Action
Thunderbolts* (12A)
Review: It takes an army to conjure a thrilling, action-packed spectacle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Florence Pugh is the major general of this irreverent and surprisingly poignant instalment from a hit-and-miss phase five of the comic book-inspired saga. Reprising her role from Black Widow as Natasha Romanoff’s adopted sister, Pugh delivers a powerhouse performance soaked in grief and guilt that elevates Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo’s knockabout script. She sensitively shines a light on the timely issue of mental health and provides Jake Schreier’s picture with an unexpected and mighty emotional wallop in moving exchanges with co-star Lewis Pullman.
Cacophonous set pieces place an emphasis on physical action, in-person stunts and practical effects rather than the usual blitzkrieg of digital wizardry and allow us to remain close to the cast as they perform intricate fight choreography. Droll and self-deprecating humour fizzes deliciously in moments of calm, for instance when David Harbour’s former Soviet super soldier remarks that the eponymous misfits deserve immortality on the front of a cereal box and Pugh’s daughter replies that saving the world is not a merchandising opportunity.
Additional scenes nestled in the end credits explain the teasing asterisk after the film’s title, and bombastically light a fuse on a cataclysmic phase six of the MCU. Die-hard fans whooped and hollered with delight at my screening.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), director of the CIA, faces impeachment at a widely publicised hearing chaired by congressman Gary (Wendell Pierce) over allegations of corruption and impropriety linked to the OXE corporation. Away from the media and the efforts of newly appointed congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) to expose her, Valentina conspires with morally conflicted assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) to destroy evidence of wrongdoing and tie up four loose ends: Yelena Belova (Pugh), Ava Starr aka Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Antonia Dreykov aka Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and super soldier John Walker (Wyatt Russell).
Valentina lures the four clueless lackeys to a subterranean bunker to kill each other, but their death match is interrupted by a mysterious young man with no memory named Bob Reynolds (Pullman). He joins the duped assassins’ daredevil escape with help from Yelena’s father, Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian (Harbour). Valentina intensifies efforts to terminate the newly christened Thunderbolts, named after a children’s sports team from Yelena’s tragic upbringing. Bucky joins the ranks of the mismatched, bickering heroes, who possess the power to save the planet… or unleash a terrible darkness that will consume it.
Thunderbolts* is a scrappy, freewheeling romp that deftly tackles depression while still delivering the high-octane, slam-bang entertainment we have come to expect. Pugh is a marvel – no pun intended. Her extraordinary and emotionally raw work left me with a lump in my throat. Louis-Dreyfus’s slinky villainy oscillates between light and shade, enriched with Viswanathan’s effervescent comic relief. Phase five of the MCU began messily with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania but it ends with a satisfying bang.
Find Thunderbolts* in the cinemas
