In the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s frisky new installment, “Thor: Ragnarok,” the Norse thunder god gets his ego punctured with the sharpest jolt of humor the franchise has ever seen.
Thor, though always played with rakish charm by Chris Hemsworth, has always been a problematic figure in Marvel’s cavalcade of superheroes. He’s one of the few Marvel figures who are not from Earth, and his epic quests through Asgard feel a bit like Tolkien sagas with beefier characters.
New Zealand director Taika Waititi, maker of the indie comedies “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” has kicked the stuffiness out of Thor, sending him on an interstellar adventure loaded with fast-paced action, eye-popping effects and heaps of sly humor.