Thunderbolts*

Is the cure to male loneliness literally pummeling it’s physical manifestation to death?  I was one of the very few saying for months that Thunderbolts* was going to be a blast, so I feel great about being proven right. This film should serve as a model for Marvel films in the future: in case of emergency, break glass and rehash Guardians of the Galaxy. Get a ragtag group of gorgeous, unlikable people, and force them to be friends, and watch magic happen. A wonderfully fun tale of found family that also ruminates beautifully on loss. Loss of loved ones, loss of oneself, and loss of purpose, and the literal void it leaves behind.  Florence Pugh absolutely crackles from the first instant she’s on screen and her chemistry with her dad (and everyone’s dad) David Harbour is the glue of the film until Sebastian Stan’s Bucky shows up in earnest and seemingly without effort upstages everyone. Every other character also gets time to shine, minus Olga Kurylenko, who is on screen for .5 seconds in what I found to be a very strange decision.  The real highlight for me though is Lewis Pullman’s Bob (the second time he’s played a character called Bob lol). Sentry is one of the most interesting characters in all of Marvel and I’ve been waiting for him to be introduced for 15 years, so it’s great to finally have him in the fold. The way the character is depicted on screen is absolutely next level and Pullman’s portrayal is so beautiful and heart breaking. I am so excited to see him square off with Dr. Doom.  We have Fantastic Four coming in a couple months and if that is as successful as it seems likely to be then  combined with this, by the end of the summer Captain America: Brave New World will seem like a …blip… and the MCU will be back on track in time for Doomsday.  My streak of seeing every MCU film in theaters continues!