Going to go on about Thunderbolts a bit.
I just kind of want to point out a few of the reasons I think this movie worked when other recent MCU fare has fallen so flat. Just a few, so I won’t give spoilers.
* It kept the story simple and straightforward. The movie knew what it was about and it stayed on topic. They got borked by the strikes, but it made Marvel refocus. I know they did rewrites for this film; I rather assume that tightened its focus for the better.
* it wasn’t a shoot ‘em up, punch ‘em up movie. Those things were in there, but they weren’t what the movie was about, and it was almost incidental.
* The big bad was a bigger bad to himself than anybody else.
* They let the characters develop. They each earned where they ended up.
* Yelena. The heart of the movie.
* Bob. I want to hug Bob.
* The scene they finally all work together as a team was fairly lightly done, not heavy-handed, and reminded me of a sort of ye olden phase 1 MCU moment. I thought it felt organic, not super forced.
* It had heart. In fact, it had so much heart I got misty a few times, and even had to wipe my eyes once.
* Yes, it has marvel quippiness, but it didn’t overwhelm the film and wasn’t placed in scenes where it would be obnoxious and detract from the moment.
* I don’t think you need to see any recent Marvel films or shows to get this movie. There are some refs to CA: Brave New World, but not really anything you wouldn’t have seen in trailers. It stands alone well. They do a pretty good job of introducing and explaining each character.
If you have any residual fondness for phase 1 Marvel, I think you’ll like this one.
