Thor: Ragnarok begins with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor speaking to what appears to be the audience, followed by an encounter with a malicious fire demon that threatens to bring an end to Thor’s home of Asgard. Then there is an epic battle scene set to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”. This was the moment I realized the Marvel Cinematic Universe had once again exceeded the exceptionally high standard of filmmaking that they themselves helped define over the past decade or so. There are so many reasons as to why Thor: Ragnarok is an absolute masterpiece of superhero filmmaking, and to cut a very long story short, this is Marvel at their absolute best (yet consider I said the exact same thing about Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Homecoming, but that speaks to Marvel’s dedication in making these films as opposed to my own constantly-shifting opinions).

Let me cut right to the chase – Taika Waititi. There has been no bigger joy than seeing this creative genius flourish. From his absolutely explosive but criminally-underseen debut feature film, Eagle vs Shark to What We Do in the Shadows, one of the most hilarious films of the current decade, and capping off this impressive run with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a touching and hilarious adventure comedy (I cannot comment on Boy, as I haven’t seen it, but I have no doubt that it is beyond incredible). There was something so strange about Waititi being given the opportunity to direct a huge tentpole film like Thor: Ragnarok, and every time a burgeoning talent gets given such a high-profile project based on smaller but highly notable previous work, they do seem to lose a bit of their edge. However, a big budget was given to Waititi in the making of this film, and he knew exactly what to do with such a budget, crafting one of the most extraordinarily wonderful superhero films of recent years. As much as I loved Thor: Ragnarok, and will recommend it to absolutely anyone, I just want to use this opportunity to once again suggest that anyone who has not watched What We Do in the Shadow should possibly get on that right away. You won’t regret it, and perhaps you’ll understand exactly why Taika Waititi was such an inspired choice for Thor: Ragnarok. But enough about that, there’s a bigger issue at hand here…

…Cate Blanchett. late 2016 and 2017 has surprised me in terms of Marvel films, as between Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, we have gotten three very different kinds of villains, each one being played by a high-profile, incredibly talented performer in Mads Mikkelsen, cinematic savior Michael Keaton and Blanchett. However, Kaecilius in Doctor Strange and Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming were villains who had motivation and actually had good arguments towards why they did what they did, and that is revolutionary and fascinating in itself, to have well-developed villains. However, you know what’s even better than this? Having arguably the finest actress of her generation playing a villain who is just evil for the sake of being evil, and clearly having so much fun while doing it. Blanchett chews every bit of scenery and goes so over-the-top in her performance of Hela, the Goddess of Death, that it borders on being beyond excessive. Yet, in the hands of Blanchett, it is absolutely glorious to watch. It takes a very nuanced and talented actor who understands restraint to be able to give such an unbridled performance such as this. Blanchett is fantastic in it, and a part of me hopes that she only signed on to do Thor: Ragnarok in fear that Tilda Swinton would steal the edge of being the only exquisitely talented grand dame of contemporary arthouse cinema to appear in a Marvel film. But that’s just me, and I am so glad they’re along for the ride (and chance of finding a role for the extraordinary Isabelle Huppert, Marvel?).

As I was leaving the cinema, I remarked to my brother that I’d be so perfectly happy if every year from now on, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Jeff Goldblum an Academy Award for his work in Thor: Ragnarok. Jeff Goldblum isn’t just a national treasure, nor is he a global treasure. He is a universal gift given to us by the hallowed deities who only intend to bestow the most wonderful things on us mere mortals. Jeff Goldblum is such an incredible cinematic icon and someone who adds something so special to whatever project he finds himself a part of, in what I call the Bill Murray Effect: whereby a film, television show or any other project is automatically made exponentially better by the presence of the said actor. However, having gushed over my admiration for him, let’s be serious: Goldblum is really great in this film. He takes a very one-note character and makes him so memorable, not from the script (which gives Grandmaster some of the best lines in the film), but rather because of the little nuances he adds to the performance. The subtle gestures and cadences hidden in his voice, he makes Grandmaster far more than just the quirky yet despicable monstrosity he appears to be on the surface. Very often, high-profile actors sign up for big films like this simply for the paycheck, and thus in return, the studio can use that actor’s involvement to sell the film. The sad truth is that very often, the more famous the actor, the more wasted they are: this is absolutely not the case for Thor: Ragnarok, mainly because one can see that Waititi understood the talent he had at his disposal, and he made sure to utilize them to their best capacity. I’m not going to say Jeff Goldblum is the reason you should rush out to see Thor: Ragnarok, but even if I did, it is a damn good reason.

Thor: Ragnarok also features Chris Hemsworth’s best performance as Thor, and perhaps his best performance overall. No longer is he the oblivious Norse god whose forays into humor were through his ignorance towards the modern world. In Thor: Ragnarok, he is a far more aware and conscious character, and Waititi brought out Hemsworth’s natural charm (I honestly never thought I would type the words “natural charm” and “Chris Hemsworth” in the same sentence, but here we are. Opinions change, and this is one I have been glad to have completely subverted). Hemsworth is still not the strongest actor, but he’s perfectly acceptable in this film and as endearing as they come. Mark Ruffalo gives his best performance as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk yet, and even if his role is relatively smaller than one would expect, he hits it out of the park. Tessa Thompson is an actress rising at a rapid rate, and while many loved her in Creed (where I personally found her character to be pretty poorly-written), I think Thor: Ragnarok is obviously the kind of film that will give her the exposure her career needs. While her character wasn’t perfectly written (and she, unfortunately, had to be burdened with the tautest and cliched lines possible such as “you’ll get yourself killed!” and “Don’t die!”), Thompson was great and I really am enthusiastic about seeing her in future Marvel films. I appreciate the fact that this film also skirted around any issues of a possible romance between the two characters, despite a particular moment seeming like it would lead to something of that nature, it swiftly deviated. Not every superhero needs a romantic partner, regardless of how much of a tough-as-nails heroine she is. The best part of this film, with the exception of Blanchett’s deliciously malicious villain and Goldblum’s scene-stealing Grandmaster, is Waititi himself, who is utterly hilarious as Korg, the rock-being that befriends Thor. I could watch Waititi play this character for hours, and if there is any savviness at Marvel, they will find a way to bring him back in some way.

There’s a very popular saying that I’ve heard many times over the years: “we’re here for a good time, not a long time” – and while I usually find that phrase to be quite objectionable (usually due to the context in which it is used, such as slacker university peers looking to get drink instead of coming to their 8AM lecture. True story, my friends), it is quite relevant in looking at Thor: Ragnarok. Be warned: for those of you who enjoyed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (whoever you are) and particularly praised the very dour and dull and overly-serious portrayal of superheroes, Thor: Ragnarok goes the complete opposite direction and proves to be far more entertaining than Guardians of the Galaxy, the Marvel film that started this whole “superheroes should be funny as well!” bandwagon. The difference is (and I mean no disrespect to the admirable and utterly fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy, which I adore with all my heart), Thor: Ragnarok gets the comedy perfectly right. It is not a serious film looking to be funny (like Suicide Squad), nor is it a funny film looking to be taken seriously (like Guardians of the Galaxy) – it is a film that is exactly as serious as it should be, as well as being as funny as one would expect. In all honesty, it is two-hours of pure, unadulterated entertainment. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a film this year that has been so deeply entertaining without losing any quality along the way. Not to mention there were moments in Thor: Ragnarok that made me laugh like a complete maniac, simply because of the high-level of quality in some of these jokes. Waititi, to his credit, has never been a filmmaker that has resorted to cheap comedy, and the best moments of this film are those that prove to be far more original than what we”d expect. Also, Thor: Ragnarok lacks any character comparable to Baby Groot, which is a great thing – nothing against Baby Groot, its just when your entire film is marketed on character that brings both the adorability factor as well as being the main comic relief, its a little exhausting (and imagine how wonderful our world would be without Minions. Nothing against Despicable Me either – it’s a great film. But I have a whole lot against the Minions. But that’s a discussion for another day).

Like I said, Waititi knew what to do with the budget he was given, and as a result, the film was a gloriously splendid display of beauty and technical innovation. Everything just came together so wonderfully, from the cinematography to the editing, as well as the special effects that set Marvel up as a studio that uses CGI with considerable restraint – it makes sure not to overload their films with special effects, rather using CGI to emphasize the strong performances and solid script, rather than to overshadow any features lacking within. Yet, even in the small nuances of the filmmaking process, Thor: Ragnarok thrives. For example, the music in this film is great. The aforementioned “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin occurs throughout the film, and it fits in so perfectly with the tone of this film. Beyond that, Mark Mothersbaugh, the iconic frontman for Devo, provided music for this film, and the blend of ironic electronica and triumphant superhero energy make the score for this film perhaps not entirely notable in isolation, but perfectly fitting of the tone of the film within context.

Go and see Thor: Ragnarok. It is truly a very special film and certainly one of the better films of the year. It is an energetic, hilarious and entertaining film that features some wonderful performances from its eclectic cast of veterans and newcomers. There are so many reasons I could give for why I love this film, but I truly think that the best justification is that it is simply just a great film, and a wonderfully good time if there ever was one (and I’d suggest that “Good Time” would’ve been a perfect title for this film, had there not already been a film bearing that title this year). Marvel has done it once again, and at this point, I am just in awe as to how, a decade later, they still manage to exceed all possible expectations. Added to that, Taika Waititi got a neat paycheck and worldwide recognition, so there is some justice in this world, as marginal as it may be. Go and watch Thor: Ragnarok, you’ll love it.