Thor: Ragnarok (2017) * *

Directed by:  Taika Waititi

Starring:  Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Karl Urban, Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tessa Thompson

Thor: Ragnarok is slightly superior to its predecessor Thor: The Dark World (2013) and injected with more humor and levity, not that it helps much, since the cookie-cutter superhero plot involves yet another being with superpowers trying to take over the universe.    If my science is correct, the universe is supposedly ever-expanding, so who in their right mind would want to rule it all?    Who wants that headache?    And who in the business of wanting to take over things would want to leave herself with no more worlds to conquer?    

Yet, here we are, with a third Thor standalone movie which at least infused Chris Hemsworth with some one-liners and expanded the character a bit.    He actually laughs and cracks jokes in Thor: Ragnarok, which is somewhat better than reciting platitudes about duty, honor and courage.    The God of Thunder is at least a little more than a one-dimensional god who wields a mighty hammer.    He will need it against Hela (Blanchett), the oldest daughter of Odin (Hopkins) who returns to destroy her homeland in a way previously prophesized.     Thor enlists his on-again, off-again enemy Loki (Hiddleston), scavenger Brunnhilde (Thompson), and eventually, the Hulk/Bruce Banner (Ruffalo), whom Thor must battle first in an arena.    I won't recap how that happened, but the movie spends so much time with this subplot we forget Hela is plotting to destroy Asgard.   

The actors have more of a ball with the material than previous Thor films.    Blanchett is an alluring, seductive, and sufficiently hateful villain, while Loki approaches these events with equal parts mischief and bemusement.    His allegiances shift on a dime, which grows tiresome after a while.    Make Loki a villain or a hero and have him be that person.    Hemsworth is surely a great physical presence and at least is allowed to have some fun.     Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) shows up for a cameo, but like his movie from one year ago, his presence left me confused.   

Hulk is also allowed to utter some dialogue, which provides him with more character than before, while his character (and the movie for that matter) is one big CGI explosion.    Masses of people share the screen with explosions, noise, and semi-coherent action.    Even if Hela were successful in defeating Thor, her task of eradicating her homeland was practically completed for her anyway.    There aren't many citizens of Asgard apparently, since they are all able to fit onto a smallish spaceship, like an intergalactic Noah's Ark.

Thor and company will return in the looming Avengers: Infinity War, which is supposed to combine the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and every other Marvel character written since Stan Lee decided to draw up his first comic book.    And here I am thinking Thor: Ragnarok has extraneous subplots and characters already.    The next Avengers movies might cause a full brain meltdown.