Great action stunts, a clever script and a positive mental health lesson make Thunderbolts one of Marvel's most entertaining movies in years The Snapshot: With sharp writing, big action sequences, and surprising depth, Marvel’s Thunderbolts proves that even villains can have heroic hearts. Thunderbolts 8 out of 10 PG, 2hrs 6mins. Action Superhero Adventure. Directed by Jake Schreier. Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Geraldine Viswanathan and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP and Cineplex Oakville & VIP. The superhero trope of “let the bad guys be good guys” is a genre classic, but Marvel’s Thunderbolts gives fresh life to a group of likeable anti-heroes with one of the studio’s most gritty and entertaining films in years. Director Jake Schreier (best known for leading Netflix’s megahit Beef in 2023) stays focused by using Marvel characters in their best environment - real people with select training and technology trying their best to be heroes despite their questionable pasts. Thankfully, this is a property where despite all the characters from several past movies, you don’t need to be caught up on 30+ other superhero movies to follow what’s going on. Passive action movie fans can also have a good time enjoying the stunts, cheeky script, big production values and the story’s intrepid heart. For it’s latest hero team-up, the Thunderbolts are a group of secret agents who’ve all worked for fictional CIA director Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), now under investigation by the U.S. government for her unethical projects. And so, most of the plot sees the new team led by assassin Yelena (Florence Pugh) suddenly forced to work together to bring down Valentina and one of her new super-recruits. Marvel’s key theme hold strong in Thunderbolts: it’s not about who you’ve been, but it’s about what you can aspire to be when surrounded by the right (or wrong) people. Even though much of Valentina’s workforce are past villains from other Marvel franchises, none of them are actually bad people. What’s most surprising is that the film slowly reveals itself to be a positive advocate for mental health, both highlighting the positive impacts of treatment and the dangers of negligence. That proves especially true when a surprise villain literally crawls out from the shadows. Florence Pugh cements herself here as a bona fide movie star leading her team, and she’s surrounded by a great ensemble cast (including past standout Hannah John-Kamen, returning as Ghost from 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp.) Read more here: Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp is a winning sequel The biggest scene-stealer is Lewis Pullman in his real big break playing newcomer “Bob”, an amnesiac with some cool powers and great comedic timing. It’s true that the criminals going good schtick was done with greater panache and uniqueness in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, but that was also fantasy and the mirror to real-world politics from this film makes it easier to connect with some of the headliner characters. So who are the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’? The best Marvel movies blur the lines and have an interesting commentary on the morality of heroism. Thunderbolts is both entertaining and has something to say; it’s maybe the most balanced MCU movie since 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings. Read more here: The modern legend of Shang-Chi Valentina ominously warns at one point that “Righteousness without power is just an opinion,” and that kind of introspection into how to responsibly manage and exercise power would be equally welcome in Marvel as it would in true American politics these days. In the meantime, Thunderbolts is a compelling action story that shows both sides of how a true hero can wield the responsibility of being righteous.