Thunder struck

The term "franchise fatigue" has been thrown around this past year after a Summer filled with countless sequels that moviegoers alike were sort of tired of seeing basically the same thing i.e. Transformers: The Last Knight. Perhaps Marvel Studios thought ahead when they made all these superhero films where each entry follows the same story-line thread while telling their own course of events. Thor's appearance in the MCU (marvel cinematic universe) wasn't a big surprise since he was expected to join the other heroes in their eventual team up in The Avengers. While his solo outings were good fun, I couldn't help but feel like his films are only there to cater to a much larger plot that we'll see come to fruition in next year's Avengers: Infinity War. Just like the previous films, Thor: Ragnarok serves to clarify certain plot holes in the MCU as well as being a lead-in for the next Avengers film; the good news is that it also happens to be the best Thor film to date. If the near 10 years of plot events have thrown you into confusion and you're not sure where Thor's latest escapade takes place, allow yours truly to bring you up to speed. Ragnarok takes place approximately two years after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the last time we saw Thor (Chris Hemsworth) team up with his fellow heroes. Notably absent in last year's Captain America: Civil War, many fans were perplexed where the God of Thunder was. It turns out Thor has been busy searching the cosmos for the remaining Infinity Stones but to no success. In his search, he is caught and imprisoned by the fire

demon Surtur (Clancy Brown), where he learns that his father Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is no longer in Asgard, and that the cataclysmic event Ragnarok has been prophesied which will soon bring an end to the realm. Shortly after bringing a swift defeat to Surtur, Thor returns to Asgard where he finds Loki (Tom Hiddleston) not only alive but impersonating as his father in disguise. Thor obliges Loki to help him look for their father who was sent to Earth, specifically Norway. There, Odin informs Thor that he has an older sister named Hela (Cate Blanchett) whom once helped him conquer the 9 realms but was forced to imprison her when she became too violently ambitious and evil. Upon his passing, Hela appears and confronts Thor and Loki 

My sister's keeper

where the two immediately realize the threat she poses not only to Asgard but to the other realms. It's a bit ironic that the film's subtitle Ragnarok means the end and rebirth according to Norse mythology; Thor's third solo film serves as an excellent end to the hero's trilogy while also ​being an exciting starting point for any possible future entries; the sad part being it took three movies to finally get the perfect balance of scale, action, humor and character growth. It was great seeing two of Marvel's strongest superheroes team up and delivering some of the most visually dazzlingly and intense battles on film. Where else are you going to see Thor go full throttle lobbing lightning at some baddies to the beat of Led Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song"? Or the Hulk going toe-to-toe with a giant wolf? Yeah, this is definitely a comic book film no doubt. On a different note, Cate Blanchett is exquisitely fun to watch as Hela and is one of the more intimidating villains in Marvel's films. Hemsworth and the rest of the supporting characters put in some entertaining performances as well, especially Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster who you love to hate but can't wait to hear what he'll say next. In conclusion, Thor: Ragnarok is one of Marvel's finest films and it closes out Thor's story, albeit imperfectly but still entertaining nonetheless, literally going out with a bang (you'll see why). As our God of Thunder now enters new territory, I am now, more than ever, excited to see what's in store for him next.