‘Thunderbolts*’ - Review
Our Summer movie blockbuster season has arrived, and what better way to kick things off with yet another addition to the decade spanning Marvel cinematic universe – Thunderbolts*. Director of surprise Netflix hit Beef, Jake Schreier helms this new Marvel team-up of loner misfit mercenaries and assassins coming together to tackle a villain stronger than even Thanos himself, depression, and the dreadful feeling of a lack of purpose. Leading the group, is new reoccurring MCU character Yelena, played by Florence Pugh who anchors as the emotional core for the film. Supporting her comes other reoccurring universe characters such as Bucky (Sebastian Stan), John Walker (Wyatt Russel), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
I came to Thunderbolts* a bit weary. Not just because Marvel movies have been on a bit of a down streak quality-wise recently, but as someone who still follows along to this long line of movie installments, I wasn’t really interested or excited to see what these characters have been up to. Perhaps its because of how large the MCU is now, and that these characters are much more sporadicly seen, or maybe because the lack of a more natural build up compared to Marvel’s first team up, The Avengers. It’s also important to mention that a majority of these characters came from Marvels streaming hub Disney+ and not on the big screen. Yelena, Valentina, and Red Guardian were introduced in 2021’s, Black Widow. Which due to Covid was dropped on the streamer the same day it released in theaters and the movie quickly became a forgotten piece in this long running MCU series. Wyatt Russel’s character was also a integral character in the Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ show, playing as a government assigned Captain America who goes over the edge and eventually has to be stopped by the titular heroes. Unlike Marvel’s previous attempt’s of a build up to a superhero team up movie, I can’t say I really cared for any of these characters. Even an actress of critical acclaim such as Florence Pugh can get lost in this Marvel formula of simple quippy one liners and low stake characterization. Thankfully, rest assured, Thunderbolts has changed all of that.
First and foremost this is a movie bluntly about mental health, and the people that prey upon those that are sick. Characters navigating through life seemingly without purpose and finding each other to take on a common enemy. Florence Pugh’s character, Yelena is given a majority of the screen time and is fleshed out completely in this movie. We really get a sense of who she is and the inner trauma she carries. She’s not entirely sure why she does the things she is asked of by her boss Valentina, and feels she lacks of purpose. This movie is in no way subtle of themes for depression and grief, but I must say, a Marvel movie simply going there shows growth in a franchise that I thought was incapable to this point. Pugh’s character becomes front and center, ultimately stealing the movie and left me wanting a bit more from the other characters on the team. This is of course just a classic Marvel conundrum. Where we must have a team up movie because of previous build up or future installments, but we also still want the movie to be about something larger character wise. It becomes a deluded mix of set up for the future, characterization and story. There’s a movie in here where Yelena alone triumphs over her trauma and breaks free of all of Valentinas bidding, but the MCU of it all demands the ensemble. And for the most part it kinda lands, even if Ghost and Bucky almost feel like after thoughts in terms of the larger main idea of the story.
Thunderbolts may feel heavy handed with its themes and over filled with characters but if this is a new status quo for the typical Marvel movie, I’d say we’re heading in the right direction. Other components such as shot composition and score are also great additions that feel like they’ve been missing in super hero films of recent. And a slew of great effects work that for the first time in awhile made me feel I was watching a Marvel movie that wasn’t hastily put together seconds before release. Not exactly ready to put my guard down on these movies but I do feel excitingly pulled back in.
