THUNDERBOLTS* is the latest entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and while I did find it entertaining enough, I can’t say I am as excited about the film as many of my colleagues. Maybe I am still in a state of MCU fatigue, but outside of the stellar lead performance from Florence Pugh, I found the film to be pretty mediocre. It isn’t bad, it isn’t excellent… it’s just… fine. That makes a review hard to write because there isn’t anything horribly wrong. There are some slow moments, some exciting moments, and some moments that will tug at your heartstrings. But overall, I can’t imagine it will be a movie that I re-watch or recommend others prioritize.
The film opens on a weary and depressed Yelena (Florence Pugh), still reeling from the death of her sister, Black Widow. In voiceovers, its clear Yelena is just going through the motions of her latest operation, which includes infiltrating and destroying a laboratory on behalf of beleaguered CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Valentina is trying to cover her tracks as the threat of impeachment lingers, instigated by newly-minted congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The final step in her plan is to get rid of the loose ends that may be used as evidence against her. This means those who have helped her succeed throughout the years—people like Yelena, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko).
But little does Valentina know, the group of misfits are smarter than they look and realize it’s best for them to work together. That fact is even more apparent when a former test subject named Bob (Lewis Pullman) shows Valentina’s previous work on genetically-engineered humans may have actually paid off. A combination of Superman, Homelander (The Boys), and Sadness (Inside Out), Bob AKA “Sentry” quickly becomes a force to be reckoned with… and I will let you take one guess on who will be the ones to stop him.
The film certainly has heartfelt moments and great action scenes, which are the staples of any decent Marvel movie. But some of the in-between moments felt slow and dragged on. I know the Thunderbolts team is supposed to feel like a ragtag, dime store version of The Avengers. But that sentiment doesn’t really encourage you to root for them to win in the end. Throwing Bucky into the mix at random moments also felt like more of a spectacle than it was a necessary component in the story.
The real standout of THUNDERBOLTS* is Florence Pugh, who proves she can lead any film franchise, including in the MCU. She does a phenomenal job of balancing humor with her character’s humanity, acknowledging the trauma and loneliness of her past. We learn more about her character’s complicated backstory and how she got to the emotionally devoid space she is in now. This theme, which has largely been absent from superhero films, permeates through the other characters as well. Each “hero” has their own painful pasts that come back to haunt them. This provides a relatable connection between the team members, a trauma bond, that they are able to use to create a semi-cohesive team that is strong enough to oppose an indestructible villain like Sentry. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is also really fun, making Selena Meyer’s (VEEP) political ambitions look trivial in the face of real evil… but all with that same twinkle in her eye.
THUNDERBOLTS* is a good-enough Marvel movie, but if I’m being honest, I’m most disappointed that the release is pushing the much better SINNERS out of IMAX theaters. I know these are two completely different types of films, one superhero action and the other vampire horror. But THUNDERBOLTS* would be fine to see in any theater (or wait to be streamed on Disney+), and SINNERS is best experienced in IMAX. Still, even though I found the film mediocre, I can acknowledge that more diehard Marvel fans may be more entertained. And make sure that you stick around until the very end for two credit scenes, including one teaser for another MCU film heading our way this summer.
My Review: C+
