Thor: Ragnarok and Roll!

Oh, but is Thor: Ragnarok a fun time at the movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand and reinvent itself, and one of Marvel honcho’s Kevin Feige’s great talents is reliably choosing the right - and often unexpected - director. With Thor: Ragnarok, he surprised everyone with New Zealand director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), the choice was inspired, because Ragnarok is easily one of the funniest, most enjoyable of Marvel’s offerings, right up there with the Guardians of the Galaxy films.

Waititi lets you know right away this is going to a comedy, with some really deft delivery from Chris Hemsworth. Thor’s never been more enjoyable as a character. His realm of Asgard emperiled by the arrival of a sister he never knew he had – Hela, the Goddess of Death, delighting in sleek villainess mode – Thor finds himself stranded on a distant planet and cast into a gladiator arena where (as we’ve all seen) his surprise opponent is The Hulk! The reunion of these two makes up the most of Ragnarok’s reason for being, and it’s fantastic – and hilarious. In fact, Thor: Ragnarok is really a hysterical buddy-cop movie, with The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) getting more screen time - and more dialogue - than he's ever had before. There's really no explanation why the big guy is so much more verbal than he's been in the past, but Hulk and Thor make a satisfying Odd Couple that generates more laughs than just about any other picture this year. Word has it a very high percentage of the film's dialogue was improvised, which is easy to believe, as the humor always feels surprising and in the moment. In fact, the crowd-pleasing "He's a friend from work!" line came from a child on a Make-A-Wish visit, the day that scene was filmed. How fantastic is that?!

Particularly drool-worthy for comic fans is the film's design, which is massively influenced by the art of the great Jack Kirby. Giant demons, crowns, monsters and space vehicles all have a fantastically surreal and off-kilter otherness that screams Kirby, which only makes Ragnarok that much cooler. And if you need any more evidence of coolness, the movie even features Immigrant Song, by Led Zeppelin, who notoriously almost never license the use of their music.

The supporting cast is huge. I was surprised at the odd, smaller role Karl Urban takes on, as Hela's principle henchman - he's nearly unrecognizable - but he does a terrific job and makes the most of it. A completely unhinged Jeff Goldblum, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston - even voice work by the always amazing Clancy Brown! But two performers must be singled-out: Newcomer Tessa Thompson is charismatic, fierce, and hard-drinkingly hilarious as Valkyrie, an exiled defender of Asgard turned mercenary. She's definitely got the goods and has the wattage to easily hold her own with the likes of Ruffalo and Hemsworth. She'll be going places. And director Waititi nearly steals the picture as a rock-encrusted fellow gladiator, with a far lighter disposition than his appearance suggests. He adds yet another welcome layer of humor to a film that's already threatening to explode with fun antics. Thor: Ragnarok is a welcome and truly satisfying escape from the oppressive chaos of current reality.