(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
(“Thunderbolts*” trailer courtesy of Marvel Entertainment)
The movie “Sinners” should have taught Hollywood a valuable lesson.
Many moviegoers have grown tired of predictable superhero movies, remakes and sequels.
Fans want original stories.
If film studios rehash characters, they should make them so enjoyable and lovable that audiences forget their past beefs with Hollywood.
With “Thunderbolts*,” Marvel gets it right despite rehashing past characters.
The movie is simply fun because the new band of misfits is awkwardly cool, dysfunctional and functional simultaneously.
The Avengers were genuine superheroes.
They looked the part.
They acted the part.
But the “New Avengerz,” initially named the Thunderbolts after a losing pee-wee soccer team, are definitely not from central casting.
Nevertheless, they all have some skills and powers that could one day make them real superheroes.
Unfortunately, the missions they receive from CIA Director Valentina Allegra du Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) are completely wack.
In “Thunderbolts*,” Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh, “Dune: Part Two”) completes all her missions.
However, she has no purpose in life.
She is unhappy.
And she is bored.
After finishing a mission to destroy an unregulated lab, which has conducted illegal human experimentation, she tells Valentina that she needs a change.
Yelena is so frustrated that she appears on her father Alexei Shostakov’s doorstep (David Harbour, “Black Widow”) even though she has not seen him in a year.
Although Alexei initially tries to play it off, he is frustrated with his life and career, too.
Alexei desperately wants to return to his glory days of being a superhero.
But instead, he is reduced to providing limousine service to the very important people of Washington, D.C.
Some of the most important people in Washington, D.C. are also frustrated with the work Valentina has done as CIA director.
In “Thunderbolts*,” Congressman Gary (Wendell Pierce, “Selma”) is leading an impeachment inquiry into Valentina’s alleged criminal activity.
If Congressman Gary can prove that Valentina is conducting illegal human experiments to create a new superhero, she will not only lose her coveted job.
But she will also find herself locked up in a federal prison.
Therefore, Valentina wants Yelena to tie up one more loose end before she can get more high-profile assignments.
In “Thunderbolts*,” Valentina instructs Yelena to visit a secret government site and apprehend a certain individual.
But when Yelena arrives at the facility, she discovers people who are not her intended target.
Furthermore, others realize that Yelena is at the facility.
But she is not their intended target either.
It does not take long before the others like John Walker (Wyatt Russell, “22 Jump Street”), Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen, “Ant-Man and the Wasp”) and Robert “Bob” Reynolds (Lewis Pullman, “Top Gun: Maverick”) realize that they have been played.
And if they do not quickly find their way out of their predicament, Valentina might get away with her alleged crimes scot-free.
But if the “New Avengerz” can band together, they might become the next group to save the world from super villains and utter destruction.
A superhero/comic book movie would not be what it is if not for a familiar format.
But a wise person once said, it is not what a person does or says, but how that person says it or does it.
“Thunderbolts*” is effortlessly humorous and completely entertaining.
Although “Thunderbolts*” deals with real-life problems, it is not as melancholy as a Marvel movie like “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
While “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” could not be fun because of the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, “Thunderbolts*” does a great job of combining real-world problems with real amusement.
Fans will love the action that comes with all superhero movies.
But Yelena will resonate with mature comic book fans because many have stood in her shoes.
Sure, on the surface, everything looks great.
She has a job.
She does it well.
She gets compensated for it.
But she still feels empty inside because her job gives her no fulfillment.
Therefore, she has no purpose in life.
Even without a successful and financially prosperous career, people can muster the strength to keep fighting if they have a calling in life.
But if their job does not allow them to make a difference in the world, the money cannot make up for the emptiness.
Furthermore, young adults and teenagers will relate to Yelena because of her estranged relationship with her father.
Many children follow in their parents’ footsteps, not because they want to.
But because they have the same DNA, talent and skill set.
Sometimes, a parent can be very accomplished in the same field as the child.
However, the similarities and the parents’ success do not stop a child from being utterly embarrassed by their mother or father.
Pierce also stands out in “Thunderbolts*.”
The New Orleans native is one of the greats of the past generation.
And it is phenomenal to see him shine on such a big stage.
Often, superhero movies do not employ the most critically acclaimed thespians except for the “Black Panther” franchise.
But by casting Pierce, Marvel shows it is serious about “Thunderbolts*.”
Unfortunately, “Thunderbolts*” is running up against the juggernaut known as “Sinners.”
While “Thunderbolts*” might overtake the Ryan Coogler film at the top of the weekend box office, the horror smash might make it closer than other films that battle the Marvel universe.
Thankfully, that potential battle means Hollywood is back in a good place with consumers.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
