'Thunderbolts*' review: B-tier superhero squad gives Marvel some life

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

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There is something amicable and, dare I say it, noteworthy about Marvel’s latest smash-and-grab superhero team-up caper “Thunderbolts*” in that it’s got more on its mind than the last few duds thrown out by the studio that peaked with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Granted, it’s still a visually inept film with strange character arcs, wobbly narrative swings, and clumsily assembled action sequences, but the beauty of “Thunderbolts*,” the 36th (!) entry in the now burdensome Marvel Cinematic Universe, is how it uses the formula to actually approach a sensitive subject: mental illness, through the lens of spandex and superpowers. Oh, and having national treasure Florence Pugh as your centerpiece doesn’t hurt either.

Pugh’s Yelena Belova, sister to Scarlett Johansson’s late Black Widow, is the reluctant hero and unofficial leader of the brigade who inevitably call themselves the Thunderbolts, cleverly named after Yelena’s childhood soccer team. Early in the film, Yelena confesses that she’s been feeling empty, haunted by nightmares and seeking escape from a dark void tied to her troubled past. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the studio whose recent output has largely been about course-correcting after a string of misfires and the public fallout from the recasting of its central villain following Jonathan Majors’ conviction for assault and battery.

That a Marvel film would even broach the subject of mental health, and the toll Yelena’s upbringing has taken on her, through a big-budget lens is a commendable win for director Jake Schreier (who, after small-scale efforts like “Paper Towns” and Netflix’s “Beef,” is the latest indie filmmaker to get swallowed by the Marvel machine) and screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. Pugh brings just the right balance of levity and weight to the role, helping elevate “Thunderbolts*” into a slightly above-average MCU entry that wisely doesn’t try to punch above its B-list weight class.

With “Thunderbolts*” it feels as though Marvel is trying to make amends for its declining cultural cachet, embracing a more relaxed approach where the stakes matter less than the camaraderie. Still, many will likely view “Thunderbolts*” as a glorified placeholder, quietly biding its time until next summer’s mega-event “Avengers: Doomsday” kicks off the next ten-year plan. But for a moment, watching this ragtag crew—which includes Sebastian Stan’s now-congressman Bucky Barnes, Lewis Pullman’s mysterious Bob, David Harbour’s past-his-prime Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s C-list Captain America John Walker, and Ava Starr’s Ghost—there’s a glimmer of amusement.

They’re united by a common objective: first to try and kill each other, then to thwart the nefarious Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, clearly having fun and hopefully earning a hefty paycheck). They bicker, wrestle, and toss zingers like any dysfunctional family, and the film knows better than to take itself too seriously. The lighter tone works to its benefit, and the filmmakers do an admirable job making these otherwise disposable characters—seriously, does anyone even remember John Walker?—feel at least mildly engaging.

There’s something to be said for Marvel when it feels unshackled from fan expectations. It’s as though they can afford to be a little edgier, a little looser, not so concerned with canon so long as the characters eventually land on the path studio head Kevin Feige has charted. Maybe we should’ve known after “Guardians of the Galaxy” that the only way Marvel approaches originality is when no one really cares where the characters came from in the first place.

As is typical with post-“Endgame” entries, the action in “Thunderbolts*” feels largely lifeless, with uninspired choreography and little energy. Still, Pugh remains locked into her character, her internal monologues lending some emotional weight amid the CGI-heavy chaos. It all builds to one of the more inspired climaxes in recent MCU memory, in which the team faces their literal demons inside a series of interconnected rooms. Yes, the main villain in “Thunderbolts*” is therapy, and the film surprisingly ties its mental health themes together in a way that’s oddly moving. Credit where it’s due.

“Thunderbolts*” is a welcome change of pace from the usual Marvel sludge, actually daring to explore the emotional inner lives of its characters. The filmmakers deserve recognition for walking the tightrope between thematic depth and the studio’s trademark bombast. And honestly, at this point, you have to laugh at the idea of anyone still living in New York City in the MCU. After everything that’s happened—from “The Avengers” and “Hawkeye” to “Daredevil” and now “Thunderbolts*”—it’s a wonder the population hasn’t just packed up and left entirely.

Grade: B- 

THUNDERBOLTS* is now playing in theaters.