attention to themselves than another generic plot with a goddess of death who wants to unleash hell because she has daddy issues. Fortunately, the narrative structure is partially adapted to this. After the main storyline gets rolling, the protagonist is plunged into a world where he has to deal with completely different concerns, so rectifying the situation on Asgard, of which Thor is informed only through hearsay, has to be delayed. On top of that, the protagonist is merely pulled along by fate (or by the Hulk) more than once and cannot freely make decisions; things happen without his input. The subversiveness of this approach, which turns the whole superhero concept on its head, culminates in the climax, when the problem is resolved differently (and by someone else) than you would expect. When you add the actors enjoying their roles (Tessa Thompson and Jeff Goldblum are particularly superb), the arcade-inspired action scenes and the cleverly dumb humour to the methodical rejection (or, as the case may be, commenting on and mocking) of the rules of the game, you get a movie that will either irritate you with its refusal to take anything seriously or thrill you as the most entertaining Marvel movie ever. For me, it was the latter. 85% (29.10.2017)

The funniest and probably also the best Marvel movie I’ve ever seen. Plus there’s even some 1980s music that fits the story perfectly. It was literally as if Daft Punk started yet another movie music orgy after Tron. Anyways, I realize that choosing a very alternative New Zealand director Taika Waititi must have been a big risk. Especially since most of the dialogues were improvised. You could expect anything at all, but once you know what kind of brilliant movies he’s already filmed, you can just hope that Thor: Ragnarok will be a success and so will Taika. Of course, it’s also important whether you like Thor as a character. I’d say it’s currently the best, the most original, the most inventive, the funniest Marvel cinematic universe character. However, the movie has taken this originality and wittiness to a whole new level. I haven’t laughed this hard watching a movie for a long time. The improvisation has brought some amazing scenes to life and I’d be surprised if people didn’t talk about them and even make parodies of them. Furthermore, the story itself is great, Jeff Goldblum is brilliant as a leader of a planet riddled with trash. And Mark Ruffalo as Hulk is probably the most prominent he’s ever been. Everybody has their say; Anthony Hopkins, Karl Urban, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, even Benedict Cumberbatch who has proved that he’s funny with a single scene. Unlike his own – often far too serious – movie Doctor Strange. And don’t even get me started on all the cameos in Ragnarok, one of them played by the director himself, as has become a tradition. Overall, I thought it was more than amazing. I don’t think I’ll see anything better or more fun this year. Or ever. (07.11.2017)

I didn’t have that much fun. Like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the third Thor wants to be a very family friendly film, so it crams in a bunch of characters that are completely useless, but every viewer gets a chance to pick their favourite. It mixes in humor, because is needed, and visually and musically, it references the 1980s because that was a cool era. Or something like that. Well, again, it all works only halfway. Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth, who is good at comedic acting, push the humour forward so much that the film grinds along like an adventure flick. So while there are some truly spectacular things happening on screen and the story has the potential to be epic, with scenes that send chills down the spine, overall it's more of a comic book sitcom. There's so much comedy and over-the-top characters that when it comes to the real fight for life and the fate of Asgard, it doesn't work. The banter and buddy chemistry with the Hulk are fine. But when everything else doesn't work because of it, and the fight with the goddess of death has about as much emotional impact as waiting in line at the post office, I see that as a problem. I'm not saying I didn't have fun, but I really probably won't watch it again in the years to come. Maybe I wouldn't mind if Marvel started having a bit more ambition than just making "big, successful, and pretty cool" movies. (27.07.2018)

Pfeifen wir doch auf das Zerfetzen einer Seele, Pfeifen wir doch auf die Dunkelheit. Genießen wir doch einfach die Fahrt. Nach den geradezu famosen zweiten Guardians of the Galaxy kommt der neuseeländische Witzbold Taika Waititi in einem Müllraumschiff angeflogen, um Thors theatertechnische Steifigkeit sowie den mythologischen Statuencharakter in ein in bedeutendem Masse menschliches Porträt eines aufgemotzten Narzissus umzuwandeln, welcher es mit Daddy-Issues zu tun hat und krankhaft von seinem phallischen Stolz abhängig ist, einem riesigen etwas. Marvel hat sich mit diesem ernsthaft unernsten Stil im dritten Teil des Iron Man angefreundet und dank der Guardians weiß man hier bereits, dass die Menschen nach Flucht-, Retro- und unsinnigen außerirdischen Welten regelrecht hungern, in denen exzentrische Steinhaufen und andere seltsame Homunkuli leben. Der dritte Teil Thor ähnelt somit einem euphorischen 8-Bit-Videospiel, in welchem nur die X- und Y-Achsen zum Fortbewegen verwendet werden, jedoch auch daran können sie zu genüge Freaks, Spikes und Action-Eskapaden genießen. Makellos ist das Ganze nicht, Hemsworth bemüht sich manchmal so sehr, bis er komisch aussieht, wobei das Syndrom jede Minute einen Witz auch laueren Filmstellen zugeneigt ist. Außerdem finden wir bei Thor: Tag der Entscheidung keine so elegante Handlung, wo das traditionelle weltzerstörerische Motiv wie beim zweiten Teil der Guardians of the Galaxy in eine bewegende Aussage über familiäre Beziehungen umgewandelt wird. Die mondäne Hetäre Hela ist zwar ganz unterhaltsam, aber um sie herum ist alles ziemlich generisch, so dass der aufgebaute Energieausbruch am Ende schließlich wieder zu den abgenutzten Klischees abrutscht. Glücklicherweise stellt Taika dem ganzen nahezu immer voll und ganz einen Stolperstein in den Weg, wodurch wiederum das Gleichgewicht des Alls hergestellt wird. Sie haben nach einem leeren, beruhigenden und dennoch selbstbewussten Spektakel gerufen? Hier erhalten sie eine doppelte Portion davon. (27.10.2017)

A full-length episode of a silly average sitcom for almost made for almost 4 billions Czech crowns, about which the by far most interesting thing is intentional guilty pleasure stylization à la covers of 80's metal albums and a synth soundtrack. Fortunately, all participants (and there is a whole bunch of them) are aware of "what they signed up for" and so they fully enjoy the forced local festival of laughter (built on the fact that it is basically a parody of Thor just with Thor) and willingly overact, that keep the show afloat. (25.10.2017)

The Thunder Emperor has a special place in my viewer's heart and his first adventure remains one of the best experiences not only within the universe but also in comic book adaptations in general. While the critical community has issues with all the parts, Thor's trilogy remains the most balanced series in the MCU for me. No matter who took it on and genre-wise, from romance to drama to fantasy, it always amazed me. And I am amazed for the third time because it moves away from the leading love story, isn't afraid to eliminate familiar characters, yet still walks regally towards the highest rating. It breathes all the ingredients of the fantasy genre, adding unquestionably the best action in the series. Not a few minutes pass without me bursting into laughter, and Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston clearly embody their characters. Something tells me that Thor: Ragnarok is the end for the classic Thor, but I'm glad the story ends so triumphantly. (26.10.2017)

Colorful, funny and also strangely fateful. Thor has finally found his feet and he’s just the powerhouse that his solo movies needed. Waititi packed the movie full of his unreal director’s individuality which overturns genre rules on a level similar to Guardians of the Galaxy (not always better, but he isn’t afraid to take risks). The childish photos suit the videogame atmosphere and the newly built planets. Inspiration from Planet Hulk is obvious, just the heroes have swapped roles. Great one-liners, ingenious action scenes (the hammer finally has its say) and playful. Cate is real foxy in this movie and her acting is great, although she doesn’t get much room to display her skills. Incredible care is devoted to supporting characters (the theatre scene) and Korg the crusher shines whenever he is in shot. Ragnarok can’t stand alone, but at the same time it didn’t seem like the final part of a trilogy – it’s too high-spirited, but still, it’s the best movie about Thor that we’ve seen on the silver screen yet. (28.10.2017)

After all the embarrassing and serious stories about saving the world, or even the universe, Marvel finally excels at what it does best: a comic book comedy caper. It’s a tad worse than the first Avengers, but the juicier and snappier humour and the great characters (Cate Blanchett with antlers and a painted Jeff Goldblum) are a hit. What is absent, however, is a balanced group of superheroes where everyone has their own. Even so, it's damn catchy, and every time the spoiler from the trailer played, the audience in the cinema giggled with satisfaction, quite rightly so. (28.10.2017)

Ich muss gar nicht besonders das Auge zudrücken (ähm), damit ich mit ruhigem Gewissen schreiben kann, dass ich von Thor 3: Tag der Entscheidung begeistert bin. Er ist sehr unterhaltsam, frisch sowie originell und hat einen eigenen Stil… Und dabei ist es keine so große Laser-Disco-Parodie, wie es in den Trailern aussieht. Es handelt sich um ein reguläres und in vielen Hinsichten wichtiges Kapitel aus dem Leben des Donnergottes. Alle Figuren sind interessant, keine ist überflüssig und keine lästig (hier möchte ich gerne Loki und Grandmaster in der Darbietung vom ausgezeichneten Jeff Goldblum hervorheben). Hela mit dem Gesicht von Cate Blanchett, die sich gut amüsiert hat, ist ein Garant für Erfolg. Und noch eine Bemerkung – Hulk ist auch unterhaltsam, aber Bruce Banner noch mehr, was Marvel bisher nicht gelungen ist. Taika Waititi hat mich einfach angenehm überrascht; der Humor sowie die einfallsreiche Action sind ihm gelungen (das, was er am Anfang mit Mjölnir zeigt, übertrumpft den ganzen vorigen Film). Außerdem sieht der Film schön aus und dank der Retro-Musik von Mark Mothersbaugh hat das Ganze einen außergewöhnlichen Pep. (28.10.2017)

The third Thor comes with completely new ambitions and a narrative direction that openly creates an entertaining and almost parodic equivalent to the previous Avengers stories, where the humour is definitely unleashed and the stylization of the fictional world and the refreshing management of the not-quite-classic plot take on multi-genre dimensions that we haven't seen in Marvel before. Waititi to me is the blockbuster director of the future. (27.10.2017)

Once again, I was made to watch a Marvel film almost against my will. I was told that the latest Thor was different and perhaps even funny. And it was true, I did get to laugh a few times. The creators did a great job visually. Plus, Cate Blanchett’s voice is simply soothing. Then again, I do like Norse mythology and its constant desecration was extremely distracting. I won't list all the errors here, I think it's enough to name Heimdall and the last (wtf?) Valkyrie. I just can't stand how black people are constantly cast in roles that don’t belong to them. I would be just as annoyed if a white man was cast as Barack Obama or Martin Luther King. (10.03.2018)

What's good about the new Thor is not that it's just very funny - and it really is, Jeff Goldblum blew me away, but the main characters are also great. Yet it's also good because its script is quite clever. The finale was simply great. Marvel hasn't rested on its laurels and I don't think DC has a chance with its cinematic universe. (06.11.2017)

It's a fact that compared to Branagh's somewhat more serious and earnest approach, Thor: Ragnarok can look almost like a fad and actually quite superficial, but on the other hand my beloved Taika Waititi (who is responsible for the brilliant What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople) managed to round off the Thor trilogy in a satisfying and quite funny way. There's not much to complain about, either, since the first Thor made it to the theaters seven years ago, and since then the preferences and choices of the Marvel Universe have changed quite a bit. I'm not judging whether that's a good thing or a bad thing; either way, the third Thor has picked up and in many ways even advanced its atmosphere and color in the style of Guardians of the Galaxy, which is reflected in its minor retro stylization, heavy emphasis on humor, and meticulous use of color of all kinds. It is definitely fun, though; I was just embarrassed at times to be so blatantly and childishly enjoying it. (30.06.2018)