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Jono's quick spoiler-free take on THUNDERBOLTS
🕑 Added 2025-05-03 15:13:05 +0000 UTCContrary to popular opinion, there have been quite a few good Marvel projects since ENDGAME. Quite a few duds as well, that's fair But none of them have pointed the entire MCU in an exciting new direction... until now.
For the first two acts THUNDERBOLTS plays like Marvel's answer to DC's SUICIDE SQUAD. It's better than that sounds, but it's still just another "fine" Marvel entry to that point. Nothing to shout about from the rooftops. I was wondering what all the hype was about.
But then the third act happens. No spoilers, but suffice to say it is dark, it is beautiful, and it is uplifting and transcendent in ways that only stories that go to those dark places first can achieve.
Anyone who has wrestled with depression, loneliness, bipolar, self-loathing, abuse, or emptiness will find much to attach to here.
Weirdly, my kids were super into it. It's not a cotton candy superhero movie, but it never lost them.
I will watch anything with Florence Pugh in it. Ditto Sebastian Stan. Ditto David Harbour. They are all great in this.
We're dealing with bottom-of-the-barrel characters here. No big names that sell toys. So, wisely, the filmmakers lean into building those characters into people we come to care about by the end of the film. Which bodes well for Marvel's future.
Best of all, it doesn't feel like it's chasing the glory of the MCU's past. Instead, it's creating something new.
Rewatching BLACK WIDOW and FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER wouldn't be a bad idea, but also the film gives you enough context cues that if you don't remember any of that, it'll come back to you or you will learn it here for the first time.
This is going to make one heck of an episode for us, mark my words.
If you saw it, what were your general thoughts? No spoilers.
Comments
Ericp2012
Just watched this since it came out on streaming this weekend. I agree it will be a hell of an episode and I have watched it twice since seeing it the first time due to how beautiful it captures the human condition and battling with mental illness
Stitchman
I loved it! I admit it brought me back to several issues I have had over the years. Depression, inadequacy, loneliness, and non-acceptance. I love how they didn’t sugarcoat the hardship of those struggles. It was therapeutic for me to see I was not alone in those feelings. This is why many MCU movies are great. Especially when they don’t hold back the punches.
Beutimus
Reminds me of the end game saga days of Marvel. Brought tears to my eyes. Great movie.
JordanLyFae
Saw it with my dad this weekend. Was not holding my breath. I cannot turn off my brain in movies and can be that person in theaters you would want to throw popcorn at. I was too engrossed to be that person throughout the film. I felt chill to just watch - nothing stupid sticking out like a sore thumb (except one line Bucky says to New Cap that was forced). Jaw on the floor after the third act. Third act made the entire film improve several notches, making me want to actually rewatch the film to see the narrative threads. When we came home, my dad told my sister, “Do you know how I know this movie is great? She liked it,” pointing at me. Only now am I actually interested in this next phase of the MCU.
Martha Worsham
My first comment to my husband after leaving the theater was “I can’t wait to hear the Cinema Therapy guys talk about this one!” It is going to make for a great episode. So much emotion to unpack! I genuinely loved this movie, after feeling pretty “bleh” about other recent Marvel movies. Excitedly hoping they keep this group going.
HouseOfDudley
It was such a fun movie with some really heart wrenching moments that help us realized why we love these B List Heroes so much. Gimme ALL the sequels!
Lily Sun
I really liked it. It gave me Flow vibes because the teamwork-despite-our-differences vibes were so strong.
Nancyjane Bailey
I hope to see it this upcoming weekend. I re-watched the Hawkeye series to see more Yelena just to prep for this movie. I hope she makes mac and cheese for the team during the movie.
Jennifer Day
I 1,000% agree with your take. I had let my oldest stay home from seeing it with his brother and me. But at the end, I was kicking myself because the message was so strong and something he needed to hear (we all did since depression and anxiety have been companions of ours). I have kept thinking about it all weekend as well, a sign, for me at least, that it was that kind of thought-provoking movie. I also loved the idea that our mistakes don’t define us and what we don’t have to give in to them. We can all still find a way to be a hero by being there for others.
Olga Makarova
In the post credit scene, a character of Russian origin suggests using Z in the word Avengers. Z is a militarist symbol of Russian army in the war against Ukraine. It is used on military vehicles as identifier, and also as a propaganda symbol by those supporting the war. Having a movie with Russian characters is itself tone deaf until the war is over. But using a sign of war crime as a... joke? I do not believe that this is just ignorance (although it is also no excuse), because Olga Kurylenko was born in Ukraine and leaved there for a long time, and should know a lot about this war. Anyway, Russian fascists, who support killing civilians just because they are Ukrainians, are very happy to get this present from the MCU.
Maya
They found a very creative way to capture the feeling of both depression and PTSD, which I really appreciated. Depression as a manipulative version of yourself that sucks you into a bottomless pit of darkness, or the repetitive/inescapable terror of flashbacks, for example. And most of all, how incredibly powerful it is to know that you're not alone. I can't wait to hear your thoughts about it!
