Thunderbolts*

Movie Name: Thunderbolts*
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Jake Schreier 
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Wendell Pierce, Chris Bauer, Olga Kurylenko, Alexa Swinton, Violet McGraw, Eric Lange, Chiara Stella
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

Marvel Studios continues their ongoing release schedule, now more modestly paced as a result of the debacle that some of their more recent films have turned out to be (with the exception of the tremendously successful  "Deadpool & Wolverine", which became the biggest R-rated hit of all time - at least thus far). "Thunderbolts*" is also Jake Schreier's third feature, the first in 10 years, following quite a few years working on prestige TV-Shows and mini series (he directed episodes of "Beef", "Minx", and "Skeleton Crew"). The film follows Yelena Belova, who is currently a mercenary working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Her sister, Black Widow, has died, and she feels a void that is starting to consume her. Valentina in the meantime is being impeached, and is eradicating all proof that indicates all illicit wrong-doings she has been banking for quite some time. Yelena, and a few other mercenaries, including John Walker, Ava Starr, and Antonia Dreykov, all find themselves in a similar locale, only to realize they're all the last loose ends Valentina wants to get rid of, and they've all been properly trapped. While at that bunker, they also come across a man named Bob, who has no recollection of how he found himself there, and is only sure of how unremarkable he is. While the group manages to escape that deathtrap, as it turns out, Bob is a man who has been given an experimental drug devised by a group of scientists banked by Valentina, to create a creature better than all the Avengers. And while Bob does uncover some of his newfound abilities, he also does not know how to control them. That's not a problem for Valentina, who immediately sees a way to escape her impeachment and avoid jail time.

"Thunderbolts*" tries very hard not to repeat the errors of past Marvel films, by not relying on TV Shows and continuity of the long saga, to build a sensical narrative, one that is populated with marginally constructed characters, and that actually has an arc for some of those same characters. In this particular case, the film smartly anchors itself on Yelena's journey, illustrating her past trauma, how it inhibits her sense of belonging and also how it cripples her ability to continue to move through life, particularly in her line of business. Where the film falls into the typical trappings of the Marvel formula, is the inability to give any of the supporting characters, something more than just rough sketches of motivation, and for some others, something more than a comedic/jovial/clownish approach to their interactions (which in this case is brought to life by David Harbour). One of the most interesting aspects of this film, and also one of the most frustrating ones, is the introduction of Bob, who is a gray character because of how he evolves, and how much more could have been done with this character. Suffice to say, from a moral and villainous counterpoint to all these anti-heroes, and as lovely as Julia Louis-Dreyfus is, neither her nor her plan, or members of that same plan, are sufficiently morally bankrupt or chillingly sinister (as say, Robert Redford's in "Winter Soldier"), to warrant or capture much attention. What we're left with is a watchable film, populated with a solid cast, decent visual effects, and that's pretty much it. Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, and Lewis Pullman all create compelling characters, and the production team is solid yet unremarkable (this is yet another Marvel film that is devoid of much in terms of visual style sadly). It's a watchable endeavor.