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AFTER the dreary Dark World, Marvel’s hairiest superhero makes a thunderous comeback in this bright and very breezy action comedy.

Indie director Taika Waititi may have seemed an odd choice for Chris Hemsworth’s third solo movie and the 17th instalment in Marvel’s ever-expanding “Cinematic Universe”.

But it turns out the man behind low budget Kiwi comedy Hunt For The Wilderpeople (my favourite film of 2016), is the comic book giant’s most inspired signing.

Clearly, if you’re making a film about a flaxen-haired, hammerwielding god from outer space, there is no point trying to keep a straight face. And it’s Waititi’s love of the ridiculous that makes this one of the most entertaining Marvel movies to date.

After a slapstick pre-credit sequence, we’re off to Asgard for more family drama. It turns out Thor’s treacherous adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has faked his own death, entranced dad Odin (Anthony Hopkins) with a dementia spell and packed him off to an old people’s home in New York.

But a soap opera revelation throws a spanner in the works – it turns out the Odinson brothers have a long lost and previously unmentioned sister.

Hela is one helluva piece of work. Played by Cate Blanchett in a figure-hugging black onesie, the Goddess of Death marks her arrival by cruelly crushing Thor’s magic hammer and outlining a JOY: Garfield and Foy fuzzy plan to take over the galaxy. She may not be the franchise’s most interesting villain but Blanchett still gives her all with an enjoyably campy turn.

As this is a Marvel movie, we know it will all end with a big showdown and a desperate scramble for a mystical wotsit.

Waititi can’t break with the formula entirely, but he takes us on some very interesting detours.

After Thor and Loki are tipped through a space portal, they find themselves on the junkyard planet of Sakaar which is ruled by the Grandmaster – a kind of intergalactic Simon Cowell played by Jeff Goldblum in a gold lamé dressing gown.

Unaware of the glories of Asgard (he pronounces it Ass-gard), he enslaves Thor and forces him to take part in a gladiatorial duel with the Hulk.

Goldblum’s schtick delivers some big laughs, but there is also some witty banter between Thor and his green rival.

There’s also room for Tessa Thompson to show off her action credentials with a bone-crunching debut as Valkyrie. Hopefully, we’ll see more of her in future. THE WEEK AFTER: Paddington 2.

GREEN MONSTER: Thor battles the Hulk. Inset, Hemsworth as a bloodied but unbowed Thor THOR: RAGNAROK (12A) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (15) HE made his name as one half of film-making double act Merchant Ivory but he could soon be better known as a record-breaker.I wouldn’t be surprised if James Ivory, the 89-year-old screenwriter of this stylish comingof-age drama, beats Christopher Plummer’s record as the oldest-ever Oscar winner.If you remember Room With A View, Remains Of The Day or the other films he made with Ismail Merchant, you’ll know what to expectThis adaptation of the Andre Aciman novel takes us to the long summer of 1983 and a country house “somewhere in northern Italy”.It is the home of Professor Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent American archaeologist who does very little digging over the film’s 132

how to use the equipment and busts him out.With the help of their engineering friend Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin’s life, and ultimately that of all seriously disabled people, is transformed.Producer Jonathan Cavendish (Robin’s son) has made a worthy tribute to his parents.

Kenneth Branagh turns detective in a stylish adaptation of Agatha Christie’s . Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench and Michelle Pfeiffer head up an all-star cast. Brace yourself for hard stares when thieves make off with a bear’s pop-up book in Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant join the cast.