‘Thunderbolts*’ is a little clunky, but when the cast is all assembled, they’re electric
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — You’ve been thunderstruck!
Synopsis
In a depressed rut after the death of her sister Natasha, assassin Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh) finds herself passively going from hit job to hit job. CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who is under congressional investigation, gives Yelena her next task: travel to a secret government facility to destroy all evidence of her human experiments.
When Yelena arrives to do the job, she’s ambushed by John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), who has been sent to kill her. Things get even more complicated when Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) show up to kill John. Turns out, de Fontaine secretly sent them all after each other to get them all into one place to kill them, deeming them loose ends.
The team rescues Bob (Lewis Pullman), the only surviving human experiment, and escapes the facility. Teaming up with Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena’s father Alexei/Red Guardian (David Harbour), they all form the Thunderbolts* to not just expose de Fontaine’s secrets, but also give their own lives meaning.
My thoughts
When The Avengers came out in 2012, it was a huge risk that had never really been taken before in the movie industry. Sequels and spin-offs have existed before, but nothing to the extent of the massive, interconnected franchise Marvel was able to craft for their cinematic universe. It was almost like the final exam for the Marvel brand, to see if all this excitement and goodwill built up with the audience would pay off.
Well, it really solidifies the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a success, changing the blockbuster movie landscape for (rarely) better or (mostly) worse. Part of why The Avengers was such a big deal was because all the MCU movies before that were building up to it, the same applying to the rest of the movies that would fill out the universe between subsequent Avengers team-ups.
Team building activities
Ever since Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home capped off the MCU‘s Infinity Saga, it seems like head honcho Kevin Feige and his team have had a tough time finding some stable footing with this current Multiverse Saga. The recent Captain America: Brave New World was the first MCU movie in a while to feel like it was pushing the whole universe forward, with Thunderbolts* continuing that trend.
Thunderbolts* is clearly trying to be an “Avengers, but bad!” type of deal, with various villains and anti-heroes from the MCU needing to come together as a team to take on a greater threat. When The Avengers all got together for the first time, the reasoning behind it all had some logic to it, even if it was all silly and comic booky. Still, it worked, especially as most of the heroes got their proper introductions and development with their own solo outings.
The members of the Thunderbolts* all had their own movies/TV series to establish their characters, but as far as their stories all connecting to build up to this narrative… yeah, that wasn’t really happening. The characters here don’t have as compelling of a reason to all team up, which I guess is the point, as they’re all baddies who don’t like working with others in the first place.
So, when the characters all meet up for the first time and they’re all at each other’s throats, it ends up being more confusing than anything. Maybe we’re supposed to be feeling just as confused as they are, but this whole sequence felt weirdly choppy when it should have been fun. Good thing we have Bob, played by the excellent Lewis Pullman, to break things up and kick the real movie into motion.
Rolling thunder
The action scenes aren’t anything noteworthy, although we get to see some unique uses of the characters’ powers, and there’s also a sweet limo flip. Since these are far more grounded characters compared to the likes of Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk, their scenes of butt kicking involve simple fists, kicks, and bullets. Still, if you’re a fan of some discount John Wick-inspired choreography, it does the job.
In an odd twist compared to most comic book movies, the second half of Thunderbolts* is far stronger than the first. Once all the clunky setup is out of the way, and the cast can just hang out and play off each other, is when the film is at its best. The pacing and structure feel more consistent, as well as the development of the characters and themes. It’s also when director Jake Schreier and screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo are actually able to tell a story.
Even better, the final half hour isn’t just nothing but CGI lasers, explosions, and other nonsense. It seems like it might be going in that direction, but thankfully, the confrontation with the big villain at the end is far more thoughtful. Not only was it refreshing to see superheroes actually saving people for once, centering the climax around the personal pain and trauma of each Thunderbolt* gave it all some real emotional weight.
The best scene in the movie, and one of the best in the entire MCU, is during this second half when Yelena and Alexei have a heart-to-heart conversation. Florence Pugh and David Harbour are actually allowed to tap into their real acting abilities here, giving their characters and performances some genuine depth. It’s a rare moment in a comic book blockbuster that’s 100% character-oriented and way more exciting than any big action set piece.
Managing misfits
You can have all the CG superhero action you can dream of, but the main reason team-up movies like The Avengers, The Suicide Squad, and Guardians of the Galaxy work is because the cast actually makes them feel like a team. Even if the writing doesn’t do a whole lot to make them feel much like a cohesive unit, the cast is great and all have fun chemistry with each other. Honestly, the casting has always been the MCU‘s strong point, so it’s not surprising that they also nail it here.
It’s just some of the team members get lost in the shuffle. This is totally Yelena’s movie, so much to the point where this feels like a follow-up to Black Widow more than anything else. She’s the driving force of the narrative, has the most depth, and the film opens and closes with her. Since she arguably has the most traumatic backstory of them all, and Pugh is arguably the best actor the bunch, it makes sense to center the story around her.
While typing all this stuff about Yelena being the only character with sufficient depth to center the movie around and Florence Pugh being the best actor, how could I completely forget about recent award winner Sebastian Stan? Well, it’s because the movie itself sort of forgets about him at times. I understand the well for Bucky’s character has kind of run dry at this point, but he really doesn’t get a whole lot to do here beyond flex his metal arm.
This also applies to the characters U.S. Agent, Ghost, and Taskmaster, who often feel like afterthoughts. They still get their little moments of character development and to display their powers, but they definitely (and literally, at one point) take a backseat to Yelena’s and Alexei’s story. However, I was interested in the thematic undercurrent of grief, shame, trauma, and anxiety, which every character reflects in some way. This all ties into Bob’s character and is part of the reason why the resolution ends up being as effective as it is.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Tulsi Gab—erm, I mean, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine was an entertaining villain, even if her personality is just a darker shade of Selina Meyer. Still, I enjoyed seeing Louis-Dreyfus channel a darker side of her personality for this character. She’s obviously a funny woman, but the snide line deliveries she’s known for fit this role of a devious, scheming politician well.
Final verdict
Thunderbolts* is yet another installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so you pretty much know what you’re going to get walking in. It’s just what you’re used to, and it will have a bit of an edge to it, dipping its toe into some more mature and earnest ideas, particularly at the end. Beyond that, it doesn’t push the envelope too far, but fans of the MCU should be satisfied not just by seeing these characters team up, but that the franchise as a whole seems to be really building towards something again. At least the filmmakers told an emotionally resonant story through it all.
My rating: 6.5/10
Thunderbolts* is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
