As an Indigenous filmmaker, I cannot help but cheer when I hear Taika Waititi is succeeding in Hollywood in suck awesome ways. And that he is doing it in mainstream ways, not just locked into the “Indigenous filmmaker” mold, many of us get trapped in, is exciting.

Thor: Ragnarok is my next jump into the dreaded superhero genre that I keep complaining about but I have to admit that I really liked it. Waititi takes a very different tack from the previous Thor films, indeed most of the previous Marvel flicks and engages the audience with a more comical direction without losing the depth that is necessary to make these work.

Thor is faced by his greatest challenge, the return of his unknown sister, Hela, and his own exile on a trash planet where he is enslaved as a gladiator and must fight the Hulk before he can return to Asgard to battle his sister.

The Good...

Chris Hemsworth rocks as Thor even if his character is more sarcastic and less aristocratic than in previous films and it is welcome.

Tom Hiddleston is always great as Loki.

Cate Blanchett is awesome as their sister, Hela, the Goddess of Death.

Tessa Thompson as the Valkyrie is a great addition to the film.

The film has a lot of heart and comic moments. Waititi maintains his past in this film, casting many Indigenous Maori people in supporting roles.

There is more depth here than in other Marvel films and I need to think on it a little but can’t explore that too much here without spoiling the film.

The Not So Good...

I miss the Jeff Goldblum of The Fly and Into the Night. He has sort of been coasting on his Jeff Goldblumisms since Jurassic Park.

The Hulk looked kind of weird.

Karl Urban was good as Skurge but sort of wasted.

I saw this film in 3D in a non-digital theatre and the 3D added nothing though it didn’t take away much either.

Really enjoyable film with heart and a lot of fun. See it, you’ll enjoy it.

All photos via IMDb.com