Is “Ragnarok” Thor’s biggest film?

EEOne of the more common critical swipes at Marvel Studios’ Thor franchise has been that despite the comic chops of its stars, the tone has been as weighty as the superhero’s hammer, if not his goldtress extensions.

In “Thor: Ragnarok” (opening Nov. 3), the third film in the Asgard series, Disney/Marvel’s mythlaced muscleman sheds his long locks, and with them, it seems, the pseudoShakespearean gravity of the cinematic proceedings.

Because fresh director Taika Waititi has lightened the mood, “Ragnarok” is the best-received Thor film so far among critics. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) again suit up, aided and abetted by the humor of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hera (Cate Blanchett) and Grandmaster (a wry, campy Jeff Goldblum).

Both previous films, 2011’s “Thor” (score: 57) and 2013’s “Thor: The Dark World” (54), received middling aggregate marks from Metacritic. “Ragnarok,” on the other hand, has a next-level 74 as of Monday, based on 17 reviews. (“Ragnarok” also has a 98 percent “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, far above “Thor’s” 77 and “Dark World’s” 66.) “Ragnarok’s” scores could dip a bit as more reviews arrive, but the trend should hold to form.

The challenge for critics, it seems, is how best to describe the franchise’s fun-loving new vibe.

“Daft as a badger sandwich and twice as funny,” writes Empire’s James Dyer — who, like Total Film’s Kevin Harley, tabs this the Marvel cinematic universe’s most humorous film yet.

“A goofy, kitschy-butfun romp,” says IGN’s Jim Vejvoda.