Entertaining MCU film But Typical.
- Thunderbolts* review by GI
The charismatic performance from Florence Pugh, who here establishes once and for all that she is a major film star, is what lifts this new MCU film above the previous outings. I'm not a huge fan of the MCU series and found the Avengers films overlong, bloated and confusing but I get that there is a fanbase that needs feeding. Thunderbolts* is a story of a ragtag bunch of super antiheroes who are all misfits that come together in the absence of the actual Avengers, who have gone on holiday maybe, to deal with Julia Louis-Dreyfus baddie. This band are all full of angst and self doubt or even incompetence as they have to figure out a way to deal with a new super soldier created to allow the baddie to rule the world! There's the inevitable resorting to destroying lots of city buildings and big punch ups (these superheroes always seem to end up slogging it out with each other) to keep fans of this genre happy. Admittedly the first half of the film is the best, with Pugh's Yelena as the dominant character that the narrative follows and there's some well constructed set pieces and, of course, the opening has Pugh performing what is already a well advertised major stunt. But eventually the film drifts into a standard MCU plot and story arc. It's entertaining and David Harbour as Yelena's father offers brash humour. The ending signposts a potential new series which I'm sure will delight fans but I hope we don't lose Florence Pugh in a wealth of these films, she's so good in more subtle narratives.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Cynical Going In, Converted Coming Out—Damn You, Marvel
- Thunderbolts* review by griggs
I’m not an MCU regular—at best, I’ve seen three or four of them and only really enjoyed one—so I approached Thunderbolts* with pretty low expectations. Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan were the main draws, and as expected, they delivered. What I didn’t expect was just how much fun I’d have. It works surprisingly well as a standalone, which for once meant I wasn’t scrambling to decode ten years of Marvel lore just to follow the plot.
The first-hour zips along—sharp, funny, and packed with energy. But as it veers toward the final act, it starts to wobble; the pacing stutters, and the tone shifts awkwardly. It all wraps up a bit too tidily, as if someone realised they’d hit the two-hour mark and had to rush out the door, so they quickly finished it, concluding all the storylines at once. The multiverse elements didn’t totally land for me, but they weren’t a dealbreaker. What did stick was the film’s quieter exploration of loneliness and its impact on mental health—handled with more care than I could ever have expected. All in all, it’s a film that might even get me watching more MCU stuff. Maybe.
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Not For Me
- Thunderbolts* review by KB
Although it is fairly well done i didn't find it engrossing enough or any humour in it. Like most of these type of films it picks up during the latter half but not enough to save it .It was also visually dark in places.
0 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Thunderhit!
- Thunderbolts* review by cr
I love this film!
Having previously only rated the first avengers film and the first iron man film i, like the previous reviewer, approached this with low expectations but i was really surprised how warm and funny it is!
I think florence pugh and julia LD were outstanding and the way it highlighted loneliness and mental health i thought was superb.
Not sure why there are some snippy reviews about this as its far superior to all those dull thor and multiverse films the MCU have been making and i didnt rate deadpool last year either.
The end credit scene hints at a hook up with fantastic 4 and after seeing that and liking that to they can bring it on!
Highly recommended.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
More Marvel dregs
- Thunderbolts* review by Alphaville
It opens with Florence Pugh complaining out loud as she decimates baddies. Ho-hum. No jeopardy, no tension, no thrills… Soon she asks, in what is either a mistake or a wry comment from the scriptwriter: What is the point of all this? Of course, the only answer is grabbing money from undemanding Marvel kiddies. How has film come to this? Will it never end?
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
A Film not afraid to show it cares
- Thunderbolts* review by GJ
For me, this is one of the best MCU films, mainly because I actually cared about the characters.
Like all MCU films of this phase, it does feel oddly middle-aged in that so much has gone before and the future seems uncertain.
You are disorientated for at least the first 15 minutes, as you are thrust into the action with characters you last saw years ago and situations you are SUPPOSED to know or care about. The action is slick and the performances are top-notch, but you have seen it all before. This will determine the long-term fortunes of this film as it becomes both part of a greater whole and a footnote in modern movie history.
That being said, after the first 30 minutes or so you become engaged with each character’s flaws and accept they are not the best by any means. As the film progresses, the characters begin to deal with trauma, regret and loss, and that, in turn, makes their heroics more worthy. All the cast are great; Florence Pugh gives a solid central performance, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is totally charming, yet morally bankrupt, and steals the film.
It's one of the better-edited MCU films, and the emphasis on smaller (?) details adds to the enjoyment. As good as the final result is, it is still a mid-phase Marvel movie, and plot threads are tied together in order to introduce the next film on the line. Personally, I'd rather Thunderbolts remain as a standalone example of a well-edited, well-performed action movie. However, this is the MCU, and judging by the final (pre? post? during?) credits scenes of this film, it just doesn't work that way.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Good fun nonesense
- Thunderbolts* review by HM
Florence Pugh plays her part well but maybe a bit chubby to be the Ninja character she plays but gets away with it as she expresses the depth of the character so well. A rag bag of second tier super heroes take on one of those CIA/secret military unit female dictator types currently in vogue. She helped develop these 'heroes' but watch out for mister normal becomming the most powerful Super villian of all time. He'd beat Superman up.
Daft? Yes. A bit over the top? Yes. Confusing at times? Definitely. However, great entertainment and a refreshing change from the by now, usual Marvel, out of date comics stuff.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.