Thor Ragnarok and the use of Musical Themes
Marvel has been criticised for its poor direction in terms of music, copying films that have come before without carving much of an identity on its own.
There’s an excellent video that breaks down why this has happened and I have to agree that Marvel is definitely lacking it’s own “Imperial March” or similar. But that isn’t to say the themes aren’t there, they’re just not memorable to the average viewer.
I listen to these film scores a lot, to the point where I can easily recognise a musical cue, what film it came from and sometimes the scene it came from as well. The Alan Silvestri music between Captain America and the Avengers is the only one I struggle with.
My own criticism wasn’t ever really about the themes themselves, it was the fact they don’t get utilised properly in later films. Both Avengers movies have had the opportunity to mix and match the themes and musical styles of the individual characters, but this hasn’t really happened.
The only noticeable re-use of a theme was in Age of Ultron during the Iron Man - Hulk fight where we get a short snippet of the theme from Iron Man 3. This comes in at the moment Tony tells everyone to “stand down”.
When I saw Thor Ragnarok, however, I was delighted by the re-use of themes and musical styles from Marvel-movies-past. It was only on my 3rd watch through that I noticed just how many. So here they are, the music themes in Thor Ragnarok.
*Warning — Spoilers from this point on.*
The Dark World theme during Loki’s play
One of the film’s funniest moments is when Thor arrives back at Asgard to find Odin watching a play about the fall of Loki. Cameos and comedy abound, it was an incredible scene, made better by the fact that the choir starts to sing the Dark World theme when actor-Loki dies.
Doctor Strange’s Harpsichord
Thanks to the interesting choices made for Doctor Strange, Michael Giacchino has probably composed some of the most recognisable music that Marvel has had to-date.
When Loki disappears through a portal and a small calling card is left behind, the harpsichord kicks-in to tell us that Doctor Strange is about to make his entrance. This one isn’t so much about a theme but a style that is already closely attached to a single character. I really hope that the Marvel composers can keep that going.
Sun’s Gettin’ Real Low
Thor has just walloped Hulk with a big hammer and Hulk’s looking a little dazed. Thor believes he can calm the beast down, just as Black Widow did in Age of Ultron.
The music played then and there, perfectly mirrors the original “Sun’s gettin’ real low” scene. And for a few moments everything becomes calm and we briefly believe that maybe, just maybe, Thor can bring Banner back. Of course, it doesn’t quite happen that way…
Classic Thor theme during the coronation
Thor has taken his place as King to the surviving Asgardians. As they float through space the music builds in momentum, bringing back the original theme from Thor 1. It’s a sweet moment and I don’t think I even picked up on it first time around.
From privileged prince to King of the Asgardian refugees, Thor has grown and changed a lot since we last heard that music in Thor 1.
Bonus: Is that you Thanos?
The mid-credits sequence reveals an enormous ship that arrives with a musical cue. It’s too early to know for sure but it could be a hint of Thanos’s theme. We know it’s his ship (already confirmed by Dir. Taika Waititi) so it’s certainly possible.
Did I miss any? Please let me know in the comment below and I’ll be happy to update this article.
