As has become a custom, I often view a superhero movie the day of its release at the local Alamo Draft House. Surrounded by Thor-related merchandise in the theater lobby and tasty cocktails and bottomless popcorn in the theater, I was in geek heaven as I laughed and laughed some more during Thor Ragnarok.

Add it to list of the seemingly endless amount of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) gems.

What Made This Movie So Good

I really enjoyed this movie in a way that I hadn’t enjoyed a superhero film since Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy before it. Like each of those movies, the director Taika Waititi fully embraced his wacky, zany vision, similar to what Ryan Reynolds did for Deadpool and James Gunn did for Guardians.

Don’t let the Marvel scroll at the beginning of the film fool you, this is a comedy first, and a comic book movie second. And that is a great thing in this case.

Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum

To no one’s surprise, Jeff Goldblum’s wacky “interpretation” of the Grandmaster appropriately reflects the insanity that is this movie. And to be honest, it isn’t really an interpretation of the aforementioned comic book character. Goldblum simply went full Jeff Goldblum. And that is never a bad thing! If you have any questions, go re-watch The Fly remake, Jurassic Park or simply read his Twitter feed.

Chris Hemsworth The Comedian

Taking a chapter from his funny performance in the Ghostbusters remake, Chris Hemsworth‘s evolution to a wittier, funnier Thor from the more regal and stoic Thor in the previous Avengers and Thor films is a welcome shift. His comic timing is excellent, and Marvel may be onto something in terms of how his character could be portrayed going forward.

Tessa Thompson

I really liked Tessa Thompson‘s performance in Ryan Coogler‘s (not-so-coincidentally the helmer of Black Panther) Creed. Her career continues to ascend with her performance here as the heavy-drinking, hard punching Valkyrie. She packs a wallop, adding a dose of seriousness to an otherwise hysterical setting. But don’t get it twisted, her comic timing is on point as well.

The Cameos

There are two notable ones. And there is one that only a true movie geek would notice.

Talking Hulk

I’ll let Bruce Banner, ahem The Hulk, speak for himself.