Thunderbolts* – Movie Review
First Reaction – Thunderbolts* is one of the best Marvel movies in years.
Director: Jake Schreier
Writer: Jake Schreier, Joanna Calo (Screenplay)
Cast
- Florence Pugh (Midsommar)
- Lewis Pullman (Outer Range)
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Sebastian Stan (Captain American Brave new World)
- Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp)
- David Harbour (A Working Man)
Plot: After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Runtime: 2 Hours 6 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Thunderbolts* starts when Yelena Belova (Pugh) questions her work for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Louis-Dreyfus). She requests a chance to leave the mercenary clean up work behind and her offer has an unexpected series of consequences. Yelena is betrayed and teams up with her father Alexei (Harbour), John Walker (Russell) and Ava Starr (John-Kamen).
The rag-tag team of mercenaries’ plan to take down Valentina and her new deadly weapon, Robert Reynolds (Pullman). However, the power unleashed causing bigger problems and the unlikely heroes Aline with Bucky (Stan) to save New York City.
Verdict on Thunderbolts*
Recap
The movie follows a team of mercenaries searching for a path for forgiveness. They know they have done wrong in the past and are looking to make amends. However, it is their former boss who causes the biggest problem for them.
Best Parts
The movie has plenty of positives, with the returning fallen characters getting their chance at redemption. We have seen this idea before with Loki and in DC with the Suicide Squad. They have something to prove and a new view of the world. When it comes to the threat, it takes us into a different zone too, with it tackles mental health and understanding the good and the bad days. While it shows the extremes, it is important to understand those feelings. Elsewhere, the lack of wild over-the-top action sequences helps things out, keeping things feeling more contained. Meanwhile, the effects for the biggest threat feel more like a horror movie and are a chilling threat to the world.
Worst Parts
The main glaring weakness comes from a typical place. We haven’t seen Valentina much before, more on the outside, and suddenly she has a role of power. The same goes for John Walker, where we only learn a bit about him from the recaps.
Final Thoughts –Thunderbolts* is one of the best and most grounded movies in Marvel history.