‘Thunderbolts*’ Review: Marvel Misfits VS Depression Reincarnate
The new Avengers?
Let’s get this immediately out of the way: Thunderbolts* is a hit or a miss, depending on what you’re looking for in a Marvel film. If you get a high from watching super-powered beings cause significant infrastructural damage and the occasional planet-destroying, this film won’t scratch your itch—although it certainly has some thrilling action sequences.
But if you’re someone who, like me, has grown desensitised and dare I say, bored, of the typical superhero action spiel and in dire need of something different, Thunderbolts* is the Marvel film you’ve been holding out hope for. And believe me when I say it’s been a long wait after a series of recent MCU slogs.
Much like the asterisk in its title that suggests that the name is merely just a placeholder for something bigger, the film offers more than what meets the eye.
Ahead, find out more in my spoiler-free review of Thunderbolts*.
[Trigger warning: mentions of mental health, depression, and suicide.]
PLOT
After being caught in a death trap set up by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a ragtag group of D-list antiheroes and criminals—Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster, and John Walker—must work together to take down the corporation that has put a target on their back and confront the darkest corners of their past.
They are joined by Marvel fan-favourite Bucky Barnes, who is still fitting into his new role as a congressman, and harmless-looking newcomer Bob, who was part of a secret government experiment and hides a dark and dangerous power.
From the opening scene, you already know that Thunderbolts* is going to be a different kind of Marvel film. It’s sombre and dreary as Yelena ponders her existential crisis and her purpose in the world outside of her senseless killing, before leaping off Merdeka 118 (a solemn scene, but sorry, cheers were made in the cinema!).
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Thunderbolts* diverts from the superhero formula and dares to offer something fresh and new. Instead of relying on the action to impress audiences, the film focuses on conveying the story between this group of misfits and their inner traumas. Sure, mental health has been explored in MCU films before, but none with the depth as seen in Thunderbolts*.
Rather than paying lip service to it, the film takes its time to allegorise how poor mental health, severe depression, extreme loneliness, and even suicide manifest. For this reason, Thunderbolts* is one of the most emotionally-grounded and narratively-developed films in the MCU roster by far.
Granted, a few scenes were a tad on the nose with the Power of Friendship and Group Hugs, but for the most part, the heavy subject matter was handled well.
Overall, Thunderbolts* was paced nicely and balanced dark topics with enough action sequences to still keep things interesting and exciting when it got too stuffy. You’ll laugh, gasp, or, like me, even shed a few tears.
Oh, and stick around until the end as there are two post-credit scenes. One is purely comedic while the other leads directly to another highly anticipated Marvel team appearance…
CHARACTERS
It was never going to be easy to get audiences to like—or care—about a group of deep-cut fringe characters who got up to no good, but Thunderbolts* somehow managed to do it. The film knows that they don’t have the best team on hand.
For starters, none of them can fly and even nearly meet their demise in a trapped room. “Losers”, as Yelena declares. Thunderbolts* leans into this by calling out their own follies, and I appreciate the refreshing self-awareness.
John Walker AKA U.S. Agent returns in the film after his disastrous run as would-be Captain America in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, where he was unceremoniously discharged after killing an unarmed protester. He’s someone you’re not sure you want to punch or hug, and Wyatt Russell does an excellent job embodying this divisive persona.
The film really takes off once Bucky and Red Guardian join the group. Sebastian Stan grounds the film with his gravitas while David Harbour adds the comic relief as the optimistic ex Russian super solider, respectively. Harbour is fantastic in this role, executing each line with perfect comedic timing that puts a smile on my face. His relationship with Yelena is also absolutely heartwarming.
But the real standout of Thunderbolts* is undoubtedly Yelena. Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh elevates the movie with her affecting and unforgettable performance. Seamlessly switching between her deadpan sarcasm and emotional monologues, Pugh delivers a portrayal that is worthy of award-show nominations if only this weren’t a superhero film. Thunderbolts* has proven that Yelena and Pugh are more than capable of leading Marvel’s newest team into Phase Six.
As the only new face in Thunderbolts*, Lewis Pullman as Bob is a scene-stealer. He is a successful test subject from a government experiment, making him “more powerful than all the Avengers rolled into one.” Named The Sentry, he is Earth’s newest protector and looks the part on paper. But with his unstable mental state, his nihilistic, darker side, The Void, takes over.
Bob is a reminder that not all superheroes are suitable for the power that they are given, and that true heroism first comes from overcoming one’s own inner darkness. I look forward to seeing where Marvel takes his character in future films as there is still so much to explore.
My only gripe is that out of all the characters, Ghost and Bucky had the short end of the stick. There is zero characterisation for Ghost in Thunderbolts* despite her being one of the most compelling characters in Ant-Man and The Wasp and the only one with a special ability.
Further, I’m tired of seeing Bucky still treated as a side character. The man has been in the franchise for 10 years and deserves a better story arc by now. I’ve always felt that Marvel Studios has never fully utilised the Oscar-nominated actor’s talents (Stan is a bonafide star!), and Thunderbolts* was another sad case of that.
VISUALS
Thunderbolts* may not be the most visually remarkable film in the MCU, but it sure looks great on screen. The opening shot alone of Pugh jumping off Merdeka 118 was enough to get me giddy in my seat. The actress was firm on carrying out her own stunts, including leaping off the world’s second-tallest building, and the results were impressive.
Hand-to-hand combat choreographies looked light on the feet and snappy, especially with top-down aerial shots of Yelena making her way down a hallway particularly fun to watch. Pugh is not only a powerhouse performer but a great action star in the making.
The action sequences involving the wannabe Avengers were also fun to watch. Since none of them are A-grade Supers, the film doesn’t rely so much on CGI (thank goodness!).
Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, having previously worked on Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight, A Ghost Story, and The Green Knight, has a way of depicting characters going through mental odysseys in artful and cutting ways. This translates into Thunderbolts*, particularly when The Void starts unleashing his chaos of “interconnected shame rooms” on the citizens of New York.
Speaking of The Void, his character design is one of the most impactful in recent MCU memory. With just glowing golden eyes in a silhouette shrouded in complete darkness, his presence as depression reincarnate is fully realised.
FINAL VERDICT
Overall, Thunderbolts* is a refreshing, new take on the superhero genre that is a step in the right direction. While it’s still too early to say that the MCU is entering a new golden era (one movie cannot undo the slate of stale releases in an abysmal Phase Five), Thunderbolts* has brought a sense of excitement to the sacred timeline I haven’t felt since Endgame. I’m counting on you, losers!
Rating: 8/10
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