Thunderbolts Review: Cringe, Surprises, and Why Fans Will Still Watch It

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The latest Marvel production, “Thunderbolts,” is available for Thursday sneak peeks. I’ve just left the cinema after watching it, approximately twenty minutes ago.

In summary, I found the film quite enjoyable and would suggest it to avid Marvel enthusiasts. The acting, characters, direction, action sequences, and visual effects were all top-notch. If you’ve kept up with the Disney+ series, particularly Black Widow and other titles, you’ll appreciate the links and payoffs. It’s a movie suitable for all ages with humor sprinkled throughout. The post-credit scenes are worth watching, but the final one is particularly noteworthy—it’s definitely worth sticking around for.

So yeah, the gist of it: Thunderbolts is a decent movie. Now on to the deep dive…

Warning: Spoilers follow

The film “Thunderbolts” is entertaining overall, but it’s filled with awkward and cheesy scenes. It also takes a while to get going. I believe even the typical Marvel fan might struggle if they haven’t kept up with these characters. A comment on social media hit the nail on the head—it’s almost like a two-hour therapy session. Essentially, it serves as a sequel to “Black Widow,” given its focus on Florence Pugh’s character, Yelena. And for clarification, I personally found “Black Widow” disappointing.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself somewhat disheartened as I watched Thunderbolts, for Yelena, a character I’ve grown fond of, seemed to be lost in a haze of despair – her sister has passed, and she appears disenchanted with life. However, the opening fight scene, where she brutally takes down a dozen adversaries, was impressively choreographed. I must admit, I admire Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Yelena, but I find her more captivating as a fierce assassin rather than a gloomy figure.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character is quite awkward and overly enthusiastic about promoting feminism. She often makes comments that label Bob as immature or similar terms. After seeing her, I wouldn’t mind if I never saw Val again. In the movie Thunderbolts, she even starts off in an impeachment hearing, which only adds to the awkwardness. She seems to be overly eager and not very convincing.

David Harbour excels as the Red Guardian. He delivers some hilarious lines. He’s an excellent performer. The scene featuring the young girl is a surprising and intense moment. Initially, I didn’t care much for him in Black Widow, but I find myself enjoying his portrayal in Thunderbolts significantly more.

Following her intriguing performance as Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp, I’m eagerly anticipating seeing Hannah John-Kamen reprise her role in the next installment. The character’s unique abilities truly captured my interest, and I can hardly wait to witness her prowess once more.

It’s widely believed that Wyatt Russell delivers a standout performance as John Walker (a.k.a US Agent) in Thunderbolts. His portrayal of the character is particularly noteworthy for his ability to convincingly play an obnoxious individual.

Olga Kurylenko returns as the gender bent version of Taskmaster. Not for very long! Thank you!

Sebastian Stan delivers some exciting sequences in the upcoming film “Captain America: Brave New World“. In this installment, he portrays a Congressman, which seems rather unbelievable. Nevertheless, he manages to compensate for it effectively. It’s hard to go wrong with Bucky Barnes; his presence would have made the movie a flop without him.

In my viewpoint, witnessing Lewis Pullman’s portrayal of Robert Reynolds, also known as The Sentry, left me utterly amazed. I couldn’t help but wonder how they initially considered Steven Yeun for the role. Frankly, it seems rather baffling to me. Thankfully, they made the wise decision that suited the character perfectly.

I must admit, Lewis Pullman did an excellent job in bringing The Sentry to life on screen. However, I found myself yearning for more depth and complexity in the character’s storyline. That fight scene against the Thunderbolts was nothing short of spectacular! The special effects were truly impressive, a refreshing change from some less-than-stellar visuals we’ve seen before.

I enjoy the main plotline. Val establishes the situation, and they unite to confront her. She possesses a powerful artifact, The Sentry. In a twist, he betrays her and transforms into The Void, causing destruction. However, the excessive self-pity dialogue, particularly from Yelena, becomes somewhat awkward and overbearing for my preferences. I understand the sentiment, but it’s repeated excessively.

The film concludes with the Thunderbolts successfully dismantling The Void. Frankly, it was inevitable. They even managed to persuade Bob. And then, just when I thought things couldn’t get any cheesier, they all embraced in a group hug! Unbelievable! But, finally, Yelena broke into a smile. Awkward!

Val is still in trouble, but she’s being positioned to get out of it – they are the New Avengers, but oh boy, that sounds really awkward and cheesy!!!

Despite facing some backlash, Marvel Studios has already moved past it. As the credits conclude, there are comments from “the trades” about how they’re not their preferred version of the Avengers, which can be a bit awkward. However, I found the post-credit scene to be a redeeming factor for the entire movie. If you’re a comic book fan, these aren’t your New Avengers. Marvel Studios seems to understand this fully.

In the scene following the credits, it’s hinted that there are two separate groups of New Avengers emerging. This could mean a confrontation between these teams in an upcoming movie like “Avengers: Doomsday“. However, you might be wondering where on earth characters like Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man (or Daredevil) are located at this point. Ha ha!

Hey there! If you take a good look at the credits, specifically the song credits, it gives away what’s going to happen in the next film! In other words, it’s a major spoiler.

The Verdict

The movie “Thunderbolts” offers some thrilling and enjoyable scenes, but it’s marred by a feeling of therapeutic discussions. Compared to other MCU films released post-“Endgame”, it ranks among the better ones. If given the chance, I would indeed be interested in exploring more about these characters; however, I hope future installments will focus less on the emotional baggage and more on the action. 8/10.

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2025-05-02 08:03