A fun ride full of humor and action, but lacking a bit with depth. It’s clear from the opening moments that this film will be full of comedy, including some slapstick moments. Not only is the humor more prominent here than in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, but the bright colors and characters also give that franchise a run for its money. While the bulk of the movie is comedy, the action is intense and features some visually stunning sequences. The plot is solid, with good pacing. The threat is persistent, but there’s still time for the characters to breath. The downside is that even though there are a few emotionally heavy moments, they lack any real impact. Traumatic memories, character deaths and more don’t seem to resonate much with the main characters besides a few moments of looking sad. The returning characters are much lighter versions of themselves. Thor is a lovable lug, the Hulk a petulant child and Bruce Banner a neurotic nerd. While most of the new characters are just colorful caricatures, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is the most fleshed-out. The villain Hela has an intriguing backstory that adds a lot to the franchise, they don’t dwell on that much as they could’ve, and she’s just more of an unstoppable force. Despite that, she’s quickly shown to be dangerous enough that she becomes a fairly strong villain.
***1/2 out of *****