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| Thunderbolts* (2025) |
A group of untraditional superheroes reluctantly form a team when they become targets of the traps organized by the main antagonist, the CIA director they work for. While on the mission, they also fight the different forces from their past lives.
The prologue of the film under consideration belongs to Marvel’s cinematic universe series. The first is a quote by Russian assassin and Black Widow’s adoptive sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who tells someone, “There is something wrong with me,” right before she explains she feels there is a hole inside her and jumps off a cliff. But it is not a suicide attempt: she finds herself in the middle of a secret mission carried out by the CIA director, the charming and manipulative Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is assigned to eliminate evidence that can lead to her impeachment.
As such, Yelena is offered to switch sides and fight for the right reasons; Valentina takes her, along with John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) for the last mission to clean up the remaining assets at a remote facility. Soon, however, the quartet realizes that it is a trap: They are a part of the loose ends themselves, which are used to make them cancel each other out. And they are not alone in their confusion, as Bob (Lewis Pullman) has no idea how he ended up here, except that he was at a medical facility for a procedure, and woke up here. The mood varies from gothic sadness to the adrenaline-filled action sequence where Yelena and an assorted crew of anti-heroes fight for the common goal of bringing down Valentina and herself.
Despite the fact that it is a superhero action film, director Jack Schreier and writers Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson do not present the audience with a mere repetition of what has been done before. As many expected, there are big, flashy action scenes, funny quips, and great MCU character moments, but it also breaks new ground with mental health and the need to get help. Traumatised and broken, Bob becomes the supervillain Void whose powers are greater than those of all the Avengers combined. Taking the protagonist’s character, the film shows the process of the main character’s attempts to face his inner darkness, which demonstrates that it is dangerous to repress negative feelings.
Though the first and the second acts provide the viewers with some nice action characteristic of comic book movies, the third act is where the movie shines. While maintaining a heavy emotional subtext of the story and the notion of a superhero as a human being with weakness, the final scene promises an electrifying experience, backed up by the spectacular action sequences and a great cast.
Florence Pugh as Yelena is the leader of ‘The New Avengers’, and she does incredible action, has a good sense of humor, and feels deep emotions. The origin is properly explained, and she is the only Thunderbolt, while the backgrounds and character development of the other antiheroes are not shown, and only hardcore fans of Marvel comics can know about them. Even so, the ensemble impresses: Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes delivers a strong impact through the well-timed comebacks, Wyatt Russell is as sharp as the defamed Captain America, Hannah John-Kamen is fierce as Ghost, while David Harbour is hilarious as the loud, boorish Red Guardian, Alexei Shostakov. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays the scheming Valentina, is as charming as she is threatening. Though the leading man of the film is Lewis Pullman, who is heartbreakingly sincere in Bob, and turns into an aggressive Void with the best of efforts.
Combining the elements of action and powerful emotions, as well as the cast, gives Thunderbolts* the status of a must-see show.
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