Thunderbolts*

Scott Hardie: “It was ok.”

Given the "oops all bad guys" similarity between this and DC's Suicide Squad movies, I can see why Marvel wanted to go for something more grim and less comedic than DC did, but this really feels like it needs a punch-up. I'd have had a script doctor take another pass at it to insert more jokes before filming. The C-stringer status and inherent expendability of these "heroes" makes for fairly dry entertainment. The only other way to go would be to delve deeper into them as characters and spend more time fleshing them out, but some are so repellent that they really only work in small doses. With the film laudably focusing on mental health as a theme, I can see why the filmmakers chose a serious approach; I just had trouble enjoying the film to the fullest this way.

This is the 36th MCU film, so at this point you know what you're going to get: Some quips (it's not totally joke-free), some uninspired fight choreography, some expensive set pieces, some winks to the comics and other MCU titles, some twists that set up future titles; in other words, lots more of the usual. This outing is thoroughly within the groove (or rut, depending on your opinion) carved by its predecessors. It does have one welcome deviation which I'll address in a spoiler comment below, but otherwise it's exactly what you expect from Marvel because you've had it already, up to 35 times.

− May 13, 2025 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply