Thunderbolts* Review

Photo Credit - Marvel Studios

When Marvel previously assembled a ragtag team of antiheroes, they struck gold with The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Its combination of humor, heart, and action makes it one of the quintessential films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Given GOTG’s impact, you’d assume Marvel’s return to antihero team-ups, Thunderbolts*, would be another W, right? Sadly, Scott Norwood and Ray Finkle came closer to making Super Bowl-winning field goals than Thunderbolts* does at conjuring any of GOTG’s magic.

Thunderbolts* picks up shortly after the events of Captain America: Brave New World. It finds a group of former villains brought together through a trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and later seeking to stop her deployment of a powerful secret weapon.

The familiar plot isn’t a problem. If I had a dollar for every bad guy redemption film out there, I’d own courtside season tickets for the Celtics. The problem with Thunderbolts* is nothing stands out enough about it to be special, an element that seemingly came naturally for most MCU entries.

The writing in Thunderbolts* ranks among the most anti-climatic MCU material ever on screen, aside from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s not flawed regarding how the story is structured, but more so in lacking excitement. Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo’s script relies heavily on joking and charming its way into your heart with a smattering of a mental health message. However, it’s not nearly as funny or poignant as it thinks. Despite having actors who have long proven they are versatile enough to do comedy and drama at high levels in the same film, much of both beats fall flat.

Director Jake Schrier does his best to help Thunderbolts* hit the MCU quality of old by having the film move briskly from the opening scene. Still, his work to keep the movie exciting with a heavy dose of action early isn’t enough to save it from the faulty script.

The saving grace of Thunderbolts* is its actors making the most out of a bad hand. At first glance, Florence Pugh, who plays the crew’s de facto leader Yelena Belova, appears to be the film's star and carries the lead well. Like her turn as the same character in 2021’s Black Widow, Pugh’s savvy around stunts and combat scenes matches her softer thespian skills, which are also on full display.

That said, Thunderbolts* is David Harbour’s show. His comedic timing does the most heavy lifting in keeping Thunderbolts* from reaching the ranks of the worst the MCU has to offer. When you think the movie has slowed to a halt, Harbour’s Red Guardian kicks things up with a dose of self-deprecating humor or a timely reminder that the crew of misfits are a team.

We’re long past the days when every MCU film was a blockbuster. I even completely understand following the same safe approach they took with Brave New World after missing more often than not recently. Still, there is no reason why Thunderbolts* ended up being so uneventful.

In the grand scheme of the MCU, Thunderbolts* definitely looms large, so it’s worth checking out for continuity’s sake. It’s also an excellent opportunity to see Harbour in his best part since his Stranger Things run. Otherwise, keep your expectations low and avoid the premium formats for this one because it’s your everyday streamable watch.