Mikes Film Talk

The 2025 Marvel action film Thunderbolts* proves that, according to comic canon at least; good villains are made, not born. Their apparently innate badness is nurtured by dysfunctional families, evil governments or evil leaders of said governments. Did I expect this to be the message conveyed?

Not really. I waited impatiently for this latest Marvel offering mainly because of Florence Pugh, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I am an unabashed fan of all three.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the actors in this one and the layered characters they play. There is, however, a special place in my heart for the above mentioned actors.

The Thunderbolts* Story

Ms de Fontaine attempts to destroy all her “black ops” material, including employees. A small group of super antiheroes end up almost being incinerated. They decide to band together, somewhat reluctantly, and fight back. The new compatriots soon learn that de Fontaine is the least of their problems.

Main Cast

Florence Pugh is Yelena Belova.

Sebastian Stan is Bucky Barnes.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

Lewis Pullman is Robert Reynolds.

David Harbour is Alexei Shostakov

Wyatt Russell is John Walker.

Hannah John-Kamen is Ava Starr.

Geraldine Viswanathan is Mel.

*Keep your eyes peeled for Olga Kurylenko. This is literally a blink and you will miss it cameo. I blinked. Watching it again did not help at all. Finally I had to rewind and look very closely. Olga is there and just as impressive as always.*

Let’s Talk Thunderbolts*

There is something soothing about seeing a Marvel film that works. Albeit in a slightly different vein from previous outings. Utilizing Jake Schreier as the guy in the “big chair” versus the Russo’s was a good idea. The idea of another look at an alternative gang of “superheroes” is fun. A different take on the good old 2012 film The Avengers: Assemble, Thunderbolts* is almost as enjoyable as the first.

There are a lot of introspective moments. The film even starts on a “moody” Yelena admitting that she is in trouble. The kid sister of the late Black Widow, is lonely and depressed. As the film continues, we learn that all these antiheroes share this trait.

Especially “Bobby.”

Speaking of Bobby; he has the ability to tap into people’s thoughts. Not those near the surface, but those deep inside their minds. Those bad memories that they do not want to face. Yelena tells Bob at one point, “You just push them down,” and later she admits that this does not work.

The final message, underneath all the enjoyable folderol, is that villains, even ones with super powers, are not born. They are molded, made to be bad via their own experiences. This hypothesis has been around a long time and in most cases this is probably true. For the sake of Marvel and their universe we will agree.

It Works

As an alternative to the Avengers, and the first film where they become the protectors of America, Thunderbolts* works. Although, to be fair, it is just a rehash of the 2012 Whedon epic. *Joss may be in the doghouse now. However, in terms of creative genius, the man will always rank high in my book. I was as dismayed as the rest of the world the creator of Buffy could allegedly be an ogre.*

Thunderbolts* is a rehash, no doubt. Just replace “Bob” with the Tesseract and substitute Valentina as a non Asgardian Loki and it works. It is, at the bottom of it all, about disparate super “villains” joining to defeat an all encompassing power. Valentina may not want to rule earth but she wants to definitely control it. By the end of the film, the group do become the “new” Avengers.

Thunderbolts* Looks Great

The film looks great. As do the costumes and the set pieces. The stunts are impressive and the fight scenes are spectacular. VFX are stunning and work well with any practical FX. Schreier does a brilliant job here as do all the departments that make any film work.

Some Issues

Clearly, this one is geared to a more mature audience. The language left a bit to be desired. There were a lot of “JC’s” flung about; and not in a prayerful manner either, everyone has a “potty mouth.” Keeping the gore to a minimum, ensured a PG-13 rating, but, the kiddo’s could pick up some bad habits.

The Verdict

Despite the fact that Thunderbolts* did feel a tad like being served leftovers, it rocked. These characters are as much fun as the original Avengers. I know that I am being swayed by the presence of Pugh, John-Kamen and Louis-Dreyfus, but here goes.

The film is a solid 5 stars from me. A reassuring return to Marvel on form. Post credit teasers and amusing credit sequences, “Not my Avengers!” notwithstanding, this was almost comforting.

After a very long wait, Disney is streaming this on their Plus channel. Head on over and watch it. Prepare to be taught a lesson on how “baddies” are really formed and have a good time.

The Trailer