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Everyone deserves a second chance right? Honestly who doesn’t love a comeback story, however can this mentality be applied to a major studio conglomerate that many love to see fail (for better or worse reasons)? Marvel Studios (or Disney as a whole) has definitely been in a slump these past few years. And regardless of what that exact reasoning may be or whom to blame (although audiences are never a good place to start) Marvel fans seem to believe they deserve better. Yes the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still growing and dominating theaters (or at least they believe they do) in a time where may die hard fans and average moviegoers seem to have dwindled down especially in a world post “Endgame” and one where everything involves multiverses and Disney Plus series that feel more like homework than entertainment. And yet there are many who still want to return and see new heroes emerge and be wishful for old favorites to return. THUNDERBOLTS* the thirty-sixth film has already been dubbed by many as the movie to claim that “Marvel is back!” and while that may seem like a positive proclamation it instead is both a misunderstanding of what Marvel movies like THUNDERBOLTS* represents to an entirety of a franchise. Marvel isn’t back because it never left. Trust me this critic isn’t dying on any hill for a franchise that keeps smaller films out of theaters but instead arguing that the MCU has always had great, good, fine and awful films. THUNDERBOLTS* is one of those good films, Hell I’d even argue it has the potential to be a great film and one that may be more than enjoyable to return to, but above all else beyond any multiverse madness or Doomsday endeavors, THUNDERBOLTS* and its gang of deadly misfits shows that once again studios can deliver big budget yet deeper films that not only make you want to give something a second chance you just want to return because you care deeply and know that all this can be so much fun. THUNDERBOLTS* is a film so wonderfully fixated on the mistakes we’ve made by the time it finds itself forgiving itself it is hard not to be swept up emotionally knowing that even those that have let us down before can still find a way to surprise us.

There is something wrong with Yelena. The red room Russian assassin portrayed by Florence Pugh is still a contract killer and cleaner all while trying to find time to mourn her late sister the Black Widow. Yelena now works for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) a shady CIA Director who uses Yelena to clean up any loose ends. For Yelena this is all too easy, fight off some low level security, blow up any evidence of Valentina’s wrongdoings and escape into the dark. But Yelena feels unfulfilled, she doesn’t want something greater but instead wants to just feel something at all. Her once fake identity father Alexei aka the Red Guardian (David Harbour) sees that the light inside her is getting more dim every day. For Yelena the only way out is back in as she promises Valentina one last secret mission before she is promised a life out of the shadows. The mission is simple, one last clean up and dispose of anyone in her way. The only issue is Yelena isn’t the only one given this mission, enter Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), disgraced agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and other Red Room assassin Antonia Dreykov aka Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). All four sent to kill one another in a sort of Suicide Squad mission if the squad wasn’t kept in on the suicide part. The reintroduction of these characters is quite humorous if not for the fact that it wouldn’t be surprising if many average movie goers or even just marvel fans weren’t fully familiar or even remembered these characters. They can be seen as bottom barrel to the overall franchise and yet every performer gave a convincing and engaging performance in their previous works regardless of source material.

Director Jake Schreier and his extensive stunt team of over 100 people make this first showdown of lesser but still dangerous criminals exciting as they seem all too perfectly matched (it helps that even their weapons aren’t all that impressive). But this western standoff doesn’t seem to matter once a mysterious fifth member joins the party known simply as Bob (Lewis Pullman). Who Bob is and if he is part of the cleanup (or the cleanup himself) has to take a back burner as these once again on the run criminals must flee for their lives and all of Val’s army of soldiers. THUDNERBOLTS* takes little time getting things going but while the action can be enticing what makes this film really start to flow are the situations that follow. Yes these individuals must form a ragtag team and put aside their selfish ways but unlike the earlier Avengers nobility is far from reason. And to make it all the better the cast fully lives and breathes these characters even if they haven’t had a ton of time with them before. Wyatt Russell easily embodies the douche bag that is merely just a broken down man, while Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost may keep yelling about working alone and yet its endearing every time she cant resist coming back to save everyone. And it doesn’t take long until Red Guardian finds his way into the groups path giving the film some truly hysterical moments (and one of the best running jokes involving a limo service) that never undermines the more serious moments of the film.

But even on the run the issue of Bob keeps coming up. And maybe that is because Bob is more than just Bob but instead Robert Reynolds a lonely recovering meth addict who has fallen into the wrong hands under a secret government project known as Sentry. For comic fans this may be one of the most anticipated moments for the MCU but what makes it better is the gradual progression Schreier takes, along with his screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, allowing Pullman to fully show us the pain and loneliness he has been through and how the promise of greatness is an easy lie to sell. This notion of greatness or glory as Red Guardian keeps shouting feels like a fantasy for this group. Even when they are joined by the super soldier Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who recruits their help in stopping Valentina (Barnes is now a low level politician because sure) the gang never feels worthy. It is here where THUNDERBOLTS* thankfully sheds the multiverse and world building and instead focusing on how hard it is not to just be a superhero or super criminal but instead just a person who honestly doesn’t want to be alive anymore. Yelena feels nothing because frankly that’s all she thinks she deserves. As we learn about some of the other hardships that have followed the other members its easy to see how anyone can get cast aside when they aren’t the great god of Thunder or Iron Man sacrificing himself for the world. In fact the film works magic in making you wish you saw more of these “lesser” heroes instead of an all mighty team fighting aliens and what not. Most of this pain and relatability is due to the superb performance of Florence Pugh an actress so in demand and basically always delivering stellar work that you are almost taken back when you get to see her fully dive into a character in a Marvel film. Pugh’s performance never seems to be focused on becoming the next hero to lead the team or even this franchise but instead just trying to get Yelena to survive to the next hour let alone day. Pullman as Bob is the other emotional core of the film as we see how easy it is for evil people to take advantage of those truly in need and broken. Bob is always a kind person throughout making it all the more devastating when the truth of the Sentry project takes hold of him. THUNDERBOLTS* isn’t a film of good versus evil but rather how the the evil we believe that is inside is in fact just the pure human emotion of pain. Pain can overtake anyone super or not.

THUNDERBOLTS* is also the rare marvel film that feels confident and not cocky. Not a film with a giant ego but rather one that feels protective of its own work. Is it fair that Jake Schreier seems to be only director of the last ten years in the MCU that isn’t crushed by an overhaul of producers? No of course not especially when so many young filmmakers have been sold on the promise of getting to do something big with their own talents, but you can feel Schreier’s passion for his filmmaking team throughout. Practical effects and on location shooting drives most of the action while Son Lux’s heartbreaking score gives everyone a warm hug. And yes it can be frustrating to applaud a film when the bar is so low but frankly that’s film twitter talk and sometimes it just needs to be said that a good movie is a good movie and it can come from anywhere. And of course throughout the film there are elements that once made the MCU so entertaining. From actors who seemed to actually enjoy being in their roles to just the simple notion of bringing back street level action. Hell even this critic got teary eye watching Red Guardian save a little girl from falling debris. But above all that THUNDERBOLTS* deals with the darkness head on, and while it may not be the deepest therapy session you’ve attended it also is not surface level for the mere fact that anyone who fights these battles is a hero.

It unfortunately feels both obligatory and still hypocritical to discuss how THUNDERBOLTS* will play into the greater scale of the MCU. In just a mere few months the promise of a more intimate spin on The Fantastic Four will arrive in theaters and then the following year will deliver yet another mega Avengers film with Doomdsay directed by anti-art avid A.I. creators the Russo Brothers. So in the end THUNDERBOLTS* really could be a one and done and yet it doesn’t make it any less engaging when you focus on this just being a well made film given to us by filmmakers who understand their own text. A film that allows its broken down heroes to find not only their second chance but also reach out and deliver a warm hug for those that felt they never deserved a heroes welcome.

A-

THUNDERBOLTS* IS NOW IN THEATERS