Watched on Disney +

Given the sheer number of Marvel comic book films since "Iron Man", if you wanted to keep track of which characters appeared where, it would probably fill half an encyclopaedia. Fortunately, for the third near-solo appearance for the hammer-wielding god of thunder in "Thor: Ragnarok", director Taika Waititi realised that the story should work even without detailed prior knowledge. That he also decided to tell an action-comedy is the biggest stroke of luck of all.

However, that does not mean that what happens is not to be taken seriously. More than almost any other film in the Marvel universe, "Thor: Ragnarok" dares to permanently alter established characters - or worse, though even death in these films need not mean that characters cannot return. Set two years after the events of Marvel's "The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron", Thor, son of Odin, realises that his home Asgard is in grave danger. Ragnarok, doom, looms unless he succeeds in averting the inevitable. The trigger is none other than Hela, the goddess of death, who gains the upper hand in the first confrontation between her, Thor and his half-brother Loki. Without his hammer Mjölnir, Thor is stranded on the planet Sakaar, where he is to face the Hulk in a gladiatorial combat if he wants to be set free.

At first blush, this sounds far less bloated than the stories of the other Marvel films before it, and so it is. "Thor: Ragnarok" is told in a straightforward manner and surprisingly rarely jumps back and forth between the narrative thread about Hela on Asgard and Thor and the Hulk on Sakaar. That my interest is nevertheless held is largely due to the often rather black humour. In particular, the brief appearance of another Marvel hero is one of the highlights of the film and probably the funniest moment in the entire MCU. Some scenes do take a little longer than they should and overall the film is about 15 minutes too long - though never boring - but director Waititi manages to strike a great balance between light-hearted and serious moments. Thanks to this balance, the third Thor adventure also seems fresher than "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", although both have in common that they hardly take place on Earth or in familiar settings.

The lightly told story also doesn't give the impression that it's mainly setting up the next Avengers entry. Rather, the focus is on Thor and his personal development. To this end, the script delves deeper into the backstory of Asgard and its inhabitants than was the case in the previous Thor films. For this, a certain prior knowledge is helpful, but not absolutely necessary to be able to understand many points. At the same time, however, "Thor: Ragnarok" retains a comic-book flair in many images and scenes, as if the settings were put together in the style of classic cartoon art, in which influences of the Norse origins of the characters are also reflected. Visually, this is not only worth seeing, but especially towards the finale it is consistently realised as a visually powerful spectacle. The contrast to the gaudy neon colours on Sakaar and an almost 1970s-influenced soundtrack could hardly be greater - but the balancing act succeeds surprisingly well.

The third part of the Thor series not only has its own signature, it is almost as if the character is reinvented here in certain parts. The fact that director Taika Waititi not only found the best possible way to tell the story, but also made it entertaining and light-hearted, is a real surprise.