Lamar Reviews - "Thunderbolts" (Airdate 5/9/2025)

There used to be an excitement when a Marvel movie came out. People talked about it for months before it came to the screens. For over a decade it seemed like they could do no wrong! Iron Man in 2008 got everybody’s attention. The Avengers in 2012 kept it going, Guardians of the Galaxy took it to a new level, and Black Panther blew everyone away. Marvel reached a crescendo with Avengers: Endgame, by killing off some major characters. Then came the decline, all the way down to Captain America: Brave new world, Eternals, (still not exactly sure what that was all about), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (although Evangeline Lilly can do no wrong).

Marvel needed to change it up and do something different, and they did. Thunderbolts is that change. It still follows the classic formula that all successful Marvel movies have, but it noticeably different from the post-Endgame movies.

Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Red Room assassin, and Black Widow’s sister, carry’s the movie. She brings human dimension to Yelena as a depressed going through the motions of being an assassin and wondering why. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is not dark and depressing, especially with David Harbour as the hilarious over the top Red Guardian. This entire group is trying to kill each other before they are forced to join forces and become a team. The fake Captain America played by Wyatt Russell, Kurt’s son, Ghost played by Janna John-Kamen, Bob, played by Lewis Pullman, who looks exactly like his father Bill. They are led by Bucky, The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. Of course there can be no Marvel movie without a villain, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, is played completely over the top by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She may not be the best Marvel Villain, but she is the most annoying.

The movie is 2 hours and 6 minutes, Rated PG-13 for strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive references.

The chemistry and group dynamics of the team are solid and that is important to the movie. The back and forth between the team is entertaining.

I love Marvel movies but after Avengers: Endgame everything has been about the multiverse which is very confusing. Especially if you are not a dedicated Marvel viewer who sees every movie, every TV series, and comic. If you get out of the loop it is hard to get back in and understand all that is going on. If you have never seen a Marvel movie you almost have to go back and start at the beginning to know what’s happening.

Thunderbolts might be a good entry point for someone who has skipped a few or never seen a Marvel movie.

Every time you see The Thunderbolts* there is an asterisk. That is because The Thunderbolts are actually the New Avengers and that is what they will be called in the future.  I think there is a good possibility that that they are the future of the Marvel Universe. At least at this point they have stopped the downward slide.

I really enjoyed this movie.

My Score: 5 Ice Cold Frosty Budweisers