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“Thunderbolts*”

Walt Disney Studios

Directed by Eric Pearson

Starring Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wyatt Russell and Sebastian Stan

Rated PG-13

 

3 Stars

 

     Marvel Studios have been in a slump lately, churning out a series of movies featuring characters that didn’t really connect with audiences. The films still had impressive special effects and thrilling action sequences, but without the great characters, it was hard to get too invested in what was happening in the universe of these movies. 

     Marvel is back this week with a new movie, and a somewhat new set of characters. “Thunderbolts*” is the story of a group of second-tier superheroes who come together to save the world. We’ve met several of these folk as supporting players in previous movies. Thunderbolts*” gives them their chance to shine on their own.  

     Well, perhaps shine is a bit too cheery. The film begins with Yelena (Florence Pugh) admitting that there is something wrong with her, before throwing herself off the top of a building. It’s not a suicidal act, but one that makes her state of mind crystal clear. 

     Things don’t get any better when she finds herself sent out on a mission where she is tasked with assassinating several other of these second tier superheroes. It turns out that they were all given the same objective. So instead of slaughter, we end with a reluctant group of sorta-heroes coming together, if only for self preservation. Ultimately the team will include Yelena’s father, Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and more. There’s also an odd dude named Bob (Lewis Pullman). 

     Running concurrently, we get to see a lot of political machinations happening in Washington, in the form of shady the Director of the CIA (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and newly elected congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). This is the story minutiae that will animate the fanboys, but it’s mostly arcane information for general audiences. 

     The film finds its crowd-pleasing footing when the fights start up, which pits our misfit band of superheroes against a seemingly all powerful entity known as The Void. I am pleased to report that the action here is robust and exciting-everything we’ve come to expect from Marvel Studios. The same holds true for the special effects, which are rendered seamlessly into the story. 

     The surprise comes in the film’s dark tone—both visually and emotionally. There were moments when I felt as if I was watching a DC Comics movie because of the dark and gritty feel. I’m curious as to how Marvel fans will react to this, but I loved it because it allows the story to bring in this band of messed up heroes. 

     The film succeeds thanks to these characters and their relationships. Pugh, in particular, is great at allowing us inside her head as she works through her demons. By making her character so accessible, she becomes the unquestioned star of the show. 

     Well, perhaps a minor question comes from Harbour, who is very funny, channeling the proud Russian hero who tries to care for his daughter and do all of that ill fitting superhero stuff. Purists may note that his accent is all over the place, but I think that only adds to his goofy charm. 

     All of which adds up to a return to form for Marvel. “Thunderbolts*” is a fun romp with exciting action. It still suffers from having to know all the arcane history behind these movies in order to fully grasp the plot. Despite that issue, I think there are enough compelling characters here for fanboys and general audiences alike to enjoy. 

     I’m thrilled to report that it seems like Marvel studios is out of its slump. 

 

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published each week in “The Port Arthur News.” Sean welcomes your comments via email at sean@seanthemovieguy.com You can get more of Sean’s reviews by subscribing to the 2 Movie Guys podcast.

 

Reviews by Sean McBride, “The Movie Guy,” are published weekly in the Idaho Press. Sean welcomes your comments via email at sean@seanthemovieguy.com You can get more of Sean’s reviews by su​​bscribing to the 2 Movie Guys podcast.