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Reviews
Ragnarok (2020)
Good enough
Not the best series I've ever seen and functionally different than the mythology, it is an interesting enough adaptation to modern day. The women and men are as pretty as the scenery. The lead looks like a typical dumb jock (usually called Moose) though the mother goes to great lengths to treat him as a crippled rambunctious teen and is antagonistic to him all through the first season and beyond. Loki gets a bit more to do in S2. And for those homophobes who claim that their gender fluidity is tacked on, the myths specifically refer to their lifetimes living as a female. Odin even condemns them for this aspect of their nature. Neither believe that the evil capitalists are some kind of socialist plot to destroy the ideals of capitalism (economics always outweigh social concerns. Ibsen wrote about this issue in An Enemy of the People (in 1882) with a contaminated water supply and the person publicizing it outcast from his community). Not a new concept or condemnation. The Giants have all the power, but accept no responsibility (Like the GOP in America, except they are just evil). The stupidity of this is that if they poison all the townspeople, who will do the work in the factories? SPOILER: The tapeworm (World Serpent aka Jormungandr) birth by Loki (who was its father in the old lore), was the best of adapting the myth to the modern day and didn't have to resort to the Alien being springing forth from Ripley's stomach (as genius as that sequence was). The score was better in season 1 and a missed opportunity in S2. I hadn't realized Norse mythos is as misogynistic as any of the old religions. SPOILERS: I was really enjoying Isolde and wished they could have kept her alive in more than spirit. I could see her as a valued team member in the coming great war. Same for naturally beautiful Gry, but only if S3 gets made. Saxa is perhaps the most interesting character even with her Barbi Doll looks and the actress elevates the role to be believable as an ancient and a modern woman. Her brother shifts character too quickly especially as they manipulate his story in S2, but he is rather pretty and makes me feels like an old troll (Giant dad is also easy on the eyes). The scenery itself is a major character, but the cinematography filters the colors to make it seem unnatural. Skin tones especially unflattering. Maybe it's part of displaying the damages to the environment as the city is experiencing major shifts to weather patterns. Overall the writing seems unfocussed and in need of a plot outline to make it seems like there is a plan. The actors are trying to make sense of what their given. Granted there is heated debate about the mythos/lore, so its harder to adapt a canon that's not agreed upon. Not like there's a comic book to refer back to. I would appreciate an old-timer with a bit more information to share with Thor. The giants have been alive for 1000 years and so they know what's going down, but no advisor or folklorist to assist the Thor character. At first seemed Isolde or her dad would be taking on that function, but she got killed off and he's as dumb as the rest of the townies and remains as a love interest for Turid (the useless mother of Thor and Loki). Teen angst with a smattering of Fantasy is what this is. There doesn't need to be more action sequences, but there does need character growth that isn't just flipping to a new characterization every couple of scenes. Good enough to be watchable, but plodding and confusing.