Thunderbolts

The Thunderbolts is Marvel’s newest team up movie, comprised of antihero and villain characters from its other projects. When Ghost, Yelena Belova, Taskmaster, bargain bran Captain America (John Walker), and a strange man named Bob are combined, can they actually work together for the greater good? Or are they all going to kill each other over their own self interest?

            The beginning of the film captivates you right off the bat. Florence Pugh as Yelena is incredible, it doesn’t matter that this is an MCU film, she gives it her all. As she monologues her current mental and emotional well being (spoiler, it’s not very good since the death of her sister and the fallout of the Hawkeye series), the camera captures a long fight sequence from above her as she clears a whole hallway. One of the many impressive fight sequences of the film, and we’re off to meeting up with all of our favorite villains and antiheroes.

            What’s the most impressive about this film is that it does seem to take a step back and return to Marvel at its best, which is grounded real world stakes despite the overarching fear that the world might end. Yes, ultimately, the film ends up being about stopping the big villain which might take out the entire earth, but really it’s about can these kids finally work together, and overcome some of the dark stuff these characters have been facing in their lives. The emphasis on the emotional and mental health of the main characters in this film is really impressive for an MCU film.

            Another highlight about the film is its action sequences. In a world of constantly edited and overcut action sequences, the ones in this film breathe. From the opening sequence shot overhead, to the battle that occurs when all the characters meet up, the action sequences are all fun and zippy and easy to follow. They’re barely edited, so that the audience can actually SEE what’s going on, and they make use of the characters different fighting styles. A notable moment is watching a knife get passed through almost every character’s hand during a fight sequence to be thrown back at the original character that threw it.

            And what might be the best part, is that the movie is fun. This is a film where the writing is quick and entertaining, while also queuing people in on the previous projects all of these people have been in. The action sequences are fun and engaging, the writing is genuinely funny, and its got a bit of a gritty look to it that doesn’t saturate every color away from the screen. Despite being a film that looks a little greasy like the titular characters, it still pops off the screen.

            Is the MCU back? It could be. Projects like this are hopeful, but the big testing of the waters will be the Fantastic Four film coming out later this summer. And what might be the ultimate test, is however they eventually handle the X-Men in their universe. For now though, Thunderbolts is an energetically good time at the movies, just as the MCU used to be.