The Mosley Review: Thunderbolts*
Remember when films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a theme? Not musically, but a thematic core. Whether it was a political thriller, a heist film, martial arts epic or even an 80's B-Movie throwback. During phases 1 - 3, there was a consistent collection of different types of Marvel films and I truly have missed that type of storytelling. Recently those type of stories are far and between, but thanks to this film I think we're finally heading back into the right direction. What I truly appreciated with this film was that it was about the misfits and sort of C list tier of characters that I have come to love, but never thought of them as leaders in a film. Some more than most had the chance to be fleshed out in a TV series or spin-off film, but here they all get a chance to shine. Yeah there is the standard action sequences we all love about these films, but it was the story around them that gave it all purpose. It was a more grounded story about relationships, the internal struggle of finding worth in life and the turmoil one face with mental health. This was a massive therapy session for each character and it worked so well.
Florence Pugh returns as Yelena Belova and she is fantastic as expected. She takes the character on a more nihilistic journey in the beginning as she begins to wrestle with her inner struggle to find purpose in life. Even though she takes down targets around the world, it was a very relatable commentary on the mundane and by the numbers nature of a 9 to 5 job. The emotional peaks she goes through as she deals with the estranged relationship she has with her father was touching. David Harbour also returns as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian and he was more boisterous than ever before. He loves to have a great time in battle and he loves teamwork, but the real depth of the character comes out when he is with Yelena. Their relationship was explored even further and you see the much needed connection between them begin to reform. Sebastian Stan continues to shine as Bucky Barnes and I liked that he had to face being a more public figure with his dry and awkward press work. The dichotomy between being a politician and a natural rogue hero is explored with him and that was fun. Wyatt Russell continues to be the fun, arrogant jerk that John Walker / U.S. Agent is. He was a man of action instead of patience as he still holds on to his "glory days" as a the former, government appointed, Captain America. There was more going on in his personal life and it shows how that facade he pushes forward as a coping mechanism. Hannah John-Kamen gets a lot more to do this time around as Ava Starr / Ghost. It has been a while since we've seen her and I liked that she had more than just her powers to give to the group. At times, she was the more tactical one to Walker's shoot first personality. As a team, they are dysfunctional as they battle their own individual demons, but that was a bonding point for them. The trauma bonding was real and it truly was the core of the team.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was cunning and wicked as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. The manipulation game she plays with the Thunderbolts* was annoyingly astounding. I loved that she was always one step ahead of everyone even when she was about to lose. Her political battle with Congress was a more twisted version of Tony Stark's hearing in Iron Man 2 which was fantastic. Geraldine Viswanathan was great as her assistant Mel and I was glad that she was more involved than most would expect. She gave the fun perspective of a not so corrupted soul working for a very bent person. Her scenes were fun and I loved her pleading with Bucky as everything started to get too real. Lewis Pullman does the most work in the film as Bob Reynolds / Sentry / Void. As Bob he was a breathe of fresh air as he awkwardly enters this world of heroes and anti-heroes. I loved his childlike innocence, but he truly shines once you get to his backstory. As I said before, the film tackles trauma and mental health in a grounded and somewhat fantastical way. I loved that he was constantly at odds with himself as he discovers his newly acquired powers. Pullman truly delivers an emotionally charged performance as you get an intimate look into the characters' past and Pullman portrays that pain so well in his eyes.
The score by Son Lux was fun and bombastic in the best way. The desert sequences were a highlight as you get the more heroic themes. The third act of the film truly comes alive with darker, somewhat gothic and heartbreaking tones as the real battle within the minds of certain characters. Visually, the film is stunning as it moves away from the shiny nature of the "Marvel look". It was grittier and not afraid of the more moody lighting. Its been a while since Marvel has had a challenging film to come out that was focused on a central thematic element. This might be a new favorite Marvel film and I would love to revisit it. Of course stay for both end credit scenes as we head into the next MCU event film on the horizon. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
