Thunderbolts*
It’s hard to know whether we’re at a stage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where we shouldn’t really be expecting anything in particular, or whether we should just expect variations on the same formula time and again. I’d like to think we’re in the former, and that makes me feel good as a fan of the MCU. And yet, “Thunderbolts*” kind of devolves into a variation on the formula by the end, but with a twist that is not an unwelcome one. This being something of a black sheep in the MCU should not be unexpected, however, as all of the characters in this film are, in their own ways.
Since her sister died, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) has felt out of sorts. She’s had purpose in the missions she’s been sent on by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), but she’s been alone in the world, as well. She tries to visit her “father,” Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), but his life is in bigger shambles than she is. Meanwhile, de Fontaine is the CIA Director, and is facing impeachment for her questionable methods, including by new House representative Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). While she’s up against the wall on the Hill, she’s also trying to tie up loose ends, including sending Yelena, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr (aka Ghost, Hannah John-Kamen) and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) to a top secret location where she hopes to dispose of them all. When that doesn’t work, I mean, there’s no other choice than to team up, right?
The obvious comparison to this movie is to DC’s Suicide Squad, a collection of misfit anti-heroes who are not supposed to work together, but do. The big pull in this film is the cast they have put together over the years for these characters, and boy is it a winner. Pugh is the clear lead in this film, and she anchors the film with the weight we’d hope for from an Oscar nominee, even in the silliest role. Here, Yelena is world weary and wants to be in the spotlight, doing good. And her and Harbour continue to surrogate father/daughter relationship we were introduced to in “Black Widow,” and Harbour leans into the buffoonery of a character who sees himself as the Russian Captain America, but is barely above Walker’s pale comparison of the character. Russell continues to impress in the role, and this is another character with personal baggage that is causing him to hold back. Part of why these characters are having so much of their past come up is an unexpected guest in that location they all meet at. His name is Bob (Lewis Pullman), and he is the last remnant of an experiment de Fontaine was working on with the codename, Sentry. Pullman is another gem in this cast, presenting Bob as mild mannered and generic as his name implies, while also hinting at a darkness that could engulf them all.
One of the things I most appreciate about “Thunderbolts*” is how the film keeps the stakes fairly small, and how- even when they do escalate- it’s rooted in something as simple as the darkness of the soul in depression. Is the screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo particularly deep? No; other MCU films have approached depression and the weight of emotions stronger (think: Thor in “Avengers: Endgame” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies), but because of the nature of the characters, it works well, especially with Bob as the catalyst for a lot of it. Director Jake Schreier doesn’t do a lot in this film that we haven’t seen before in terms of the action and spectacle, but the indie director (probably best known for the series, “Beef,” and “Robot & Frank”), does a great job working with the actors, and giving everyone their time to shine. We also get a pretty kick ass score from Son Lux (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) out of the film. This one is a winner for Marvel.
