I expected to like Thor the most and Captain America the least in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it didn't pan out that way. Thor came across as stilted, and a bit uptight.
Waititi's much-needed humor injection lifts this movie well above its contemporaries in the Marvel superhero universe. The plot is simple, no surprises here, but Hemsworth delivers comedic timing like a pro, and the addition of Blanchett and Thomson alongside returning favorites like Hiddleston an Ruffalo gives everyone something to enjoy.
The secret sauce is the side act Skurge, played by our boy Karl Urban. He really wants to be important, but kinda sucks, so plays 2IC to the goddess of death herself.
Where things go off the chain is the end scenes, which Waititi said he made thematically similar to side-scrolling video games of his youth. It's brilliant, and a wonderful crescendo to an excellent tale.
My wife, who threatens to cut me everytime I say we should watch another superhero movie, watched and enjoyed this. It's not just a superhero movie: it's fun.