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With the future of Asgard hanging in the balance, the mighty Hela (Cate Blanchett) at the throne and hungry for more power, Thor and Loki (Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston) find themselves trapped on a planet on the outskirts of civility. Forced into a gladiator style battle against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor will have to rely on his own inner strength, not just his hammer, to set things straight, but what if he’s already too late? Directed by known comedic force Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shaddows, Eagle vs. Shark) the tone and timbre of this latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe speaks in an irreverent manner from the get go, having fun with the franchise and disarming many hostilities and doubts within the first 2 minutes. Loaded with cameo appearances including Jeff Goldblum and Benedict Cumberbatch this intergalactic romp stops at nothing shy of entertaining despite its otherwise ordinary trajectory sitting nicely within the franchise especially as the opener to the holiday film season. Thor: Ragnarok brings the levity in heavy and makes for an easy watch totally worthy of your dollar and time. Thor: Ragnarok is rated PG-13.

Separated by 50 years a young boy from the midwest (Oakes Fegley) finds his way to New York much like a young girl named Rose (Millicent Simmonds/Julianne Moore), both in search of love, understanding, and feeling like they belong, the two in fact have more in common than expected. Written by Brian Selznick and directed by Todd Haynes this cross generational tale of wanderlust and search for one’s soul and family puts forward some of the strongest art direction and production design for 2017 but comes up shy in delivery from the ensemble. A number of questionable edits throughout also raises debate over which screen this film is truly designed for, the theatre or the home? The film’s overall slower pace may also be a bit much for audiences expecting something with a bit more wonder to strike. Perhaps best considered a rental later, Wonderstruck is rated PG.