Thunderbolts* [Movie Review]

Thunderbolts* [Movie Review] | I think this one movie is the most anticipated movie of the year. Well, for me at least.

One of many. So, does it live up to the hype?

SYNOPSIS

Thunderbolts* (2025) Trivia

• Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen & Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• Director: Jake Schreier
• Producer: Kevin Feige
• Production Company: Marvel Studios

• Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

• Release date: April 22, 2025

• Running time: 126 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: United States
• Language: English
• IMDb: 7.8/ 10
• Tomatometer: 88%
• Metascore: 68%
• It’ll wrap up Phase 5 of the MCU and is set to be the 36th film in the lineup.
• In real life, Florence Pugh actually jumped off Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur which is the world’s second tallest building at 2,227 feet, with no CGI and no stunt double.
• Initially, I wanted to count how many times Malaysia was mentioned, then I lost count. 

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, now the powerful yet deeply corrupt CIA director, is on the verge of being exposed. With impeachment looming over her head due to a string of illegal black-ops missions, she makes a last-ditch effort to cover her tracks. She sends Yelena Belova, John Walker, Ghost, and Taskmaster on what they believe is a standard covert mission. But once they arrive at a remote facility, things take a dark turn.

Instead of a mission, they find themselves forced into a deadly standoff. Ghost ends up killing Taskmaster, and just as chaos reigns, an odd but strangely unshakeable man named Bob shows up. Soon, the truth unravels: Valentina didn’t send them to complete a mission. She sent them to die, incinerated along with all evidence of her wrongdoing.

With Bob’s help, who, oddly enough, seems impervious to harm, the remaining operatives escape. He distracts the ambush crew towards him by drawing fire and in return, he was fired upon by the crew. Somehow, Bob wakes up, unharmed and launches into the sky, drawing enemy fire and crashing back down in a blaze. 

Meanwhile, Alexei @ Red Guardian, now a freelance driver, overhears enough to realize what's really going on. He swoops in to rescue them, and inspired by Yelena’s childhood football team, gives them a new identity: the Thunderbolts.

As the Thunderbolts try to regroup, Valentina's agents catch up, and they’re captured. Bucky Barnes steps in and sorts of rescues them. Learning that Bob was once a human experiment in Valentina’s secret project, Bucky joins their cause. Together, they head to the repurposed Avengers Tower which now renamed the Watchtower.

Bob is no longer the same. Valentina learns all about him and she immediately puts him into use, to her benefits. He’s become The Sentry, a god-tier powerhouse who wipes the floor with the Thunderbolts. 

When The Sentry seems uncontrollable, Valentina clicks the failsafe kill switch to terminate him. Instead of being dead, his darker side, the Void, emerges, unleashing supernatural darkness across New York and turning civilians into shadows.

To save him, Yelena bravely enters the shadow realm, confronting Bob’s inner demons and trauma. The rest of the team joins her, journeying through his fractured mind. They find Bob trapped in fear, and through unity and empathy, help him fight off the Void. Light returns. New York is saved.

Yet Valentina isn't done. She hijacks the narrative, rebranding the Thunderbolts as the New Avengers in a staged press conference. 

Is the world ready for them? Or are they ready for the world?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• The plot has it all - the right amount of action, comedy, family and thriller. Can't wait for the next one.
• Wait for two post-credit scenes. 

What I Don't Like:

• None. I want the next one pronto!

Will I Watch It Again: Yes, I will.   

Overall: 4.8/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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