“Thor: Ragnarok” is the latest gem from Marvel

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“Thor: Ragnarok” has taken theatres by storm.

Olivia Marnell, Staff writer

Just a few days after its release, I had the pleasure of seeing Marvel’s newest movie: Thor: Ragnarok. The movie stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Cate Blanchett as Hela and also includes Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, and Idris Elba as Heimdall.

As a seasoned Marvel fanatic, I had high expectations. I was pleased to see the inclusion of other Marvel superheroes, such as The Incredible Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, and Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. I was also on a hunt throughout the film for the iconic cameo of Stan Lee, founder of Marvel Studios. In a major plot point in the movie, Lee cameos as a barber.

But the movie also features some other famous faces — ones that have never before been seen in the Marvel Universe. In an extremely meta scene in the movie, a public reenactment of brothers Thor and Loki’s last departure, Jason Bourne star Matt Damon cameos as Loki, Jurassic Park star Sam Neill cameos as Odin, and playing the part of Thor is Chris Hemsworth’s own brother Luke Hemsworth.

It’s no secret that Marvel likes to relieve their typically heavy and intense plot content with a bit of comedy. But what surprised me the most about Thor: Ragnarok was the sheer amount of humor laced throughout. It seems to have the most jokes and banter out of any of the more recent Marvel films, but perhaps that has something to do with the director of the film, Taika Waititi.

Waititi voices the role of one of the most lovable and humorous characters to be included in the Marvel Universe: Korg. Korg is one of my favorite parts of the movie as his blunt, oblivious air makes for great comic relief.

Overall, the casting and production of Thor: Ragnarok is spectacular — nothing unexpected of the Marvel franchise. Noted for being the least like any of the other Marvel movies, Thor: Ragnarok is critically acclaimed for its boldness and humor and its ability to pull it off while still achieving the emotional, action-packed Marvel classic we all know and love.