Thor: Ragnarok is the third chapter in Marvel's solo-superhero series about the ancient god of thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the first to be directed by cult favorite Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows). It's much less serious and dark than the previous Thor installments (especially The Dark World); humor/tone-wise, it's a lot more like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. Violence will probably be the main issue for most parents: Characters die, and there's more slashing and stabbing than in other Marvel movies, though it's still mostly gore-free and non-graphic. You can also expect plenty of big, explosive comic book-style moments. Language includes "ass" and "s--t," as well as adolescent humor-style references to masturbation and orgies. One character drinks a lot, but it's not treated as a serious problem. There's a theme of facing major, traumatic change that will have ripples throughout future Marvel titles and may have an impact on younger viewers; characters also display positive traits including courage and perseverance.
The film is directed by Taika Waititi, director and screenwriter of New Zealand nationality who is characterized by making a type of small independent cinema. He started in the industry directing short films, the first of which was the comedy "John & Pogo" (2002) and after this work he directed "Two Cars, One Night" (2004), a romantic drama that received the Oscar nomination and more than a dozen awards in different film festivals. That same year he also directed the short film "Heinous Crime" (2004) and the following year directed another short titled "What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires" (2005), a horror comedy about vampires, shot by way of mockumentary and that would serve as a basis for a later film of the same theme. His next short film, "Tama Tu" (2005), about a group of Maori soldiers in Italy during World War II, won a series of international awards, and represented New Zealand at the Oscars. His first feature film, the romantic comedy "Eagle vs. Shark" (2007), had a limited release in US theaters and received a lot of awards and nominations at different festivals. Taika also directed several episodes of "Conchords" (2006) a series of comedy about the world of music, produced for the American cable channel HBO. His second feature film was the dramatic comedy "Boy" (2010), the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Jury Prize. At its launch in New Zealand, "Boy" (2010) received enthusiastic reviews and had great success. After this work he directed the fantasy short film "42 One Dream Rush" (2010) and directed episodes for the comedy series "Super City" (2011) and "The Inbetweeners" (2012). His third feature was What We Do in the Shadows (2014), a film he co-wrote and co-directed with his friend and fellow comedian Jemaine Clement. The film is a horror comedy filmed as a mockumentary about three vampires who live together in New Zealand and who try to adapt to the modern society in which they live. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014. Its next feature film was Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and broke records collection in the first weekend of premiere in New Zealand. The film focuses on a child and his adoptive father who escape to a forest to prevent the young man from being sent to another foster home.
WHAT'S THE STORY? Plagued by visions of Ragnarok -- that is, the death of the gods and the end of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) moves to avert the long-foretold disaster in THOR: RAGNAROK. After suffering a terrible personal loss, the son of Odin discovers life-changing truths about Asgard, his family, and the true threat. He finds he must escape captivity and recruit friends both new (Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie) and old (Mark Ruffalo as Hulk) for an epic confrontation against the most powerful forces he's ever faced (namely, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Goddess of Death).
MOVIE INFO Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive material) Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy Directed By: Taika Waititi Written By: Eric Pearson In theaters: November 3, 2017 Runtime: 130 minutes Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh Studio: Walt Disney Pictures Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Jaimie Alexander