Thunderbolts*

4/30/2025

Directed by Jake Schreier (Netflix’s Beef, Showtime’s Kidding) and written by Eric Pearson (Transformers One, Black Widow) and Joanna Calo (The Bear, Bojack Horseman), Thunderbolts* documents the emptiness surrounding Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) as she goes through the motions while working for the Ox Group led by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Yelena still hasn’t recovered from Natasha/Black Widow’s death and is sick of killing people and doing villainous tasks for money. After a visit with her father figure Alexai Shostakov (David Harbour), Yelena decides to go straight and attempt to be a hero. Unfortunately for her, de Fontaine is currently being investigated by the government and is on the verge of being impeached. Yelena’s last job is just an excuse for

5/1/2025

Thunderbolts genuinely surprised me. I went in expecting a fun Marvel team up but got something even better: a fresh story, fantastic humor, and well-rounded characters that made it stand out in the MCU. The Vault escape sequence was funny and memorable, capturing the chaotic spirit and humorous banter between the team. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine makes a standout villain, she was clever, cunning, and convincingly evil. The character dynamics were great. Yelena Belova anchors the film emotionally, while Bucky Barnes feels more relatable and likeable than ever. Bob was a fun addition, bringing subtle humor and a few standout moments that added to the story's emotional beats and brought a few moments of intensity. The rest of the Thunderbolts comprising of Red Guardian, Ghost and U.

5/1/2025

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/thunderbolts-movie-review-a-refreshing-character-driven-detour-from-multiversal-chaos/ "Thunderbolts* is an exceptional superhero movie precisely because it focuses on a deep exploration of human fragility. Prioritizing its broken protagonists' internal struggles over pure audiovisual spectacle shows a rare maturity in a franchise often criticized for sacrificing substance in favor of generic scale. This bold approach allows the cast to shine - Florence Pugh especially, who firmly establishes herself as one of the MCU's core pillars. By exploring themes like depression, grief, abandonment, and reconnection with honesty and care, Jake Schreier transforms a blockbuster into a poignant meditation on shared purpose and what it me

5/3/2025

I wasn't really interested in seeing it, but I was interested in taking my wife to a movie for date night, so we did it and... ... nothing in the movie made us really interested in the movie we were watching. A lot happens that the plot demands happen. There's a lot of conveniences that are nicely peppered throughout the film that the protagonists can use because it's necessary for the plot. I get the the feeling that the characters are from other Marvel shows, most of which my wife and I never cared to watch or just gave up on after the first couple of episodes. And we left a little less interested in it than we were when we came in.

5/4/2025

Superheroes are supposed to be special, gifted individuals, so it logically follows that movies about them should be equally special. However, as has become all too apparent in recent years, that quality has been steadily eroding in these films due to oversaturation in the cinematic marketplace, a circumstance that naturally begs the question, how special (i.e., how different or distinguished) can they really be when there are so many of them? Sadly, that's the key issue weighing down this latest release in the Marvel Universe. Even though the film serves as an introduction to a new slate of Marvel superheroes, the picture isn't particularly groundbreaking given the many similar offerings that have preceded it in this genre. Despite this film's few minor modifications to an otherwise-formu

5/6/2025

Just watched Thunderbolts and honestly... I did not expect this at all. Went in with pretty low expectations—thought it’d be just another filler Marvel movie—but it actually exceeded them by a lot. The characters had solid chemistry, the action was tight, and there were a few emotional moments that caught me off guard (in a good way). It’s definitely not your typical superhero team-up; felt a little grittier and more grounded. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but it surprised me in the best way. If you’re on the fence, give it a shot. Way better than I thought it’d be.