Even though the Avengers broke up back in 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still trying to establish its next grand storytelling arc. KHOL film critic reviewed their latest adventure and tells us if they are getting closer.
Every time I review a new MCU movie, I feel compelled to list off the ways the beloved franchise has lost its way since the Infinity Saga came to an end. It’s easy to do, because the same issues have been present in many of the fresh Marvel titles so far. Flat scripts. Plots with low stakes. Lame villains. And a generally listless energy that makes it all too obvious we are in an “in between” space, waiting for the next big monster to capture everyone’s attention. “Thunderbolts”, out now in theaters, changes all of that.
It turns out the best way to solve your main villain problem – meaning your inability to come up with a good one – is to not have one. The cast of characters that make up the “Thunderbolts” story are all villains. Each is complicated. They all have bad histories, huge kill counts and score pretty low on the likability scale. At least at first. They also all have significant regrets about their pasts and are working to reconcile their impulses and their instincts. Put simply, they are struggling. Marvel has always been good at presenting nuance in their heroes and bad guys. Okay, maybe not always, and not lately. But “Thunderbolts” is a masterclass in that regard. Mental health is not an area of expertise for me, but the way the script handles it feels respectful, meaningful and emotionally intelligent. I haven’t gotten misty-eyed watching the MCU since Tony died, but this movie got me there more than once. Florence Pugh is back as the hired assassin Yelena, and she has a few heartbreaking scenes that will stand up to any of the year’s best dramatic performances. Even Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Machiavellian character Valentina is given a dash of sympathetic context and Bob, played very well by Lewis Pullman, is one of Marvel’s most tragic figures to date. It is difficult to overstate just how well the studio designed and delivered the humanity of “Thunderbolts”. The people in this film feel very real.
The even better news about “Thunderbolts” is that it is funny. Marvel usually gets the jokes right, especially when compared to DC. So much of the dialogue of late though has been kind of dour, and the laughs we’ve gotten have either been silly like “Thor: Love and Thunder” or aggressive and provocative like “Deadpool & Wolverine”. Both are great, sure, but “Thunderbolts” is hilarious in more effortless way. The banter between the cast members probably benefits from the fact that they are all jerks by conventional standards, and the clever insults they hurl at one another make them behave like a big dysfunctional family. That was the point, certainly, as the serious moments really tend to draft off the levity. Director Jake Schreier has only done teen romance and small scale sci-fi/comedy before “Thunderbolts”, both to reasonably good effect. Fast forward to now, and he might deserve nothing less than credit for getting the MCU all the way back on track. Even if that pronouncement is too generous, I can imagine his stock will soon be very high at Disney and I hope they give him another project right away.
“Thunderbolts” is a welcome surprise by every possible measure, and proof that Marvel Studios still has some of that old pre-pandemic magic. The writing is fantastic. The acting is too. There isn’t too much or too little of anything. Heart, brains, a sense of humor. It’s all perfectly calibrated and natural. There are much bigger stories coming our way in the MCU, which is why this focused and perfect little gem is such a treat. If Marvel uses this humble template for those mega-adventures to follow, we fans will be delighted and rewarded for our loyalty.
