'Thunderbolts' review: New Marvel entry benefits from a self-aware, orientation session-style approach

There is a scene in Thunderbolts where Geraldine Vishwanathan's character is in the middle of a formal conversation with Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier, during which she expresses her admiration for him and tells him she was in high school when his character made his entry during the glory days of the original Avengers. Judging by the time between the first Avengers movie and Thunderbolts, I guessed this woman, now working with CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), must be in her late 20s (Geraldine is 29). That's a long time, and anything could happen in that time. You could either grow to love these MCU Marvel characters — and the MCU in general — or grow out of them.

Thunderbolts, the superhero team, and the makers behind the movie seem to know this so well. They know It's not easy filling up the shoes of characters people who have grown up with the most beloved Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, Chris Evans' Captain America and the rest of the original Avengers. And for a major portion of Thunderbolts, this comparison with the original team is at the back of our minds. You find it difficult to accept these characters who, at first glance, seem to have no likeable or relatable qualities. During a perilous mission with which the movie opens, these characters are bitching about each other; some of them try to show off. But they are given ample time and space to open up and get us to understand them. It works because they remind us of the dumb things we once did.

"We are losers," says Florence Pugh's Yelena during a critical juncture in Thunderbolts. Only Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour), her father figure, seems optimistic about forming a team that can "rise to glory". Every character is troubled by their past demons. Everyone has done something they are not proud of. No matter what kind of powers they possess, getting through every day is difficult for them. Everyone is trying to find something with which they can make amends for their past misdeeds. In this regard, Thunderbolts has the nature of one of those classic men-on-a-mission films like, say, The Dirty Dozen (1967) or The Guns of Navarone (1961). They are looking to redeem themselves. Midway through the film, I told myself, "Hmm. I think I'm beginning to like this team."

It's this feeling that the recent MCU movies failed to generate. How long has it been since an MCU movie did that? Six years? That is, assuming Avengers: Endgame is the one that did it for a lot of loyal fans of the franchise. Thunderbolts is also fairly competent in the filmmaking departments, most notably in the big set-pieces. It takes a while to win us over, though. As I said, it's not easy to look at a bunch of characters that we don't know anything about participating in little "group therapy" sessions in the middle of all the chaos. It takes us a while to begin caring about them.

But once it gets to the big stuff, the juice, it's quite a trip — and I mean it in the literal sense of the word. When what is supposed to be this film's "main threat" shows up, Thunderbolts goes into Christopher Nolan mode — to be more specific, Inception mode. The last time a Marvel property took us inside its characters' heads this way was Moon Knight (you know, it would be cool to have Oscar Isaac showing up in one of these movies in the future). And there is, of course, the Loki series that toyed inventively with alternate realities. And one fight sequence involving 'The Sentry' is better than anything I've seen in the Zack Snyder Superman movies.

But the unique thing about Thunderbolts is how it handles the so-called "main threat". Without giving anything away, this film feels more like a 'get-to-know' meeting or an orientation session for new employees in an organisation rather than a run-of-the-mill heroes vs villains story. It feels more like a demonstration of these characters' abilities and personalities. It's not a requirement to see any previous Marvel entries — except for, maybe, Black Widow. The same goes for the mid and post-credits sequences, which are the best in the MCU after a long time. They provide new information. They serve a purpose. They don't waste our time. And they are very entertaining. Yes, it informs us of a potential team-up and does it most excitingly. 

 

Film: Thunderbolts

Director: Jake Schreier 

Cast: Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Vishwanathan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Rating: 3.5/5

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