Stepping out of their comfort zone, the boffins at Marvel are trying their best to make relevant movies in an ever-changing world. By replacing the single-minded heroism that has defined the product for many years with dysfunctional family-infused heroics, they are succeeding in becoming more relevant.
The fact that the MCU regular regulars are mostly absent only reinforces the change in direction. Florence Pugh as family member Yelena tries her best to carry the film and it’s great to see a not-so-perfect woman be the heart and soul of the work. Comic interludes also play a large role in establishing the newish feel.
The big evil this time is a bit hard to categorise and the two characters actor Lewis Pullman plays, Robert Reynolds or Bob and Sentry are two distinct personalities and couldn’t be more different. Sentry’s internal darkness is shown by actual darkness and is pleasantly creepy. David Harbour as the blunt tool Red Guardian is played mostly for laughs but also provides some nice family moments.
Other than the crazy credit scene at the very end that makes Thunderbolts* feel a bit like a two-hour trailer for the upcoming Marvel release The Fantastic Four: First Steps, this work is a step in a satisfying direction. There are many valid characters in the Marvel Universe to be discovered on screen and it’s time to showcase the lesser known ones. Especially the relatable female ones.
Rob Hudson
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