Ragnarok released on Blu-ray on November 18 from Magnet Releasing.
Gåten Ragnarok is a combination of creature feature and family adventure which comes to us from Norway. It has been renamed Ragnarok for US release, though that title does it no favors (more on that later). The film concerns an archaeologist named Sigurd, who along with his colleagues and a guide treks to the remote northern tip of Norway in the region of Finnmark, in search of answers to some Viking runes. Also along for the adventure are his two precocious kids, Ragnhild and Brage. The runes that Sigurd and his partner Allan have decrypted depict the image of a large serpent and make reference to Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse.
Ragnarok screened at Fantastic Fest 2013, where my colleague David Delgado caught it and appreciated it as a straight-forward return to adventure filmmaking.
The film has been heavily marketed as a Spielberg-like adventure, and that comparison is more than apt. In fact, they almost had to publicize that angle, as it’s so strong that had it not been addressed, one might accuse the filmmakers of ripping the world’s most beloved director wholesale. Besides the archeological adventure angle that’s reminiscent of one Dr. Henry Jones Jr., the film borrows quite liberally from both Jurassic Park and The Lost World.
Based on these comparisons, I enlisted my good friend, film academic, and Spielberg fan Joshua Wille to watch the film with me and offer his thoughts as well. On discussing it afterward, it seems we independently arrived at more or less the same conclusions.
Once Sigurd’s group reaches their destination, they make several exciting discoveries, but their joy is short-lived when they uncover the most dangerous secret of all: the nest of a giant, ancient serpent which stalks and eventually attacks them. This, if you were wondering, is where those Jurassic Park references come in. The kitchen scene? Definitely echoed here. Stolen dino-baby? Check. There’s even a callback to the trailer being pulled over the cliff.
Imitation, as they say, is the sincerest form of flattery, and if you can look past — or even appreciate — the sincere pilfering that’s going on, there’s certainly a fun family adventure to appreciate here. Sigurd is a likable protagonist, and his troubles being taken seriously as an archaeologist at the beginning of the film provide motivation for him to succeed, and for the audience to root for him. By now you may have also put together that his name references the legendary Sigurd The Dragon Slayer.
His kids are very similar to Jurassic Park’s Timmy and Lex, a young boy and his older sister. Though traveling with their Dad, they exhibit the same need for an adult role model, only in their case it’s their desire for a mother. The widowed Sigurd is married to his work, but that doesn’t stop the kids from latching onto his colleague, Elisabeth.
My main criticism of Ragnarok is that It all feels kind of safe and lightweight. It could really use some of the carnage of the films that it’s so clearly aping. For example, I wish the group had started out with a larger number of people. In a story like this you kind of need some expendable characters to serve as creature fodder. I realize this is probably in service to a more family-oriented audience, but it does hurt the overall experience.
The film does end in a rather abrupt fashion which doesn’t feel quite right. Those who survive make their escape and there it ends, failing to address what felt like important setup. Sigurd’s struggles as an archaeologist and vocal detractors demanded a more direct response. The film could have used an “afterword” to settle the lingering conflict. Hey, this guy was right all along and you jerks all have egg on your face now! The end!
The title Ragnarok is an over-inflated name which ultimately isn’t really reflected in the film, failing to be about anything resembling the Norse Apocalypse. Sure, a big scary snake is bad news, but it’s hardly the end of the world. Josh mentioned that this could have been fixed with a quick ending scene in which we see a large number of eggs hatching, or something to that effect. The film’s original title Gåten Ragnarok means something more along the lines of “The Riddle of Ragnarok”, which makes far more sense and probably should’ve been more accurately reflected in translation.
I fear that in highlighting some of these criticisms of the film, I may be giving the false impression that I disliked it. I’m just trying to be honest about its faults, but the fact is I enjoyed it, and I also recognize this as the sort of movie we probably need more of. The CGI and creature effects are pretty decent, and there’s plenty of good, scary moments — a nice mix of jump scares and a deeper sense of dread.
The Package
Magnet releasing brings Ragnarok to Blu-Ray in a well-put-together edition. The movie is presented in the original Norwegian as well as an English dub for the kiddies. English and Spanish subtitles are provided. The attractive packaging includes a metallic, embossed slipcase.
The English dub tries but comes off as corny, and the lip-synching isn’t that great. It’s fine for family viewing but that’s about it. Don’t watch it this way unless you have to; the original dialogue has much richer performances.
The film is rated PG-13 for some scary action. Don’t take that rating too seriously where kids are concerned; it really is purely for the scare factor and there’s nothing objectionable, even in terms of the violence which takes place pretty much entirely off-screen. It’s good, clean, family fun.
Just one note on image quality; in some of the darker scenes (a good part of the film takes place underground), there is noticeable banding in the lighting. Other than that, it looks great.
Special Features and Extras
Ragnarok: The Visual Effects (4:28)
This effects reel showcases several scenes, revealing the many layers of modeling, rendering, textures, shaders and highlights, particle effects such as smoke and water, compositing, color correction, etc, applied to various shots. No narration or explanation is included, just visual summaries of the sequence of creation.
Theatrical Trailer (1:33)
Previews (8:27)
The disc includes trailers for several Magnet titles, Honeymoon, The Protector 2, Journey To The West, and Europa Report. The trailers are followed by ads for Chideo and Axs TV.
A/V Out.
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Ragnarok [Blu-Ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]