Thunderbolts - Is Marvel "back?"

On paper, Thunderbolts shouldn't work, seemingly destined to be another misfire by the once bulletproof Disney/Marvel marriage, the latest in a string of critical, box-office, and most importantly, fan disappointments - the kind of movie that, when an old comic book guy like me hears is coming out, makes me scratch my head and say, "Really?" I felt the same way when I found out that they were making Guardians of the Galaxy, for while Groot, Drax, and Rocket have become household names, once upon a time, they were characters in an obscure, bottom-shelf series. Of course, James Gunn zeroed in on the dysfunctional, family-type dynamics of the characters, cast perfect actors, and made a helluva movie (three of them, actually). The comparison isn't accidental, for like Guardians, Thunderbolts features a cast of miscreants, supporting characters and/or minor villains from other films and TV series, throws them together against their will and who, yep, you guessed it, have to learn to trust each other and face a common threat. The result is one of the best Marvel films to come out in a while, a rollicking good time that is not only a good superhero picture, but is also laugh-out-loud funny, and believe it or not, even a little poignant with some pretty solid themes.

The story starts with four down-and-out villains, all currently in the employ of is she good-or-is-she-evil Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as cleaners, assassins for higher at times working in the interests of the US government, at times burying the secrets of their boss, who, as Secretary of State, is currently under investigation by congress and facing impeachment. Yelena (Florence Pugh) sister to Black Widow, is dispatched to a secret, highly secure vault to foil a supposed robbery. There she encounters US Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russel), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), all of whom are there to do the same thing, eventually figuring out that Valentina sent them there to kill each other to tie up loose ends. In the process, they discover "Bob" (Robert Reynolds), a seemingly hapless, mysterious, if not sort of sweet dude who doesn't know how he got there. Turns out Bob was the real secret Valentina was trying to conceal, the making of a mega-powered superhero to fill the void left by the Avengers.

Joined by Red Guardian (the hilarious, scene-stealing David Harbour), and Sebastian Stan, returning as Bucky (now a senator) the "Thunderbolts," as they come to call themselves (there's a funny story as to why), come together to face down not only Valentina's minions but Bob himself, once he develops the full use of his powers. On the surface, the plot is basic, the structure formulaic, but there's a lot under the surface here that makes the movie work on every level.

The chemistry of the characters seems slightly forced at first, but each actor settles into their roles, which is impressive considering all of them were supporting characters in other shows. Their banter is legitimately funny in the vein of Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad. Beyond humor, though, each character has a lot of baggage stemming from their individual stories. All of them are torn by guilt over decisions they've made or lives they've lived. Like the Guardians, they are all distrustful, seeing themselves alone against the world, but come to rely upon and trust each other. Even more cleverly, one of Sentry's powers is being able to see into people's minds, and throughout the course of the movie, the characters have to face past decisions and traumas. Seems heavy for a superhero picture, and would you believe me if I said the movie also delves into mental illness and addiction? It does. Between all of that and its highly fallible characters, you have a movie that is both thought-provoking and fun to watch.

Don't get me wrong. This is not Cinéma vérité. It is a comic book movie with outrageous stunts, the typical destruction of entire city blocks, and the need for serious suspension of disbelief. But it draws on what made the MCU so successful all along - characters you like, which is at the heart of any story. The Thunderbolts are us - fallible, screwed-up people who wish they could go back and make some different decisions in life but are stuck with who they are, where they are, and work together and draw on each other for strength. And in the character of Bob/Sentry, you have a young man struggling with his mental health, beautifully portrayed through the quite literal but deliciously metaphorical darkness he brings. He's a character and a villain who could have used more screen time.

There's a lot more I could say about the plot and the characters, but like I said, this isn't high art. It isn't Shakespeare. You don't need to know all the backgrounds of all the various shows and movies these guys came from. You can go see it and enjoy a fun comic book movie, which it is, but like the best comic book movies, the best stories, even our ancient myths, which I believe are the ancestor-stories of our superheroes, it features a cast of flawed people that have done a lot of bad things but have a chance to make it right.

Thunderbolts isn't necessarily a "return to form" for Marvel, nor is Marvel "back," for it never went anywhere. It is a good movie that doesn't have to try extra hard to be great, which is what makes a lot of these big tent-pole pictures fall on their faces.

It not only ties into the previous MCU offerings but builds bridges to the future ones, and it makes me excited for what's to come.