'Thunderbolts*' review: Marvel, meet your new 'heroes'
MANILA, Philippines — Things are starting to look up at Marvel Studios after gathering a bunch of misfits for its latest movie "Thunderbolts*."
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) confides in her adoptive father Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), a.k.a. the Red Guardian, that she has feelings of incompleteness performing covert missions for Central Intelligence Agency director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
De Fontaine sends Belova on one "final task" that sees her pitted against Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kaman) a.k.a. Ghost, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) a.k.a. U.S. Agent, Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) a.k.a. Taskmaster, and the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman).
After realizing what strings de Fontaine is pulling in the government, even the Red Guardian and the Winter Soldier-turned-congressman Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) are pulled into a chaotic prevention of one power-hungry individual.
It remains an uphill battle for Marvel Studios post-"Endgame" to recapture the theatrical wonder that brought millions together in collective awe of what a film franchise is capable of doing.
The so-called Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been mediocre at best, with "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," season two of "Loki," and the recently concluded "Daredevil: Born Again" the brightest spots among them.
By all means "Thunderbolts*" — full of anti-heroes considered side characters or villains of MCU main players — should have continued the middling trend, however, it manages to be way better than it ought to.
Related: WATCH: Marvel drops 'Thunderbolts' teaser with A24 treatment
A key decision was pairing "Thor: Ragnarok" screenwriter Eric Pearson with "The Bear" co-showrunner Joanna Calo to create a story about wanting to belong when the rest of the world thinks less of what one is capable of.
The necessary franchise details bogs down the beginning of the film and hints at a possible "Guardians of the Galaxy" redux (as it's also about a bunch of misfits), but once "Thunderbolts*" takes hold of the reins, it is off to the races.
Marvel Studios poked fun by making a trailer of how many cast and crew members have connections to successful independent studio A24, but the reality is this movie is the most "A24" the studio has managed to be, by happenstance or lucky intention.
That includes tapping the services of "A Ghost Story" and "The Green Knight" cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, "Everything Everywhere All At Once" composer Son Lux, and "Minari" editor Harry Yoon (aided by Angela Catanzaro) who all chip in to steer the MCU in a possible new direction.
Pullman and Oscar-nominated Pugh carry most of the heavylifting when it comes to acting, though Harbour gets most of the funniest scenes in the movie, overshadowing multiple Emmy winner Louis-Dreyfus.
Fans may feel rushed getting excited for "Fantastic Four: First Steps" and the return of Marvel's First Family, but people should not sleep on how good "Thunderbolts*" manages to be until it drops the asterisk for the funniest of revelations.
"Thunderbolts*" premieres in Philippine cinemas on April 30.
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