Movie Review: Thunderbolts

3.5 stars out of 5

Florence Pugh is the latest A-list actor to slum her way through a Marvel flick. I know what you’re saying: “But Jack, Pugh already slummed her way through Black Widow back in 2021.” I didn’t see that one, OK? Plus now she’s really putting herself out there as the star. And because she’s the great actress Florence Pugh (I am a longtime fan), she really lays on her character’s Russian accent, and lays it on thick. Then we meet her dad, B-lister David Harbour, and he’s doing the crazy accent too (not to mention another character, “Antonia Dreykov”), and I’m thinking, what is this, Marvel Studios’ Anna Karenina?

For me, the early going here was tough sledding. Back in the old days, if you didn’t see all the Marvel movies, it was OK: The Avengers installments would tell you all you needed to know to catch up. Now, as Thunderbolts re-introduced us to minor characters from endless feature releases and streaming shows, I had little idea what was going on.

Yet, thanks to strong performances, and a better than average screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, Thunderbolts begins to find its footing. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has some fun basically playing Selina Meyer; good to see Drive-Away Dolls’ Geraldine Viswanathan again as her Gary Walsh. My man Wyatt Russell is very amusing, as is Harbour. (I appreciated that the humor in this movie was frequent but not over-the-top.) And in a nice surprise for me, we get Bill Pullman’s son, Lewis Pullman, as a likable-enough character Bob. How cool to have another Bill Pullman!

The movie steps up one more level by presenting a relatable depiction of depression — possibly useful to much of the fanbase — and logically working it into the heroes-and-villain plot.

And then, because it has to fit ever-so-neatly into the always expanding Marvel Universe, Thunderbolts unfortunately stumbles at the finish line. Still, a solid, very watchable superhero effort from director Jake Schrier. Your serve, Superman.