Review Roundup: Did Critics Find Chris Hemsworth's THOR: RAGNAROK Spectacu-Thor?

In Marvel Studios' THOR: RAGNAROK, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time 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. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial CONTEST that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger-the Incredible Hulk!

THOR: RAGNAROK is directed by Taika Waititi and returns Chris Hemsworth starring as Thor and Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki. They are joined by Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson and Karl Urban, with Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.

Kevin Feige is producing with Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Thomas M. Hammel and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost and Stephany Folsom and Eric Pearson. Marvel Studios' THOR: RAGNAROK thunders into U.S. theaters on November 3, 2017.

Check out the reviews for THOR: RAGNAROK here!

Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press: "I imagine THOR: RAGNAROK is one that might improve on subsequent viewings, when you have a chance to relax with the jokes divorced from the pressure of juggling the silly/serious plot. But it's a fairly flawed movie on the whole with egregious tonal shifts. Some of the gags go on too long with the Hulk with too little payoff and sometimes it seems as though there's a mandate that every 25 minutes there will be a big fight no matter what. One particular army of the dead sequence seemed like it could have been lifted from a PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movie - which is not the most flattering comparison...THOR: RAGNAROK is the most fun of the Thor movies by a long shot, but it is still very much a Thor movie for better or worse."

Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly: "There's a lot more to the bloated story, but honestly, none of it is very interesting. In fact, it's endless. You don't care what's happening or what's going to happen next. We're just led from place to place for a hash of foggy reasons that no one will ever remember 10 minutes after leaving the theater. But that's not really the point of this movie. RAGNAROK is basically a Joke Delivery System - and on that score, it works. The movie is fun. So to recap: Taika Waititi was mostly the right director for the job. Chris Hemsworth is hilarious. Tessa Thompson is going to be a star. And while RAGNAROK's story is an aimless mess, you won't stop laughing. In other words, it's a... B."

Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter: "Ragnarök, a prophesied catastrophe in Norse legend, is apparently some kind of a big deal, even by superhero standards. Mainly, though, it's a handy excuse for the latest edition of Marvel-branded sensory overload...There are moments that might bring a viewer back to the day's news: a citizens' uprising, an exodus of refugees. But amid the strife and the battles - on land and sea, in arenas and in the air - it's the loose-limbed laughs that amp the story's comic-book formula. In the evanescent RAGNAROK, even the shock of grievous bodily injury evaporates before our eyes. What will linger when the weapons are withdrawn is the knowledge that you've been prepped for the inevitable next chapter."

Peter Debruge, Variety: "While it's not saying much, THOR: RAGNAROK is easily the best of the three Thor movies - or maybe I just think so because its screenwriters and I finally seem to agree on one thing: The Thor movies are preposterous."

Brian Truitt, USA Today: "Who figured that the goofiest Marvel superhero movie would be THE ONE that stars the thunder god instead of the talking raccoon? By far the best of the solo films starring Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding warrior, THOR: RAGNAROK is a fantasy romp infused with director Taika Waititi's signature goofiness (HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE). It's zany to a fault, though: The adventure leans hard into the campy FLASH GORDON vibe and slapstick humor, so much so that when the third act save-the-world stuff comes, it doesn't feel completely earned."

Alonso Duralde, The Wrap: "Hemsworth continues his streak (both in the Marvel movies and in the GHOSTBUSTERS remake) as a daft performer who knows how to use his almost exaggeratedly perfect physical features as part of the joke. (Balancing, and intertwining, sex and humor make him the 21st century version of Marilyn Monroe or Jayne Mansfield.) His comic rapport with Hiddleston, Ruffalo and especially Thompson goes a long way toward making the film such a screwball delight...You don't have to have seen the lead-ups to THOR: RAGNAROK to enjoy yourself, nor will your delight depend upon another five future movies to be announced later. There's little pomp and even less circumstance, but its goofy pleasures are more than enough."

Philip De Semlyen, Time Out: "If RAGNAROK is the funniest Marvel movie to date-topping GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and IRON MAN 3-it's not without frustrations. The standard third act CGI-fest feels leaden after the zip of what's come before; it's overlong and there's arguably one too many super-powered MacGuffins (we'd have quickly misplaced the Flame of Thingymajiggy). But these are minor grumbles. In a world of portentous blockbusters getting ever darker, it's a joy to see one throwing on the disco lights."

Poster Art Courtesy of Marvel Studios

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