Thunderbolts*
Despite Thunderbolts* sorely needing a bit of character development, and to be slowed down for a few beats in some critical junctures, this was night and day better than Brave New World in every single category, and you would expect as much from the writing and directing team that made Beef, one of the best shows Netflix has produced this decade. Part of the magic of early MCU movies was that they were just plain fun, and this definitely captured a lot of that essence. This mirrored the first Avengers movies quite literally in parts, and that was a cool touch. Florence Pugh could easily carry an MCU movie on her own, and largely does here, but the ancillary characters they put around her all serve to better the movie. I’d put this in the upper half of all-time MCU movies, and hopefully a step towards righting the ship. And Jord’s wrong about this limping to the finish line. The threat of this film, and the film’s final act is thoughtfully done. But if you’re a longtime reader, you know to take his reviews with a grain of salt by now.
-Z
My faith in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been wavering, and after the low point of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts has given me some hope! I loved the ensemble of heroes here, definitely making it feel like an Avengers movie. There could have been a bit more character development and story development in spots, but this was fun, well-written, and served a clear purpose. More of this please, Marvel
-E
“We own you now.” -Yelena
An MCU universe where Florence Pugh runs the show? Sign me up! But the question remains, do the Thunderbolts now own the MCU? Fantastic Four most likely has a lot to say about that, but until then we can be happy about Thunderbolts*. I will say, in the beginning I was locked in. As the film progressed, there were some really funny and exciting parts, but I did believe that it lost its charm as it went on. After the film I said to Z and E I felt that it limped to the finish line, and I still believe that. What I believe a lot of people are doing is comparing this to the most recent Marvel films which have been subpar, and when this was above average we are treating it like it was great. Is this a move in the right direction for the MCU, yes! Is the MCU fully back, that is still up in the air. Overall it was a fun movie with some memorable scenes, but overall I sadly felt like it was only good not great. Lastly, if you want an MCU film with some feels from the OG MCU, definitely give Thunderbolts* a watch.
-J
