Thor: Ragnarok was a completely new direction for the Thor movies and the title character, and luckily, it was a goddamned delight. And now we have even more Ragnarok, by way of some of the movie’s deleted scenes, plus bonus promotional clips and input from the actors.
“My name is Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Ragnarok. Ultimately, this movie is about Thor…Ragnarok. And his journey, to some outerspace places. … Now down to the nitty-gritty. Why did I make this film? For kudos, and followers on Twitter. What I really wanted to do with Thor was capture the essence of Peter Pan, with a little bit of Terminator 2, and a dash of Independence Day, a smidgen of On Golden Pond, with a kind of tone of Beaches, mixed in with My Fair Lady. So, I sort of achieved that.”
Taika’s “director’s intro” is the perfect set-up to be submerged back into the world of Ragnarok. The director’s distinct style and trademark absurdist humor are all over the film. What emerges as you watch the extras here is a) just how much fun the cast seemed to have making this movie and b) everybody loves Chris Hemsworth.
Jeff Goldblum, on Chris Hemsworth: “Cute, cute, cute. He’s cute as Christmas.”
Tom Hiddleston, on Chris Hemsworth: “Chris and I have been on this journey together for seven years. And it’s very different to any relationship I’ve ever had with any other actor. We know each other so well, and I think in a way that enhances everything about that [Thor and Loki’s] relationship. We have a shorthand, and he makes me laugh.”
Cate Blanchett, on Chris Hemsworth: “I’ve never met a more generous performer than Chris. He’s incredible to work with. He holds this whole behemoth together. A lot of us are riding on his shoulders, and what shoulders they are.”
Taika Waititi, on Christ Hemsworth: “He destroys the idea of what audiences expect from him as an actor.”
Anthony Hopkins, on Chris Hemsworth: “He’s got a lot of courage, that guy, because it takes a lot of hard work to build up like that, to play Thor.” [cut to scene of Hemsworth lifting weights, which is just fine.] What’s great about him is he hasn’t been affected by his great stardom and fame.”
Chris Hemsworth, on Chris Hemsworth: “I get pretty bored doing the same thing, and once it feels too familiar or safe, I think it becomes less interesting.”
It’s clear that Ragnarok—a direction for Thor that was neither familiar nor safe—was a direct result of Hemsworth’s insistence that the character not become stale. But if you’re more old school, there’s also a clip here, on Marvel Studios’ “The First Ten Years,” which showcases Thor’s role and evolution in the MCU. You’ll also find deleted scenes like the Grandmaster dealing with some kind of alien bat infestation on Sakaar. Ah, to have been a fly on the wall of this set.
I really love Tessa Thompson’s take on Valkyrie: “I would say that she fights like a boy, except that diminishes the fact that she fights like a really strong woman.” Thompson goes on making ALL of the good points. “We talk so much in Hollywood about representation of women—and we need really strong, stand-up parts for women, but we also need women that are in conflict and are not so great,” she says.
Valkyrie spends much of Ragnarok running from her past, drinking heavily, and working as a “scrapper” of people. She ends up in a heroic place, but her example that not everyone “good” is flawless 100% of the time is important—especially when it comes to female characters. “We need representation all across the board,” Thompson concludes.
More movies like this and Black Panther, Marvel. You’re on a roll.
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