Movie review: "Thor: Ragnarok" is not just for serious Marvel fans By Hellen Popa, Sun Sentinel, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.14.17 Word Count 480 Level 1160L After a four-year hiatus, the Marvel series Thor comes back to theaters with a comedic twist and a 3-D experience. Photo by: Walt Disney Studio Spoiler alert: This movie review contains spoilers about the plot of "Thor: Ragnarok." After a four-year gap, the Marvel series Thor is back and in 3D. The comic-book movie franchise has hit theaters again with the anticipated film Thor: Ragnarok. This new one has a comedic twist that is distinct in the series, which has kept a somewhat serious tone, and there are even some members of The Avengers who make an appearance. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
A "Thord" Outing Returning to home planet Asgard after defeating a fire-spewing monster, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) encounters his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who he thought was dead. In the previous movie, Thor: The Dark World, Loki disguised himself as their father to hide his existence from Thor. The pair retreat to Earth to find their father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), only to stumble across another Marvel character, Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who tells them Odin is in Norway. Once found, Odin unveils a long-held secret he has a daughter, Hela (Cate Blanchett, Manifesto ), also known as the goddess of death." Her escape from captivity will prompt Ragnarok, which is known as a prophesied end of days event. Sure enough, Hela appears and she battles her brothers inside a portal stretched across the cosmos, headed for Asgard. Hela knocks Thor and Loki off their course, leaving them stranded on a scrap-yard-style planet. Thor must find a way off the planet in time to defeat Hela and save Asgard, but he needs to escape the grasp of the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park ). He captures warriors and forces them to fight in an arena-style match to the death. Loki isn't called the the god of mischief for nothing, he has some mischievous plans laid out for himself that end up affecting Thor s mission. Four Out Of Five Stars The movie deserves four out of five stars. There is a balance of comedy and serious battle scenes, though some of the jokes are cheesy. The film takes a light-hearted approach compared with the typical dark tone of the comic books. This allows the series to open up to a whole new group of movie watchers, those who aren t necessarily avid superhero fans to begin with. For a Marvel Universe newcomer, some references, primarily referring to The Avengers films, might fly by without significance. The movie makes up for this by introducing a cast of new characters. A new director for the series, Taika Waititi, showcases the new direction the Marvel franchise is headed in: comedy filled, action-packed superhero movies. Though this new direction might be upsetting for hardcore comic book readers, the film stays true to its roots by delivering fans their Thor vs. Loki feud, and their epic battle scenes raise the stakes. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Thor: Ragnarok provides a refreshing and well-needed introduction to a new era of hero movies. Hellen Popa is a teen correspondent for the Sun Sentinel. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Read the following sentences from the article. 1. This new one has a comedic twist that is distinct in the series, which has kept a somewhat serious tone, and there are even some members of The Avengers who make an appearance. 2. In the previous movie, Thor: The Dark World, Loki disguised himself as their father to hide his existence from Thor. 3. For a Marvel Universe newcomer, some references, primarily referring to The Avengers films, might fly by without significance. 4. A new director for the series, Taika Waititi, showcases the new direction the Marvel franchise is headed in: comedy filled, actionpacked superhero movies. Which two sentences, taken together, provide the BEST evidence to support the idea that "Thor: Ragnarok" is unique from other superhero movies? (A) 1 and 2 (B) 3 and 4 (C) 1 and 4 (D) 2 and 3 2 According to the article, the film combines intense fighting from the original comic books with more lighthearted elements. Which paragraph in "Four Out Of Five Stars" BEST supports the conclusion above? This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
3 Which sentence from the article introduces a point of view that OPPOSES the author's point of view? (A) (B) (C) (D) This new one has a comedic twist that is distinct in the series, which has kept a somewhat serious tone, and there are even some members of The Avengers who make an appearance. The film takes a lighthearted approach compared with the typical dark tone of the comic books. For a Marvel Universe newcomer, some references, primarily referring to The Avengers films, might fly by without significance. Though this new direction might be upsetting for hard-core comic book readers, the film stays true to its roots by delivering fans their Thor vs. Loki feud, and their epic battle scenes raise the stakes. 4 Read the paragraph from the section "Four Out Of Five Stars." A new director for the series, Taika Waititi, showcases the new direction the Marvel franchise is headed in: comedy filled, action-packed superhero movies. WHY does the author include this paragraph? (A) (B) (C) (D) to explain how "Thor: Ragnarok" is part of a larger trend to introduce an important figure in superhero movies to compare "Thor: Ragnarok" to other new movies to describe the defining characteristics of Marvel comic movies This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5