Thunderbolts*

This weekend, Thunderbolts, the newest film in the MCU, will be released in theaters. Thunderbolts follows a group of antiheroes, consisting of Yelena, Red Guardian, Ghost, John Walker, Bucky, and Taskmaster, as they must work together to defeat a new threat while also overcoming hardships from their past. This was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, as I really like the MCU, even though it has been in a bit of a lull as of late.

Thunderbolts is probably the best MCU movie of the past couple of years. Several movies have been fun experiences but this is probably the best story movie since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. This movie felt like a return to form for the MCU with a well-thought-out script with writers who took their time instead of having the fix it in post production mindset. This movie also feels a bit more serious than most previous MCU films of the last few years. Thunderbolts attempts to take on topics of grief, loss, regret, and loneliness. All of the characters in the movie are established as not good people and have to work through their past lives as well as come to the realization that they don't need to be alone anymore. I also think that the characters they chose for this movie were really fun. I liked that Yelena finally got to be centerstage in the film but the movie also gives adequate time for Red Guardian, Ghost, Bucky, and John Walker. They all get good moments and a bit of a redemptive arc. This movie reminds me a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy as it took a group of D-list characters and turned them into an A-List team. The movie also feels like the MCU is finally coming together again. The last few movies haven't made it clear where the MCU was going or why they were relevant but this movie makes it clear what is coming next while also tying in a bunch of characters from previous projects.

I have very little issues with this movie. I do wish it was a little bit longer. Most of the other team MCU movies ran closer to 2.5 hours while this movie only ran for about 2. I think those 20 extra minutes could have given us more time with these characters and had them banter a little more together. I also think this movie would have made more sense at the end of phase 4 instead of phase 5 as phase 4 is where all of these characters were introduced except for Ghost who was in phase 3. I think waiting longer will hurt the movie a bit in terms of box office.

Overall, this is a very good superhero movie and indicates a return to form for the MCU. I just hope this movie is an indicator of the quality of films to come instead of just being a one-time fluke.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A- Recommendation: This is a must-see for MCU fans