Thunderbolts* is the 36th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is directed by Jack Schreier.
By: Francesco DeFiore
After watching Marvel’s previous film Captain America: Brave New World and the mixed reception it got from critics, fans, and even myself, I was a little worried if Marvel would even be able to deliver with Thunderbolts*. But now that I have finally seen the film, here are my thoughts.
I am happy to say that Thunderbolts* felt like a return to form for Marvel. This is easily one of the best movies that both Marvel and Disney have produced. I had a feeling this movie was going to surprise people, but what I did not know was that it would exceed my expectations.
The acting in this movie is amazing, each character had their chance to shine, but in my opinion, the main standouts were Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova and Lewis Pullman as Sentry. Pugh, as the main lead of the film, gives such a powerful, riveting, and emotional performance, which was beautifully done. Pullman is such a great addition to the MCU as Sentry. He is sick as hell and also gave an emotional performance. Besides the standouts, everyone also gave an amazing performance in their own right. Also, these ragtag team of anti-heroes has some of the best chemistry in the entire MCU. Easily the best part of this entire film is its theme and message, which are about Mental health. It is portrayed beautifully through each of the characters and their journeys throughout the film.
The message is about overcoming the darkness within you, dealing with your trauma, finding purpose and meaning in life, and finding happiness, and it’s just so well done. This movie was also very relatable. I was able to relate to the characters, with what they were going through, and feel what they were feeling. All of this made me realize that Thunderbolts* is one of the best-written Marvel films to date.
Also, the action in this film was really good and definitely some of the best in the entire MCU.
This movie is really grounded, which I thought was really nice for a change. The CGI and the VFX looked great, and the cinematography was outstanding. The film is also super hilarious and one of the funniest films in the entire MCU, but those are where my positives end.
I only have one issue with this film, which is that I personally felt like this movie lacked that typical Marvel Movie flair. The best way to describe it is that it felt like an A24 film with the Marvel Studios logo planted onto it. I appreciate that this movie tried to be different, original, very unique, and have its own contained story, but it just didn’t feel like a Marvel Movie. I know that most people liked that this wasn’t your typical MCU movie, but for me personally, that wasn’t the case. I just wish that this movie was able to balance the grounded aspects of the film with the Marvel movie flair, but unfortunately, it wasn’t able to. Even though this was an issue I had, it didn’t ruin the film for me. Lastly, although a lot of people are saying the post-credit scene is amazing and crazy, unfortunately, I’m here to say that it isn’t, at least in my opinion. I don’t hate it, I was just left a bit underwhelmed and disappointed. All I can really say is don’t get your hopes too high like I did.
Overall, Thunderbolts* is a breath of fresh air, and it feels like Marvel is starting to get back on track. I gave this movie 4.5/5 stars on Letterboxd. I had such a fun and amazing time with this film, and it’s got me really eager to see what Marvel has in store for us in the future.
