This is a spoiler-free review
The word on the street is that the golden age of Marvel is back, and the face of it is a ragtag group of Misfits that go by the Thunderbolts. Awin
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Multimedia Showing of Thunderbolts in Leicester Square last week, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly nervous about what to expect.
The promotion for this film was top-tier.
Not only were the usually heavily criticised ‘floating head’ posters absent from this campaign, but we Marvel fans were blessed with positively cinematic trailers that set the bar for this film sky high.
Despite the fantastic marketing campaign, I was still wary, as the last few Marvel releases missed the mark.
I can’t pretend phase 5 hasn’t been disappointing, the only saving grace being last year’s release of hot Deadpool & Wolverine.
But thankfully, Thunderbolts is bringing that phase to a close and folks, I must admit, they went out with a bang.
The film is fantastic.
The humour is refreshingly dry; it perfectly complements the dark and gritty feel that Marvel has pushed for this release.
This is what Marvel does so well; they get the perfect mix of humour and seriousness to pull on your heartstrings and soothe you back to health.
Thunderbolts executed this perfectly; the emotional rollercoaster you go on during this film is so moving and feels realistic and relatable, which is often lost in the superhero genre.
While the characters in Thunderbolts are familiar, we get to know them so much more in this film that they feel almost fresh.
Yelena is the obvious standout in this film, and Florence Pugh was outstanding, as I’m sure we all predicted she would be.
But Ghost took me by surprise in this film.
Hannah John-Kamen did a brilliant job reprising her role; her on-screen chemistry with Florence was natural, and Ghost fit in with the group like a glove.
I think this was also a brilliant way to introduce Sentry into the MCU. He is a highly complex and interesting character, and it is evident that this is just the beginning of his story.
If I had to criticise one thing about this film, it would be that it is a bit on the slow side, but I do appreciate that this is the start of a new era of Marvel, and the time is needed to build the lore.
Overall, the film was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed every second, and I am incredibly excited to see what this new era of Marvel has to offer.
We’re so back, baby!
Bring on The Fantastic Four!
