By: AJ Latimer
Taika Waititi is a name that has attracted a lot of attention after the film Thor: Ragnarok (2017) turned out to be a box office smash. Waititi was able to take the complex storyline that was developed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and add a sense of comedy to the film without losing the magic and excitement of the superheroes and villains. He also managed to do all this without losing any significant plot or characterization that has built up from the past Thor series. Another plus about the latest addition to the Thor series is his efforts to ensure Indigenous representation in such a large, mainstream franchise.
The comedy Waititi adds is not only found in the realm of comic book superheroes, but appears in all of his films. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) is a vampire horror-comedy, where he took the cliché vampire film and turned it into a hilarious watch. His films Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and Boy (2010) are both equal parts hilarious and heartwarming.
What Waititi excels at is realizing what movies are for: escaping. He has managed in each of his films to address heavier topics with a lightness and sense of humour that allows the viewer to forget about their everyday life. Waititi is a director who has managed to balance both depth and accessibility of content. Instead of sacrificing one over the other, he artfully incorporates both aspects, creating great films.
