by Well, it finally happened, Marvel has finally made a film that brings back that classic MCU energy that audiences feel in love with. Just in time too, Marvel really needed a big hit if they wanted any hype to build to Fantastic Four and Doomsday. Luckily the credit screenings gave me enough hope to go see it in theaters and thank God I did because this film is as classic MCU as it can get. On par with the greatest hits pre-phrase 4, right up there with the Guardians movies, The Avengers, and even Winter Soldier.
The group of characters we witness in the form of the fledgling Thunderbolts* are entertaining to follow as they bounce off each other with their widely differing personalities that leads to great comedy bits. However, with how hilarious this film is both with character and scene, it doesn’t distract from the emotional core themes of the film, really having you feel for this group and what they went through in the past. Throughout the film, this theme of isolation and emotional emptiness permeates the group as they struggle to come to terms with their actions in the past and whether or not they’ll be able to grow past it and answer a higher calling. Exploring these characters through flashbacks of their trauma and mistakes helps develop them more than we’ve ever seen before in previous works.
Interestingly enough, we see a lot of Yelena interacting with Bob, being able to relate to his unique situation of past manipulations and being forced into a weapons program. You end up really rooting for the both of them as they try to face the past of their actions and just how that affects them today, essentially forming the heart of the film. Along with the previously mentioned themes, there’s also a theme of redemption peeking throughout the film as the characters grow to each other. Being set off by their mutual betrayal by their superiors and being egged on by the belief they can be better as expressed most often through Alexei, Red Guardian, as he also seeks redemption and shot at recovering his lost glory through the Thunderbolts*. Even John Walker has scenes that make you feel for the guy and just how far he’s fallen and just how much of a struggle has to get back up to where he wants to be. Everyone has a journey and oh is it so satisfying to see as they make progress as the film goes along. Unfortunately, Ava Starr and most surprisingly of all, Bucky Barnes get very little to do as it is Yelena where the crux of emotion is delivered and what makes the finale so impactful.
However, in no way are the film’s themes represented better than in Bob, The Sentry and his corrupted counterpart, The Void. A physical manifestation of all that trauma and negative thought made into a real threat. The design of The Void is very clever with being a living shadow with nothing to latch and humanize onto other than the pupils reflecting the little light that bounce off his eyes. A much better interpretation of him compared to the comics. There, he either just looks like an evil Sentry or some big holographic tentacle monster. It is a stark contrast to Bob where we were meant to feel an emotional connection to and sympathize with alongside Yelena as mentioned previously. It leads to a very emotional conclusion that left many in my audience in tears.
After a wild ride on the emotional coaster the film leaves on an ironic and admittedly hilarious twist of fate as not even the audience in the film was prepared for. Even in the post credit scenes, it hearkens back back to the humorous cutaways and the fantastic future the MCU is preparing for, so definitely stick around for those. Thunderbolts* was an enjoyable ride filled with heart not felt since Guardians Vol. 3 and only leads into a bright future as the MCU draws to a final conclusion that this author is more than excited for. From all us here at Happy Hobbyist, happy hobbying.
