2025 | PG-13 | 126 mins | Directed by Jake Schreier
Thunderbolts* is the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the first in a while that feels unique and tries to do its own thing. When Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) hires Yelena (Florence Pugh) for a mission where she must take down a new threat, she arrives to complete her mission and is met by four foes, all of whom are now trapped. Once they realize they were all hired to take each other out, they decide to work together to escape their current situation. Along with Yelena there's John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and Bob (Lewis Pullman). They are joined by Yelena's dad Alexei (David Harbour) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) as they embark on a new mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their past.
The team assembled here is an interesting one. Taking a bunch of secondary characters in the MCU, all of whom are anti-heroes, and throwing them all together seems like it shouldn't work all that well. Director Jake Schreier is able to make you really care about these characters, some of which felt like one off characters in previous movies and TV shows. There's a certain chemistry here that is something a Marvel movie hasn't pulled off in a couple of years.
As with most of these movies, the action sequences here are top notch. There are clear uses of several practical effects which is always a pleasure to see. A lot of the hand-to-hand combat is some of the best that's been in a comic book movie. The biggest surprise is how genuinely funny the movie ends up being. In the beginning it felt like they might try and overdue things with the comedy, but they are able to walk a fine line between the comedy and the more serious moments. Speaking of which, the movie deals a lot with depression, and it does a good job in showing how the characters cope with it.
There isn't much to complain or dislike about Thunderbolts*. The final act, while doing some interesting things, feels like it overstays its welcome and doesn't stack up as well to the first two acts. While it is very funny, the comedy doesn't always land and there are a few scenes that feel like there's just one too many jokes. Aside from those gripes there is a lot to enjoy here, especially the cast. Everybody in the cast gets their moment to shine but Florence Pugh is the one who shines the most. She effortlessly leads this cast and really shows off how good of a leading actress she can be.
Overall, Thunderbolts* does things differently than your typical Marvel movie but that's all for the better. Featuring a great cast of characters with perfect chemistry, some fun and intense action sequences and a solid ending that leads to a great after credits sequence, this has all the markings of the perfect way to start off the summer movie season.
Grade: B+
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