Thunderbolts*
For all 17 years theMarvel Cinematic Universehas been around , few Marvel Studios motion picture have explicitly tackle genial health with the astuteness and deftness ofThunderbolts * . for sure , Iron Man 3sees Tony Stark wrestling with PTSD from the event ofThe Avengers , Avengers : Endgameshowed the toll of brokenheartedness and clinical depression on Thor , andMoon Knighttold the story of a man live with dissociative identity element upset . But with the exception ofMoon Knight , those MCU characters ' mental health was secondary to the plot of the project . InThunderbolts * , genial health is the main write up .
Although theThunderboltscastis an ensemble , Yelena Belova ( Florence Pugh ) is our accounting entry point into this MCU project , which begins with her on a mission , wearing a twain of depression sweats , and discussing how she feel listless and without function . From there , Thunderboltsintroduces a whole cadre of Marvel characters with some of the most traumatic backstories in the enfranchisement , and proceeds to separate a story about how community and connector are some of the most of import puppet to fight against depression and other genial wellness struggles .
I wo n’t give you any platitudes aboutThunderboltsbeing the best portrayal of mental health in the MCU , or in any movie , but one thing the film does very well is depict how mussy and weak mental wellness can be . As simple as it might seem , sometimes all we really need is a reminder that we ’re not alone , that there are people who care about us , and that the public would n’t of necessity be a better place without us in it . This is , at its heart , the message ofThunderbolts;it ’s one that profoundly resonated with me , and hopefully will with many others .
However , while its picture of mental health is at the centre oftheThunderboltsmovie ’s storyand themes , it ’s not the only aspect of the picture show that contributes to how well it works . The persona dynamics are well - written and crackling with comedic and dramatic tension , the action scenes all turn in a wallop of both quiver and aroused impact , and the mold ’s performances are some of the good of the MCU . All told , Thunderboltsis a groovy , if somewhat messy and imperfect tense , MCU movie .
Florence Pugh & Lewis Pullman Steal The Show In Thunderbolts*
The Team-Up Movie Has A Couple Of Stand-Out Stars
AlthoughThunderbolts*is technically a team - up Marvel flick , the history is really about Yelena and the mysterious Bob ( Lewis Pullman ) , with the others wait on as supporting part in the central plot . I ’ll be true , I was disappoint that Bucky Barnes ( Sebastian Stan ) , who ’s been roleplay a supporting part in the MCU for almost as long as the enfranchisement has existed , was fairly sidelined yet again , but I ca n’t refuse that Pugh and Pullman are an incredibly substantial leading duette .
Pugh , who has an Oscar nomination under her belt ammunition , is easily one of the best additions to the MCU sinceAvengers : Endgame , and yield her the spotlight inThunderboltsoffered the talented actress a chance to shine . Her performance as Yelena is masterful , and it ’s clear Pugh empathise this character just as well as Stan does Bucky and Tom Hiddleston does Loki — both actors who have had far more time to build and live in their characters . That , in and of itself , is a feat . But to make Yelena as relatable as she is inThunderboltsis simply wonderful .
Still , Thunderbolts*is a two - hander , and on the other hand is Pullman as Bob . He ’s equal parts endear and fascinating to watch as the orphic character whose own tragical past unfold throughout the motion-picture show . His moral force with Pugh ’s Yelena is a high point of the movie , though I was also delighted by how well Pullman plays off of the other characters as well .
I ’d be remiss without mentioning the rest of the talentedThunderbolts*cast . Wyatt Russell ’s public presentation was a surprisal for me , insofar as how much more I genuinely enjoyed his take on John Walker . David Harbour is great as the lovable Alexei Shostakov , aka Red Guardian . He bring much of the moving-picture show ’s levity , but is also an emotional foil to Pugh ’s Yelena in key moments . Like Stan , Hannah John - Kamen is n’t given much to work with , but both are gratifying as their respective characters . Julia Louis - Dreyfus is also fantastic as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine , contribute plenty of humour , even if she ’s a bit one - dimensional .
Thunderbolts* Is An Entertaining & Enjoyable MCU Movie
The Film Tackles Heavy Topics But Never Becomes A Dour Slog
Much has been say about the MCU ’s use of wittiness to balance the life - and - death bet Marvel often include in their movies , but I thinkThunderboltsmight be the best example of how of import levity is in making a motion picture with serious paper still be fun and delightful . The comedy and humor used inThunderboltsrarely , if ever , undercut the seriousness of Yelena and Bob ’s — and all the other characters ' — difficult feeling . It feels very much like a ease , like laughing when you need to cry .
Thunderbolts*is both a quintessential Marvel moving picture and something more .
All narrate , Thunderboltsis both a quintessential Marvel movie and something more . At multiplication , it almost felt likeThunderboltscould be any movie about a chemical group of rogue spy , but the fact that it included character reference I ’ve grown to sleep together and care about made it all the more effective . As such , it ’s the rare moving-picture show that can be appreciated by casual Marvel lover and diehards likewise . It ’s not quite an Avengers movie , since it ’s dismal and dirty than those MCU films , but it ’s a squad - up worthy of keep an eye on and make love .
In a post - Endgamelandscape that has been more than a piddling messy — with fibre introduced and never returning , and the whole design for the Multiverse Saga being argufy halfway through — Thunderbolts*is the Marvel film the MCU require right now . It ’s a fiddling crude around the edges , but it has a good heart , and features a bully cast of character who are the underdogs of the franchise — and who are bound to become fan - favorites ( if they are n’t already ) . AfterThunderbolts * , I ’m more excited about the focusing of the MCU than I have been in quite a while .
