A world without the Avengers is unfortunately the reality after all that happened in the cinematic Marvel story. Additionally, putting super soldiers of differing backgrounds together is either a disastrous or successful recipe. With its humor and dark yet real themes, “Thunderbolts*” is a solid success of an antihero team.
The movie was directed by Jake Schreir and produced by Marvel Studios.
The film stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr.
This movie picks up after the previous Marvel film “Captain America: Brave New World,” where the public is at a distrust over the amount of human-to-supersoldier experimentation that has happened.
The plot revolves around the supersoldiers teaming up to fight a lab-created superhero along with the leader of the company behind the new arrival.
The asterisk in the film title is representative of the group’s temporary team name. Thunderbolts is also the name of Belova’s childhood soccer team. The end of the movie concludes with revealing the team’s new name.
While the film is a more grounded spectacle due to the super soldiers’ hand-to-hand combat style, this movie also shines with its conflict.
A constant theme is the idea of dealing with trauma and its impact on mental health.
While the antagonist physically overpowers the team, behind the mask of abilities lies a damaged state of mind.
While the company behind the antagonist wanted to create a new superhero to replace the void left by the Avengers, it’s the past which turns the conceptually perfect hero to a villain.
The majority of the team have tragic histories which led to the antagonistic actions that they are known for. While their pasts consist of dark decisions, eventually they stopped letting what came before dictate their present and future realities.
The story doesn’t shy away from what came before as the super soldiers have to relive their pasts in order to resolve the conflict. It is worth noting that while jokes are expected in Marvel movies, they are actually avoided during dark memory lane, making these sections intimate and real.
There’s a lot of looking back at the past, such as a company party featuring leftover relics from the battle of New York from the first Avengers movie. Another example is how Walker takes excessive pride in his background before superheroism and of his short tenure as Captain America, despite how it ended.
Despite the successes of Red Guardian and the former Captain America, the movie emphasizes their present lives, further adding to the realism. For the Russian super soldier, he continues to surround himself with memories of the Soviet era while currently being a lonely alcoholic. On the other hand, Walker faces his life of working as U.S. Agent yet having no contact with his wife nor child due to his previous actions that cost him the captain role.
Another is the idea of finding a new purpose such as redeeming one’s past.
Belova, while content to continue predictable solo missions, feels a sense of emptiness as there’s no actual end goal besides a paycheck. It isn’t until the team rescues civilians and receives praise for their heroic actions that Belova has a new purpose.
All of this helps in grounding the story and connecting realistically due to these concepts.
The humor in this movie is well-timed and funny. This is noticeable through Shostakov’s insistent belief of reaching the pinnacle of fame which he had in his prime years once the team was created. Additionally is the father-daughter dynamic between Shostakov and Romanoff as his enthusiasm comically embarrasses her.
Seeing Shostakov arrive fully suited in a Red Guardian-themed limousine while Belova covers her face and insists she doesn’t know him is both a funny moment and relatable experience.
Despite having similar abilities yet differing histories, it’s how the characters face their
pasts which determine the outcome of their individual stories as well as the movie as a whole.
All in all, through its realism and well-quipped jokes, “Thunderbolts*” is a strong standing superhero movie.
Copy edited by Patience Hurston
Resumen en Español:
La película “Thunderbolts*” es la nueva película de Marvel Studios.
La historia de esta película trata de un grupo de supersoldados que forman un equipo para combatir un superhéroe hecho por una compañía.
Mientras esto pasa, la película se enfoca en temas del pasado traumático y su relación con la salud mental.
Resumen en Español por Uriel Reyes
Resumen editado por Doreen Abril Albuerne Rodriguez
