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Muscat Daily
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Hollywood movie review: Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts is a 2025 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the team Thunderbolts. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo. The movie had premiered on April 22 at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England, and was released in the United States on May 2, as the final film of Phase Five of the MCU. The film's ending reveals that the Thunderbolts team is rebranded as 'The New Avengers' following the film's opening weekend, Marvel Studios implemented a rebranding of the film itself as The New Avengers in alignment with the narrative development. The plot follows Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) one of the Black Widows and sister to Natasha Romanoff. Burnt out in her job as a 'cleaner' for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) she seeks a more formidable role, inspired partly by her father, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour) who dreams of bigger things. When she poses this idea to de Fontaine, her shadowy boss agrees, so long as she'll complete one final mission. De Fontaine has other ideas. She's busy cleaning house while under a congressional investigation and wants all evidence of her misdeeds scrubbed, including her special operatives, who she pits against one another in a remote lab deep underground. Things don't go her way, and our rag-tag band of heroes escapes with a mysterious man named Bob (Lewis Pullan) with equally mysterious powers and an adorably affable demeanor. One thing leads to another, and the reluctant band of anti-heroes ends up teaming up to take down de Fontaine. In Malaysia, Yelena Belova destroys a laboratory on behalf of CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to conceal her involvement with the OXE Group's 'Sentry' superhuman project. As de Fontaine faces imminent impeachment for her work with the group, she dispatches Yelena, John Walker, Ava Starr, and Taskmaster to a covert OXE facility under the pretense of a mission. Once there, the operatives are pitted against one another in a deadly confrontation where Ava kills Taskmaster before they unexpectedly discover a mysterious man named Bob. Where the film stumbles, rather badly, is in its third act. When things take a terrible turn for the worse, our heroes have to face off against Sentry, a superhero more powerful than all the original Avengers combined (according to de Fontaine). Get into the world of superheroes, if such action keeps your adrenalin flowing. Rating – ***Genre: Superhero action Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman
Forbes
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Thunderbolts' Review: The Best Marvel Movie In A Long Time, With One Big Problem
Thunderbolts Credit: Marvel Thunderbolts has rekindled some of the magic lost in the MCU, though it's not without its problems. Then again, no Marvel film is without its flaws. At least this one seems to understand what audiences want better than most post-End Game efforts from the studio. The MCU has been in rough shape. Outside of a few exceptions – Spider-Man: No Way Home, Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 and, to a lesser degree, Deadpool & Wolverine and Shang Chi – the film side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been pretty lackluster in its fourth and fifth phases. Some of the Disney+ shows have been excellent – WandaVision, Agatha All Along and especially Loki – but many of those have misfired as well. And a big problem with the project as a whole is tying everything together, including the TV shows, which makes it much harder for audiences to keep up, especially as more and more fans burn out and start skipping lackluster offerings. Thunderbolts feels a bit more like old-school MCU fare. It's leaps and bounds better than the other most recent Marvel movie, the cumbersome and unsatisfying Captain America: Brave New World. Spoilers follow. The plot follows Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) one of the Black Widows and sister to Natasha Romanoff. She's burnt out in her job as a 'cleaner' for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and wants a more 'public facing' role, inspired partly by her father, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (David Harbour) who dreams of bigger things. Thunderbolts Credit: Marvel When she poses this idea to de Fontaine, her shadowy boss agrees, so long as she'll complete one final mission. De Fontaine has other ideas. She's busy cleaning house while under a congressional investigation and wants all evidence of her misdeeds scrubbed, including her special operatives, who she pits against one another in a remote lab deep underground. Things don't go her way, and our rag-tag band of heroes escapes with a mysterious man named Bob (Lewis Pullan) with equally mysterious powers and an adorably affable demeanor. One thing leads to another, and the reluctant band of anti-heroes ends up teaming up to take down de Fontaine. Other members of the 'Thunderbolts' include Wyatt Russell's John Walker aka U.S. Agent, the once-Captain America whose rage issues led to his downfall and recruitment into de Fontaine's cabal; Ava Starr's Ghost, an assassin who can turn invisible and phase through walls; and, of course, Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier, who becomes the de facto leader of the group. Barnes is also a newly minted congressman, though he has no patience for his colleagues' committees and red tape. The movie works on a lot of levels. It's quite funny, for one thing, with a great blend of humor thanks to Harbour's over-the-top Red Guardian and Yelena's acerbic wit. The chemistry between Pugh, Harbour, Russell and Pullman is genuinely great. And Sebastian Stan gets to have one very cool action sequence to remind us how much of a badass the Winter Soldier really is, and how much he really deserves his own movie. (I'm still pulling for a Sebastian Stan Luke Skywalker movie also . . . .) The action is great throughout the film, and the whole thing is really well-paced, clocking in at just about two hours. Thunderbolts Credit: Marvel Where the film stumbles, rather badly, is in its third act. When things take a terrible turn for the worse, our heroes have to face off against Sentry, a superhero more powerful than all the original Avengers combined (according to de Fontaine). But Sentry quickly turns into his other, darker half: Void. It's a great setup for an epic showdown, but everything that follows feels rushed and the resolution is too neat and tidy. Given the pretty fascinating history of these dueling personas, a lot more could have been done with the Sentry/Void character, and I hope we do see more in future films. As it stands, this felt like too many other MCU films with strong opening arcs and a rushed conclusion. I often complain that superhero movies are too long, but this one might have benefited from a bit more screen time, or more economical use of time earlier on in the picture. Still, I enjoyed this a great deal even if I wouldn't include it with S-Tier MCU films like The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Spider-Man: No Way Home. Thunderbolts has a lot of heart, a great sense of humor and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. While it stumbles in the third act, it's still worth a watch. And be sure to stick around for both the mid-credits and post-credits scene. The latter is actually pretty meaty, and sets up Phase 6 of the MCU. P.S. I've seen some people saying the film engages too much in 'girlboss' stuff or makes the male characters seem stupid compared to the female characters. While this has definitely been an issue in some MCU products (ahem, She-Hulk) I really don't think it's a very good critique of Thunderbolts. Characters like John Walker and Red Guardian are definitely played for laughs, but they also get some really great moments with heart and badassery. It felt like a pretty solid balance across the cast, with everyone flawed but ultimately likeable and heroic. And I'm so glad that we aren't doing multiverse stuff anymore! Only Loki and No Way Home handled this really well. Even Deadpool & Wolverine was bogged down by the multiverse garbage. But that's just my personal opinion, shaped by overuse of the gimmick over the years. (The Spider-Verse films do it well also, but aren't part of the MCU). Have you seen Thunderbolts? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Thunderbolts* is yet another symptom of Marvel's creative fatigue...
Since Avengers: Endgame, every new Marvel project has carried the impossible task of living up to that seismic finale. Audiences waited, hoping each release would restore the universe's lost magic. But after a series of lukewarm entries and creative misfires, the anticipation has started to curdle into scepticism. Thunderbolts* could have been Marvel's big redemption play—a return to a team-up format, banking on flawed, lesser-known heroes. Instead, it proves just how far the MCU has drifted from what made it special. The film assembles a motley crew of damaged characters, headlined by Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, with a brooding Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), a jaded Red Guardian (David Harbour), the not-worthy Captain America aka John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who merely exists in the film as a plot device—to open doors and drive cars. While there's potential in its premise, Thunderbolts* stumbles with an inconsistent tone, a lack of narrative coherence, and an over-reliance on emotional shorthand that never truly lands. Led reluctantly by Yelena Belova, the film follows a group of disgraced and haunted antiheroes pulled into a covert government operation spearheaded by the enigmatic Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). As secrets unravel, it becomes clear that de Fontaine has been running shadow ops behind the scenes, using these unstable figures as pawns. When her cover is at risk, she turns on her own team to erase all traces of her misdeeds. Among the crew is the emotionally volatile and the out-of-place yet pivotal Bob (Lewis Pullman)—a confused, amnesiac man who becomes central to both the mission and, perhaps, the MCU's future. Betrayed and cornered, the team is forced to unite not out of camaraderie, but survival. Together, they try to outwit de Fontaine's forces while wrestling with their own demons and fractured pasts. There's no denying the film's strongest asset is its cast. Florence Pugh brings both grit and emotional vulnerability to Yelena, grounding the team with some semblance of heart. Julia Louis-Dreyfus continues to impress as de Fontaine. Her blend of biting wit and sinister charm gives the film some much-needed edge, making her character one of the most compelling in Marvel's recent line-up. Lewis Pullman's Bob is a standout. Yes, he played Bob in Top Gun: Maverick too. But lovely coincidences aside, he's not your standard villain—or hero—but something far more ambiguous. Lewis plays him with a touching mix of innocence and buried rage, embodying the MCU's increasing fascination with characters who defy easy categorisation. His arc offers the film's most emotionally authentic moments, often feeling like a commentary on trauma in superhero narratives. Despite its intentions, Thunderbolts* feels burdened by the weight of what it's trying to achieve. The film juggles too many characters without giving most of them meaningful development. Bucky Barnes, for instance—arguably the most seasoned among them—is sidelined to the point of irrelevance. His arc, which had so much promise, plays more like an extended cameo than the leadership role he clearly deserved. Tonally, the film is all over the place. It attempts to balance dark psychological themes with breezy banter and fast-paced action, but the shifts feel abrupt and forced. Serious topics like mental illness are brushed over with superficial resolutions—at one point, even suggesting emotional healing through touch. The intent may be poetic, but the execution feels rushed and reductive. It feels as if the film suffers from Marvel's growing habit of trying to replicate old successes by forcing new characters into familiar moulds. While Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America once rose from obscurity to icon status, Thunderbolts* lacks the fresh energy that made those stories work in the first place. Instead, it feels like a patchwork of MCU leftovers trying to pose as something bold. Thunderbolts* had all the makings of a fresh chapter in Marvel's evolving storybook—flawed heroes, moral ambiguity, political conspiracies—but it never quite pulls it together. The film tries to be profound and fun, dark yet hopeful, but in trying to be everything, it ends up being not much at all. At its best, it hints at a darker, messier corner of the MCU. But mostly, it serves as a reminder of how risk-averse and self-referential the franchise has become. Thunderbolts* doesn't pave a new path forward—it simply spins its wheels where better films once stood.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Thunderbolts* movie review: A Marvel B-team brings A-grade entertainment
(From left) David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell and Florence Pugh in Thunderbolts*. PHOTO: THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY At The Movies: Weak superheroes make for strong entertainment in Thunderbolts* Thunderbolts* (PG13) 126 minutes, opens on May 1 ★★★★☆ The story: A group of superheroes with spotty records and shady pasts – Yelena Belova/Black Widow (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell) – reluctantly unite when faced with a threat posed by CIA director and industrialist Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). The asterisk in the film's title points to its conditional or provisional nature. Its precise meaning will not be revealed here. Instead, have this takeaway: This is the most emotionally rich Marvel movie to come along in a long time. A decent film-maker can evoke tears with Tony Stark's death in Avengers: Endgame (2019). But it takes talent to wring pathos from a scene in which two lower-ranked Marvel characters talk about the ways they have been hurt. The film's easy-going yet deceptively taut storytelling stands in contrast to the grim and less coherent Captain America: Brave New World (2025), the most recent Marvel outing. As the trailer suggests, Thunderbolts* is a comedy centred on a team of misfits. What is surprising is the number and quality of the jokes, most of which stem from them being painfully aware of their inability to do anything awesome, like fly or shoot webs. As villainess de Fontaine puts it, these are 'antisocial defectives' with B-grade powers, worsened by the emotional baggage they bring to the job. Viewers familiar with their backgrounds through their appearances on the Disney+ spin-off shows will enjoy a richer experience, but that foreknowledge is not essential. Red Guardian, the former Soviet supersoldier, is, aptly , a boisterous bear in human form, trying to bond with wary adoptive daughter, the assassin Yelena (Pugh). Their exchanges crackle with a tense energy. Unusually for a Marvel ensemble work, the cast is stacked with strong character actors, beginning with Harbour and Louis-Dreyfus, who are ably backed by Russell and Stan. Russell is striking as the disgraced former Captain America, now a glorified henchman for de Fontaine, played by Louis-Dreyfus in a role that will have fans of her political satire Veep (2012 to 2019) weep with joy. As de Fontaine, she personifies hypercapitalist America, the beast that swallows superheroes and turns them into products. The veteran actress brings such joie de vivre to the part, it becomes impossible to hate a woman who loves her job so much. Director Jake Schreier, making his Marvel feature debut, handled the middlebrow dramedies Robot & Frank (2012) and Paper Towns (2015), but it is his television work that best represents his ability to balance pathos, comedy and heartfelt emotion. He directed episodes of the cruelly underappreciated comedy Lodge 49 (2018 to 2019), which also starred Russell, as well as the first season of the Emmy-winning Netflix satire Beef (2023). In Beef, the story of a feud taken to monstrous extremes, an ounce of therapy would have prevented a pound of suffering. The same principle applies in this film, except the stakes are much higher. Hot take: Thunderbolts* delivers rare emotional richness through its B-list heroes, proving that often, stronger superpowers lead to weaker storytelling. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
