It is tempting... so very tempting... to say that Thor: Ragnarok is my favorite film to come out of Marvel Studios. Except... how can it be? Surely my favorite film is the first Avengers movie. Isn't it? I mean, that was the prize. That's what everything had been leading to. Finally, at long last, we had a super-hero team movie that actually worked. That was actually good. And yet... holy crap was Ragnarok amazing. Hilariously funny, but not so farcical that the action beats and serious bits fell flat. Game-changing, but still completely faithful to the source material. Different in feeling and tone from the Marvel we're accustomed to, but still familiar and wholly entertaining. Thor: Ragnarok is the complete package.

There are precious few things about this movie I don't love. A short list, just to name a few things off the top of my head, that I love most...

• Chris Hemsworth's considerable comedic talents on full blast.
• Cate Blanchett as Marvel's best (and most deliciously evil) movie villain yet.
• Jeff Goldblum being the most Jeff Goldblum we've ever seen... or will likely ever see again.
• Loki. Just Loki being Loki.
• Every second Valkyrie is on the screen.
• A smart... so very smart... evolution of The Hulk.
• Idris Elba. Finally being given something worthwhile to do as Heimdall.
• Kirby-inspired amazing visuals.
• Mind-bogglingly awesome special effects.
• Just a really good, funny, highly entertaining story.

I have no idea what the coming Avengers: Infinity War means for Marvel's original character base. Iron Man? Captain America? Thor? will any of them even survive it? If Thor does, they could do a lot worse than to invite back Ragnarok director Taika Waititi (who says he'd love to do another one). Time to update my "Y2K Super-Hero Comic Book Renaissance" scorecard... Ant-Man... A The Avengers... A+ Avengers: Age of Ultron... A Batman Begins... A Batman Dark Knight... A+ Batman Dark Knight Rises... A Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice... D Big Hero Six... A+ Blade... B Blade 2... B Blade Trinity... B- Captain America... A+ Captain America: The Winter Soldier... A+ Captain America: Civil War... A++ Catwoman... F Daredevil... B- Daredevil (Director's Cut)... B+ Deadpool... A Doctor Strange... A Electra Woman and Dyna Girl... B- Elektra... D Fantastic Four (2005)... C Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer... D Fantastic Four (2015)... D+ Guardians of the Galaxy... A+ Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2... A Ghost Rider... C Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance... D Green Hornet... D Green Lantern... C+ Hellboy... A Hellboy 2: Golden Army... A Hulk... C- Incredible Hulk... B The Incredibles... A+ Iron Man... A+ Iron Man 2... A- Iron Man 3... A+ Jonah Hex... F Kick-Ass... B+ Kick-Ass 2... B- Man of Steel... F- Punisher... C+ Punisher War Zone... C Scott Pilgrim vs. The World... C Spider-Man... B+ Spider-Man 2... A Spider-Man 3... D- Amazing Spider-Man... B Amazing Spider-Man 2... B- Spider-Man: Homecoming... A+ Suicide Squad... D Superman Returns... C+ Thor... B+ Thor: The Dark World... B Thor: Ragnarok... A++ Watchmen... B The Wolverine... B Wonder Woman... A X-Men... C X-Men 2: United... D X-Men 3: Last Stand... F- X-Men Origins: Wolverine... D X-Men: First Class... B X-Men: Days of Future Past... B- X-Men: Apocalypse... D+