As Director Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* opens, CIA assassin Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, sits atop the ledge of the world’s second highest skyscraper. Catatonic Yelena says, “There’s something wrong with me.” Then she dives off the skyscraper to complete her mission. Yelena doesn’t think she’s a hero. Heroes are for fairytales.
In the touching narrative arc, Yelena and the Thunderbolts fail to stop seemingly omnipotent The Void, played by Lewis Pullman. The Void has the power to make others experience their deepest darkest shames and turn them into shadows. In her shame, Yelena relived her childhood training as a Black Widow assassin. She set up her girlfriend to be killed in the snowy forest.
Yelena’s adoptive father Alexei Shostokov (Red Guardian) said, “We’ve all done things we regret.”
Yelena cried, “Yes. But I have done so many!”
Alexei said, “Yelena. When I look at you I don’t see your mistakes.”
Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* written by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo isn’t about fighting the bad guys in the world. It’s about fighting the bad guys inside ourselves. That’s the relevant eloquence of Thunderbolts*. Aikido Founder O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” It’s us against ourselves. The Hero overcomes themselves. That narrative makes Thunderbolts* one of the best Marvel Superhero movies ever.
In Thunderbolts*, first term US Congressman Bucky Barnes, who’s the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, attends the Impeachment hearing for embattled CIA Director Valentina de Fontaine, played with brilliant duplicity by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is also CEO of the OXE Group. Her covert OXE productions are under Government scrutiny.
Valentina orders her executive assistant Mel, played by Geraldine Viswanathan, to destroy all information about Project Sentry. Valentina commands her Black Ops Assassin Yelena to kill Ghost, played by Hanna John-Kamen, who wants to steal information from her OXE facility. Yelena has expert martial arts and weapons skills. Ghost has expert fighting skills and phase shifting prowess.
However, as Yelena executes her kill assignment, she combats Ghost, John Walker, who received the Captain America Super Serum, played by Wyatt Russell, and Taskmaster, who can regenerate her opponent’s powers, played by Olga Kurylenko. Machiavellian Valentia sent her assassins to kill each other. In combat, Taskmaster dies and the survivors figure it out. They reluctantly join forces to exact their revenge on Valentina.
Bob, played by Lewis Pullman, before he becomes The Void, mysteriously emerges. He secretly is the Sentry Project. Bob is the soul-survivor of the new Super Serum which is 1000 times stronger than what Captain America and Winter Soldier got. However, Bob has no memory of what happened to him or why he’s there.
Bob was the child abused drug addict who thought, “I’m not good enough.” Valetina seduced Bob into the Sentry experiment, promising him that would make him great. Yet, Bob would never be good enough. That’s the human design.
Bob tells Yelena about his darkness inside, his fear and anger. He asks for Yelena’s advice. With profound affinity for Bob, she says, “You shove it down.” That’s what she does. That’s what makes her suffer, too.
Alexei rescues Yelena and her crew in the desert in his Red Guardian Service Limo. He names the group, Thunderbolts, after Yelena’s kids soccer team. In the Terminator 2 homage, charismatic Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier wears cool shades, rides his motorcycle, and fires a massive gun destroying Valentina’s army. After Mel tells Winter Soldier that Valentina has gone off the rails, he joins forces with the Thunderbolts.
Meanwhile attempting to capture Bob, his god-like powers arise as Sentry. In the aftermath of Valentina’s betrayal, Sentry is reborn as The Void. Yelena bravely enters the Void and finds herself in one of the shame rooms with young innocent Bob. In the room below, Bob’s father beats his mother.
Yelena admits, “I was wrong.” When Bob shoves all his anger and fear deep inside, it has to come out eventually. You can’t hold on to your fear inside forever. You have to let it go. Free yourself from yourself. I know something about that, too.
In the climatic narrative arc, The Void tells Bob, “The most shameful thing of all was thinking that you could be anything more than nothing!” Then Bob tries to beat The Void to death. However, that only makes The Void stronger. Florence’s Yelena sublimely reminds Bob, “I’m here. You are not alone.”
In the darkness of fear and depression, you might think you can save others by not being a burden, by being in isolation, by not asking for help. When they’re waiting for you to ask. No one has to be alone. That resonance makes Thunderbolts* something special.
Florence Pugh makes Thunderbolts* special, too. She executes kickboxing, jujitsu, and aikido skills with great style and efficiency. Badass Movie Star Florence is authentic and vulnerable as Yelena. As Yelena’s father Alexei, David Harbour steals the movie, as well. He’s hilarious and unwavering in his unconditional love for his daughter. You are not alone in Thunderbolts*. It’s one of Marvel’s Best Movies in the last 10 years. It’s one of my favorite movies of the year so far.
