MOVIE TITLE:     Thunderbolts

The newest Marvel movie of misfits, “disposable delinquints”, and antiheroes is now playing in theaters!  It’s the final film of Phase 5 of the MCU.

RATING:     PG-13

LENGTH:  2 hours 6 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:    B+

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IN A NUTSHELL:

The story picks up right after the Captain America: Brave New World movie.  In fact, in that film, the Washington Monument in Washington, DC was damaged, so in this movie, we see scaffolding around the monument to suggest repairs are being made.  Nice touch of continuity!

Forced to confront a deadly scheme orchestrated by de Fontaine and tied to the mysterious O.X.E. Group’s “Sentry” project, the team must navigate their traumatic pasts and personal demons—embodied by the menacing Void—to survive and find redemption. The film’s emotional core lies in their journey from loners to a found family.

The film was directed by Jake Schreier.  Writing credits go to Eric Pearson, Joanna Calo, and Kurt Busiek.

Already, the trailer has been nominated for “Best Music Supervision for a Trailer” by the GMS Award.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Lots of violence
• Various weapons are used
• Some profanity
• Russian is spoken in some scenes, often without subtitles
• There are a lot of dramatic scenes that discuss inner turmoil that might confuse kids.

THEMES:

• Fighting your own demons
• Purpose in life
• Internal battles
• Mental health
• Teamwork
• Father/daughter relationship
• Politics
• Being a good person
• Right vs. wrong
• Feeling alone
• Redemption

THINGS I LIKED:

• It offers the well-balanced blend of action, humor, quirky characters, interesting plot, great cast, and emotional heart that we all want in superhero movies. Welcome back, Marvel!
• Florence Pugh is such a standout in any movie. She’s the heart of this film and the one who really brings the emotion that will make your eyes water. I’ve loved her in everything I’ve seen her in. When she asked Marvel Studios if she could do the stunt of jumping off the Merdeka building in Malaysia in the opening, they adamantly refused. She persisted and they finally let her jump off the 2^nd tallest building in the world!  Yikes!  Is she a Tom Cruise in the making? Andy Park, the director of Marvel’s Visual Development described this movie as a sequel to the 2021 Black Widow, which Florence Pugh absolutely crushed.
• Florence Pugh is the undeniable heart of Thunderbolts, delivering a raw, nuanced performance as Yelena. Her ability to balance sardonic wit, vulnerability, and action-hero grit makes her a standout, cementing her as a pillar of the MCU’s future. Lewis Pullman’s portrayal of Bob/The Sentry is equally compelling, offering a complex depiction of mental health struggles that resonates deeply. David Harbour’s Red Guardian provides comedic relief with his boisterous, nostalgic charm, while Sebastian Stan’s Bucky adds soulful gravitas, though some fans may wish for more screen time for him. The ensemble’s chemistry is electric, with character dynamics—like Yelena and Ghost’s playful jabs at Walker’s “hat” or Red Guardian’s banter with Bucky—creating memorable, heartfelt moments.
• Unlike most MCU films, Thunderbolts places mental health at its core, exploring depression, loneliness, and regret with surprising maturity. Yelena’s opening scene, teetering on a skyscraper while voicing her “emptiness,” sets a tone of raw honesty. The film’s antagonist, the Void, serves as a literal and metaphorical manifestation of the characters’ inner struggles, making their battles both visceral and emotionally resonant. This focus on human fragility, paired with the theme of community as a lifeline, elevates Thunderbolts beyond typical superhero fare, drawing comparisons to A24’s introspective dramas.
• Jake Schreier’s direction infuses the film with a scrappy, grounded energy, distinct from the glossy Infinity Saga.
• Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo crafts striking visuals, such as a black-and-white overhead shot of Yelena’s hallway fight, which conveys her isolation with artistic flair.
• When we see the lab Yelena blew up, it wasn’t CGI! They actually set off an explosion in a building!
• I loved the variety of camera angles, especially the bird’s-eye views.
• There is a lot of spoken and visual humor.
• Tons of fun action sequences. Some of them are pretty entertaining and creative.
• We see actual footage from a Labor Day parade in Moscow Square from 1981. They inserted a younger Alexei into the historical footage.
• MCU fans will appreciate all of the Easter eggs.  For example, Bucky holds a car door as his shield, referencing Steve Rogers holding a cab door as his shield in the 2011 movie Captain America: The First Avenger.
• Shout-out to Wheaties cereal. ha ha
• Don’t miss the last 2 lines of the movie. It’s the big reveal of the movie and the MCU. Keep watching during the credits to learn more about how the story unfolds right after those 2 lines.
• As always, keep watching until the very last of the final rolling credits for another fun scene. You should all know to do that by now for MCU movies, right?  Get this: The Russo brothers directed the post-credit scene!  This was their first time to work with the MCU since the Avengers: Endgame in 2019. By the way, Sam Wilson answers the question that President Ross asks him in Captain America: Brave New World!
• The ship we see at the end of the movie belongs to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will be released later this year.  It also serves to set up the 2026 movie Avengers: Doomsday.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• While Thunderbolts balances dark themes with humor, the tonal shifts can feel jarring. The comedic quips, often leaning on Joss Whedon-esque wisecracks, occasionally undermine the film’s emotional weight, especially in the first act. Some dialogue feels formulaic, and the lighter moments don’t always land, making the film feel like a “downer” at times despite its uplifting message.
• With such a large ensemble, not every character gets their due. Ghost and Taskmaster, in particular, feel underwritten, with Ghost only shining in key action scenes and Taskmaster’s role reduced to minimal dialogue. John Walker’s arc, while intriguing, lacks resolution, and Bucky’s limited screen time disappoints fans expecting a co-lead role. The villain, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, is compellingly played by Louis-Dreyfus but lacks depth, serving more as a plot device than a fully realized antagonist.
• The climactic confrontation with the Void, while visually striking, feels rushed and slightly anticlimactic. The resolution leans on familiar MCU tropes, and the emotional payoff, though moving, could have been more powerful with additional runtime to breathe. Some critics note the ending feels like a setup for future films, which slightly undercuts its standalone impact.
• It helps to have seen other Marvel movies to understand the MCU and The Avengers. I don’t know if watching this one as a first-time experience will make new fans. What do you think?
• Not all of the jokes land. 

FUNNY LINES:

• “That’s funny. I needed that. Thank you.” –  Yelena Belova      (Florence Pugh)
• “So, none of us flies? We all just punch and shoot?” – Yelena Belova      (Florence Pugh)
• “Who is this old Santa?” –  Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) referring to the fact that David Harbour played Santa Claus in the dark comedy Violent Night in 2022.
• “Don’t worry! She’s bulletproof.” – Alexei Shostakov “What happened to bulletproof?” – John Walker “It’s bulletproof-ish” – Alexei Shostakov

INTERESTING LINES:

•  “There’s something wrong with me: an emptiness.”  Yelena Belova   (Florence Pugh)
•  “Righteousness without power is just an opinion.” – Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
• “People love a classic hero.” – Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) 

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

•  Captain America: Brave New World: https://moviereviewmom.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-movie-review/
•  Captain America: Civil War: https://moviereviewmom.com/captain-america-delivers-a-powerful-punch-in-the-box-office-and-the-heart/

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