I liked Thunderbolts* more than I thought I would. I’m not big into Marvel films to start and I don’t really have much experience with these characters. That being said I thought there were some interesting set pieces and I enjoyed some elements of the film that I’ll go into greater detail in the spoiler section.
This is a movie about a bunch of minor characters from other movies and shows coming together to defeat a big bad that they’re not equipped to defeat. It’s a little like Suicide Squad for that reason and also you’ve got a team that does not want to be a team. Unlike those movies however, this movie doesn’t spend much time explaining who these characters are. They don’t know each other so all the audience gets is what they tell each other about themselves. This helps the movie not get bogged down with exposition which I appreciated.
I really enjoy Julia Louis-Dreyfus in this movie. I do think her performance is a bit cartoony and over the top but I just put it up to her chewing the scenery. I think she’s great.
I liked how Florence Pugh’s character’s state of mind related to Lewis Pullman’s character’s state of mind. I liked that there was not a mcguffin and instead they talked their way out of the situation. For a movie so branded with fighting, I mean look at the poster, they talk it out.
I thought the Bucky Barnes parts were boring and the fact that Task Master is on the poster is a little wild. I feel like they could have done something better for Task Master is all. I appreciate the willingness to kill off one of the poster characters though. Although I do like that Bob is on the poster and you don’t know why until you see the movie.
The look of the Void reminded me of Brightburn with the silhouette and glowing eyes. Or I did also have New Mutants, a movie I haven’t thought of in a long time, pop into my head during these scenes. These are both movies you definitely want to be thinking about.
I enjoyed the creeping darkness and the shadows of people that were captured.
These movies are best when they are character driven and the stakes are elevated because of the character motivations. A troubled person gets godlike powers and struggles to do the right thing. A team outmatched by the villain finds they had what they needed all along.
I’ve seen reviews that called this movie dour but I disagree. I think there’s darker elements but there are jokes and action making for an enjoyable viewing.
This is day 68 of #100DaysToOffload.