Never Ending Movie Carnival
Never Ending Movie Carnival
Thunderbolts* review: Scrappy underdog superheroes herald a new era and a new brand of avengers!
It's thoroughly entertaining, remaining grounded despite being a Marvel fest
Thunderbolts* movie review
In one of the scenes, Bob aka Robert Reynolds resurrects after being hit by a swarm of bullets. He doesn’t release his superpower and vanishes miles into the stratosphere. His partners assume that he is dead even though they see a semblance in the figure up in the clouds.
That’s probably one of the best memories of the film that I carried back home. Bob’s (played by Lewis Bill Pullman) plight resonated with the other three Bonafide members of the ‘Thunderbolts*s’ who get rechristened as the New Avengers – they are disposable and apparently incompetent, who are all set to bounce back with vengeance after their fabulously duplicitous boss Valentina Allegra De Fontaine sets them up in a death trap after facing an impeachment trial for the Sentry’s project.
The team of misfits comprising, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hanna John Kamen) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan), are thrust in a web of deception and they must work with each other to overcome the threatening hurdles and danger all their way but there is a catch. They must also fight the alter ego (Void) of Bob, converted into a nemesis, who can turn people into shadows, with a might more than that of all the avengers combined.
Director Jack Schreier induces heat and humour in equal measures into the narrative, but the best part of this enterprise is that it stays grounded, modestly delivering the popcorn thrills and entertainment with a major focus on the mental health arc of Bob and the others. The film scores in sufficiently dealing with its characters past traumas and exploring dark themes.
Florence Pugh is convincing as the emotionally disheveled assassin. She radiates raw emotions, especially in the scenes with his on-screen father, while staying faithful to her Russian origin accent. She also pulls off the heavy-duty fight sequences with finesse. Sebastian Stan as Bucky the winter soldier portrays his emotionally dark past competently, while Lewis Pullman has a fascinating part to play. In the female brigade, Julia Dreyfus as Val impresses more than Geraldine Viswanathan (she played Mel) and Olga or Hanna.
Despite riding on fantasy and frills, Thunderbolts*s delves into the fragility of its pivotal characters. They are emotionally broken and battered, mentally traumatized, however not shattered. Their plight looks real. The film derives its humour generously from David Harbour playing the Red Guardian, in a complex father-daughter relationship involving Pugh’s Yelena. Thunderbolts*s is sharply written, brilliantly enacted, and nicely edited.
And don’t miss the 3-minute whistle-worthy post credit scene which gives you a strong reason to wait for the next.
I go with 3.5 stars out of Thunderbolts*s. The best part of this Marvel offering is that you will end up enjoying it even if you are not a Marvel franchise fan.
Thunderbolts*s is running in theatres from 1st May 2025.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee