Up until recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in need of more than just a breath of fresh air…it downright required oxygen to remain alive. And if you word it that way, ‘Thunderbolts’ are indeed life savers.
A sharp, energetic entry into the MCU with enough silliness to remind everyone that, yes, this stuff IS based on comic books, ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a nod to when the Avengers first assembled. True, those were the top shelf heroes, and this ragtag bunch is Marvel’s bench strength….at least for now….but for a faction that is expected to lead the company into its next phase, THIS is how you get off to a great start.
The story primarily revolves around Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), still somewhat lost after the death of her sister (Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow) and doing dirty work for CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who is facing impeachment for the careless creation of super soldiers, such as Yelena’s father, Alexi Shostakov a.k.a. The Red Guardian (David Harbour).
Wanting to clean up some of her mess, Valentina lures not only Yelena but some of her other assassins-for-hire, including John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the disgraced stand-in for Captain America, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) into a deadly trap that will surely be the end for them all. But, in these movies…..there’s always a way out. And soon, the Winter Solider himself, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) joins the team, looking for evidence to take down Fontaine. Add a mysterious figure named Bob (Lewis Pullman), and you have an equal amount of intrigue and wisecracks – a nice combination that keeps ‘Thunderbolts*’ cooking.
What I didn’t expect from this movie was its overwhelming emotional impact. This is a story of redemption, one that reminds its audience that there’s not only strength in numbers, but past hurts can be dealt with when you bring others into the battle with you. It sounds a little cliche, but when you watch how director Jack Schreier, working with a script from Eric Pearson and Jonna Calo creatively presents those ideas while STILL keeping the adrenaline pumping…..well, suffice to say, it’s impressive. And good news for Marvel fans, as the patient looks to be bouncing back, big time.
