Star Cast: Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman
Director: Jake Schreier
Thunderbolts Movie Review Synopsis:
THUNDERBOLTS is the story of a team of antiheroes. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) works for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and does her dirty work. She is depressed over the tragic death of her sister and feels quite lonely. Valentina is the director of the CIA and was formerly the head of the OXE Group. She is accused of several human rights violations while working on human trials. Valentina refutes all the allegations. Knowing that she can be in trouble, she asks Yelena to go to a secret vault in a hilly region of the USA and destroy the OXE servers so that she can’t be convicted. Yelena reaches the vault and realizes that it’s a trap as she is confronted by John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ava (Hannah John-Kamen). They were also sent to the vault for the same reason. Soon, they learn that Valentina wants to finish them all as their existence can also put Valentina in trouble. While trying to find ways to escape, they are also bewildered as they meet Bob (Lewis Pullman). He’s no mercenary and is wearing hospital clothes. Moreover, he has no memory of how he landed in the vault. However, he seems to have some extraordinary abilities. All four escape, with the intention of disappearing so that all-powerful Valentina can’t trace them. As luck would have it, they are compelled to be a team thanks to Bucky (Sebastian Stan). The team expands as Yelena’s father Alexei aka Red Guardian (David Harbour) also gets enlisted. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Thunderbolts Movie Story Review:
Eric Pearson’s story is exhilarating and different from the recent films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo’s screenplay is captivating although the writing slips in some places. The dialogues add to the fun and madness.
Jake Schreier’s direction is impressive. He executes the film in Marvel style but also gives the narrative a nice touch. The characters are well fleshed out and he also makes a comment on mental health. While doing so, he maintains a balance and ensures that the film doesn’t get too depressing. Meanwhile, the humour is present in abundance. The intro scene is decent and the real fun begins once the antiheroes realize they are sent to the vault to get killed. The manner in which they escape will raise a lot of laughs. The chase sequence at the highway is also hilarious and it ends on a clapworthy note. Post-interval, the madness goes high by many notches. The pre-climax is nail biting. The final scene, however, will lead to hoots and claps as it sets the base for the future films of the MCU. In fact, the ending is very exciting and the craze that it’ll generate will remind one of the good old days of MCU. And that’s not all. The lengthy post-credit scene further contributes to the film’s plusses.
On the flipside, the climax is not a typical one. It works but at the same time, it gets a bit lengthy and even dragging. There might be moments where you’ll think where the film is heading. The sudden tonal shift also makes the experience slightly underwhelming.
Thunderbolts Movie Review Performances:
Florence Pugh plays the part of the lead actress with panache. The way she got her accent right is admirable. Her struggle with loneliness seems authentic; the scene where she breaks down in the second half is memorable. Julia Louis-Dreyfus delivers a fine performance without going over the top. Wyatt Russell is entertaining but Hannah John-Kamen doesn’t have much scope. Lewis Pullman has a crucial part and the way he gets into the skin of his character is seen to be believed. David Harbour is adorable while Sebastian Stan, as expected, is dependable. Wendell Pierce (Congressman Gary) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Mel) lend able support.
Thunderbolts movie music and other technical aspects:
Son Lux’s background score has the trademark Marvel stamp all over. Andrew Droz Palermo’s cinematography does justice to the scale of the film. The action is not disturbing, except for a couple of shots, while the VFX is top-notch, especially in the scenes of The Void. Sanja Milkovic Hays’s costumes are stylish yet realistic. Grace Yun’s production design is grand. Angela Catanzaro and Harry Yoon’s editing is satisfactory in most parts of the film. A few scenes could have been slicker.
Thunderbolts Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THUNDERBOLTS successfully revives the former glory of the MCU, powered by strong performances, sharp humour, tense moments and a commendable focus on mental health. The film concludes on an exhilarating note, which will create a craze in cinemas, especially among die-hard Marvel fans. As a result, it has the potential to surprise at the box office.