Rating:
Summary: A fun entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that also touches on heavy themes. Comparisons with The Suicide Squad cannot be avoided, but this Anti-Avengers Assemble holds its own.
Let's get this out of the way first. Yes, comparisons to DCU's Suicide Squad are unavoidable. A group of anti-heroes come together to do good, each with their troubled past, and each will work towards their shared goal in unorthodox manners. So yeah, the comparisons are going to be made, but I'm happy to report "Thunderbolts*" does more than enough to hold its own and forge its own path.
Instead of comparing the film to Suicide Squad, either variation from the DCU, perhaps the film that "Thunderbolts*" should be compared to is the MCU's own "Avengers". Hear me out.
The story and characters of "Thunderbolts*" have been built up over several movies and at least two series, and this band of misfits have been brought together by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), much in the same way Nick Fury brought together the Avengers, but not quite with the best of intentions. While Nick Fury is a bona fide hero and he assembled the Avengers by recruiting like-minded individuals, Val, a villain if I ever saw one, has also assembled a group of superhumans of like minds to help her achieve her goals. Her ultimate goal is to find a replacement for the Avengers, who have all but disbanded in the present-day MCU - a commendable goal, but she's doing it for her own not so not-so-commendable reasons.
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), all either disgraced, misguided, or misfits, are all now working for Val to do her bidding, and Val has many plates spinning to achieve her goal, and more plates spinning to make sure she doesn't get into trouble for it. Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the Winter Soldier, is now in a very different career though and let's just say he's not on Val's side.
We are also eventually reintroduced to David Harbour's hilarious Red Guardian, and Bob, played wonderfully by Lewis Pullman.
Without spoiling any of the story, suffice it to say, the aforementioned misfits eventually have to work together to fight a common enemy. Enemies, eventually.
With such a premise, there is room for both comedy and action. And luckily, "Thunderbolts*" delivers on both counts. Out of the ensemble cast, only David Harbour's character Red Guardian has a history for delivering the funnies, but everyone gets a go here, and it's actually Wyatt Russell's John Walker, the disgraced former Captain America, who stands out for his hilarious ... to want of a better word, arsehole-ness (man, he really is the worst choice for Captain America).
The technical qualities of the film, like all of Marvel's recent efforts, cannot be faulted, and the action set pieces are ... what you would expect (a decade ago, they would have been considered amazing - these days, they are just expected). It's a satisfying film, and actually delves into some serious topics as it explores the themes of mental health, loneliness, depression, and living with regret. It also very much feels like a sequel to Black Widow, and as a result, Yelena is the only one of the (anti-)heroes who gets a meaty character arc, which, in my opinion, is a missed opportunity. The ending is also a bit abrupt, although the lengthy post-credit scene does offer some closure.
This is the final film of Marvel's largely lacklustre Phase Five, and while it would be a stretch to say this is the best film of the lot, it's certainly up there and opens up new possibilities for, in my opinion, hints at a return to form for Phase Six, starting with the eagerly big Marvel release coming in July. And yes, there is a mid-credit and the aforementioned post-credit scene - both worth sticking around for.
"Thunderbolts*" is in cinemas on 1 May 2024. Streaming release date: TBA
