{"id":2432697,"date":"2025-05-09T01:03:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T05:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/does-thunderbolts-make-sense-if-youve-never-seen-a-marvel-movie-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T01:06:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T05:06:06","slug":"does-thunderbolts-make-sense-if-youve-never-seen-a-marvel-movie-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/does-thunderbolts-make-sense-if-youve-never-seen-a-marvel-movie-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Thunderbolts* make sense if you&#8217;ve never seen a Marvel movie? &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoes-thunderbolts-make-sense-if-youve-never-seen-a-marvel-movie-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2432697&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reviews the film *Thunderbolts*, emphasizing its challenges for viewers unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >demands considerable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-complete-guide-to-increasing-muscle-mass\/\" title=\"A Complete Guide to Increasing Muscle Mass\">background knowledge<\/a><\/a>.The critic, who approached the film without any prior Marvel experience, found it initially easy to follow, largely due to Florence Pugh&#8217;s character, Yelena Belova. The film opens with Yelena contemplating her life as an assassin, setting a tone of existential reflection shared by other characters.<\/p>\n<p>Despite some comprehensibility, the review critiques the film&#8217;s first half for its reliance on over 37 hours of backstory, resulting in disjointed character interactions that may confuse new viewers. The plot eventually takes shape when the protagonists unite against a supervillain, but the film struggles to deliver deeper thematic content, frequently enough resorting to overt expressions of dissatisfaction rather of nuanced character advancement. The review suggests that *Thunderbolts* lacks the substance or artistry promised in its marketing, ultimately portraying a grim narrative of psychological struggle with little grounding in real human experience.<\/p>\n<p>despite its shortcomings, the performance of Lewis Pullman as the villain Void stands out positively. while *Thunderbolts* attempts to convey significant themes, it ultimately misses the mark, resulting in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-courtesan-to-cash-grab-the-empty-tragedy-of-anora-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"From courtesan to cash grab: The empty tragedy of Anora - Washington Examiner\">hollow experience<\/a> for many audiences.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Does Thunderbolts* make sense if you&rsquo;ve never seen a Marvel movie before? I went to find out<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/3401896\/thunderbolts-review-marvel-superheroes-tackle-depression\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">most Marvel offerings<\/a>, <em>Thunderbolts*<\/em> requires so much background knowledge that fine print seems appropriate, which may explain the asterisk at the end of the official name of the film. That typographical addendum, much discussed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marvel-comics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Marvel fanboys<\/a> during the promotional lead-up, turns out not to mean anything at all, unless one counts an in-joke &ldquo;reveal&rdquo; during the closing credits. To the critic, however, it is irresistible. Are our heroes not really streaks of lightning against a rollicking sky? Is Disney afraid of lawsuits? No refunds for the hopelessly confused! Yet this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/movies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">movie<\/a> clearly has ambitions above its station. If the asterisk is directing us to look more closely, it is not an entirely wasted mark.<\/p>\n<p>I went to see <em>Thunderbolts*<\/em> with an open mind and a blank slate, having never seen a Marvel movie before. It was, in one sense, easy enough to follow. The film is anchored by Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, a Russian assassin previously featured in <em>Black Widow<\/em> (2021) and Disney+&rsquo;s series <em>Hawkeye<\/em>. In what is only the first of many displays of antihero glumness, Yelena opens the movie with a voiceover confession: Summertime and the killing is too easy. Instead of checking in with her CIA handler (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) after an early job, the young woman visits her father, the Kremlin super-soldier Red Guardian (David Harbour), and receives a pep talk. Service to others, even in the form of lethal violence, can be a terrific way to add meaning to an otherwise empty life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3404451\/hollywood-tariffs-bailout-unworthy\/\">Hollywood doesn&#8217;t deserve a tariff bailout<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3405100\/oan-voice-of-america-broadcast\/\">OAN feed to broadcast on Voice of America<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3404937\/kennedy-center-denounces-rumored-les-miserables-boycott-trump-visit\/\">Kennedy Center denounces rumored Les Mis&eacute;rables boycott over Trump visit<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>As it happens, Yelena is not alone in feeling down as the movie begins. The same is true of fellow superheroes Captain America (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), all of whom have, to varying extents, been asking themselves hard questions. When, 20 minutes into the production, Louis-Dreyfus&rsquo;s character attempts to murder the quartet, the better to bury evidence of her own corruption, one almost breathes a sigh of relief. Surely, sweet death is better than all of this griping.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, and Florence Pugh in Thunderbolts*. (Courtesy of Marvel Studios)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite its surface comprehensibility, the first half of <em>Thunderbolts* <\/em>does not go well. How could it, given the practical impossibility of setting up a narrative that has, according to one online tally, more than 37 hours of backstory? Summoned to a covert lair, Yelena and company behave as if they have known and disliked each other for decades. But without the relevant context, the viewer is in no position to draw moral lines. Perhaps the Marvel addict, fresh off his day and a half of brushing up, can see past the aimless bickering into the crevices of these superhuman hearts. For the rest of us, it is a reprieve when an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/global-tv-begins-production-on-robyn-hood-series-to-reimagine-classic-english-folk-hero-as-a-black-female-gen-zer\/\" title=\"Global TV Begins Production On Robyn Hood, Series To \u201cReimagine\u201d Classic English Folk Hero As A Black Female \u201cGen Zer\u201d\">actual plot<\/a> comes into view. An invincible madman (an effective Lewis Pullman) has appeared on the scene, and our protagonists must band together to save the nation from utter ruin.<\/p>\n<p>In normal circumstances, it would be unsporting to complain that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/review-eternals\/\" title=\"REVIEW: \u2018Eternals\u2019\">comic-book movie<\/a> has its own peculiar rhythms and rules. Just as my 12-year-old lacks the training to enjoy Tarkovsky, so I have no business jumping into the deep end of the Marvel cinematic pool. The counterpoint is that Disney has gone out of its way to market <em>Thunderbolts* <\/em>as a work of art that just so happens to feature characters with capes. The film&rsquo;s trailer, titled &ldquo;Absolute Cinema,&rdquo; makes much of its creators&rsquo; previous credits on such pictures as <em>The Green Knight<\/em> and <em>Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/em>. Promoting the film to <em>Empire<\/em>, Pugh gushed that the final cut is &ldquo;this quite bada** indie, A24-feeling assassin movie.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>About Pugh&rsquo;s comment, two things must be said. To begin with, bully for production company A24 (<em>The Lighthouse<\/em>, <em>Uncut Gems<\/em>) for attaining such a reputation. More importantly, however, no, not a chance, not close. You absolutely must be kidding.<\/p>\n<p>Though <em>Thunderbolts*<\/em> eventually becomes a tolerable if middling big-budget extravaganza, no person alive will mistake it for anything substantive. The film is too depthless, too willing to telegraph its every thematic move. Far from achieving the layered character work in which &ldquo;indie&rdquo; films specialize, Marvel&rsquo;s latest might as well hand its protagonists &ldquo;I AM UNHAPPY&rdquo; placards, so unshaded is their performative ennui.<\/p>\n<p>One could argue, of course, that such emotions are themselves interesting, signaling as they do what Disney executives think moviegoers want to hear. When I was a child in the &rsquo;80s and &rsquo;90s, the Mouse&rsquo;s message was that romantic love conquers all (<em>The Little Mermaid<\/em>, <em>Beauty and the Beast<\/em>). Two decades later, it was that family trumps everything (<em>Frozen<\/em>) and that honoring one&rsquo;s culture is the highest good (<em>Moana<\/em>, <em>Encanto<\/em>). With <em>Thunderbolts*<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/disney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Disney<\/a> inaugurates a new idea: We are all staring into an existential abyss. If the average ticketholder is unmarried, unemployed, and uninspired, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/film\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">film<\/a>&rsquo;s notion will make a good deal of sense. For the rest of us, it is merely strange and sad. About what, exactly, are we supposed to be so miserable?<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-life-arts\/3385535\/hollywood-fell-apart-after-while-you-were-sleeping-movie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">HOW HOLLYWOOD FELL APART IN THE 30 YEARS SINCE &lsquo;WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING&rsquo;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To be sure, <em>Thunderbolts*<\/em> has other problems. Louis-Dreyfus&rsquo;s stilted line readings bring to mind a community-theatre novice on a bad day. The picture&rsquo;s urban-carnage scenes are so unimaginatively filmed that they look like stock footage. The production has less than nothing to say about how mortal men and women live now, and it rarely grounds itself in the actual human experience. Yet the despair&rsquo;s the thing. I can&rsquo;t remember a mass-market movie that put quite so much emphasis on irremediable psychic pain.<\/p>\n<p>A final, lighter note is worth ending on. The film&rsquo;s best ingredient by far is the performance of Lewis Pullman, the son of Bill and a striking lookalike, as the supervillain Void. Should TriStar Pictures wish to remake <em>Sleepless in Seattle<\/em> with him and Colin Hanks, I will be there on opening night.<\/p>\n<p><em>Graham Hillard is an editor at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and a <\/em>Washington Examiner<em> magazine contributing writer.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Does Thunderbolts* make sense for Marvel newcomers? I explored this. Like many Marvel films, Thunderbolts* demands extensive background knowledge, which might justify the asterisk in its title. This typographical note, often debated among fans during promotions, ultimately holds little significance\u2014unless you count an inside joke revealed in the credits. For critics, however, it raises questions: Are our heroes merely flashes of lightning against a stormy backdrop? Is Disney wary of legal issues? No refunds for those left bewildered! Nonetheless, the film aspires to more than its apparent limitations. If the asterisk prompts closer examination, it\u2019s not entirely misplaced.<\/p>\n<p>I approached Thunderbolts* with no prior Marvel experience and found it relatively easy to follow. The story centers on Florence Pugh&#8217;s Yelena Belova\u2014a Russian assassin from Black Widow (2021) and Hawkeye on Disney+. The film opens with Yelena&#8217;s voiceover expressing her disillusionment: &#8220;Summertime and the killing is too easy.&#8221; Instead of reporting to her CIA handler (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), she visits her father\u2014the super-soldier Red Guardian (David Harbour)\u2014for encouragement about finding purpose through service to others.<\/p>\n<p>Yelena isn&#8217;t alone in her struggles; fellow superheroes Captain America (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) also grapple with their own dilemmas. When Louis-Dreyfus\u2019s character tries to eliminate them 20 minutes in to cover up her corruption, one might feel relieved\u2014surely death is preferable to all this complaining.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being somewhat straightforward initially, Thunderbolts* falters due to its overwhelming backstory\u2014over 37 hours worth! In a covert meeting place, Yelena and her companions act like long-time adversaries without any context for viewers unfamiliar with their history. While dedicated fans may discern deeper emotions beneath their bickering after refreshing their memories on past films, most audiences will welcome when an actual plot emerges: an unstoppable villain threatens national security.<\/p>\n<p>Typically one wouldn\u2019t critique a comic-book movie for having unique rhythms; just as my child lacks appreciation for Tarkovsky films due to age differences\u2014I\u2019m out of my depth here too regarding Marvel lore. However, Disney has marketed Thunderbolts* as art featuring caped characters; its trailer boasts \u201cAbsolute Cinema,\u201d highlighting creators known for acclaimed works like The Green Knight and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Pugh even described it as \u201cthis quite bada** indie A24-feeling assassin movie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regarding Pugh&#8217;s statement: while A24 deserves recognition for its reputation from films like The Lighthouse or Uncut Gems\u2014it\u2019s far from accurate here.<\/p>\n<p>Though Thunderbolts* eventually becomes an acceptable if mediocre blockbuster spectacle\u2014it lacks substance entirely. Its themes are overly obvious; rather than achieving nuanced character development typical of indie films\u2014it feels like characters could simply hold signs reading &#8220;I AM UNHAPPY,&#8221; showcasing their shallow despair.<\/p>\n<p>One could argue these sentiments reflect what Disney believes audiences want today\u2014shifting messages over decades from romantic love conquering all in classics like The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast\u2014to family values prevailing in Frozen or cultural pride celebrated through Moana or Encanto\u2014and now presenting existential dread via Thunderbolts*. For some viewers who may relate feeling unmarried or uninspired\u2014the film resonates well enough\u2014but others find it odd and disheartening without clear reasons behind such misery.<\/p>\n<p>Thunderbolts* faces additional flaws too: Louis-Dreyfus delivers stilted lines reminiscent of amateur theater performances while urban destruction scenes appear unimaginatively shot resembling stock footage instead of engaging visuals grounded within human experiences today\u2014all emphasizing despair throughout instead!<\/p>\n<p>On a brighter note\u2014the standout performance comes from Lewis Pullman portraying supervillain Void\u2014a striking resemblance exists between him and his father Bill Pullman! Should TriStar Pictures consider remaking Sleepless in Seattle featuring him alongside Colin Hanks\u2014I\u2019d eagerly attend opening night!<\/p>\n<p>Graham Hillard serves as editor at James G Martin Center &amp; contributes writings regularly at Washington Examiner magazine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":956,"featured_media":2432698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LA.Film_.051425.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[54901,54900,34134,27744,54902],"class_list":["post-2432697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-comic-book-adaptations","tag-marvel-movies","tag-movie-reviews","tag-thunderbolts","tag-viewing-experience"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LA.Film_.051425.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/956"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2432697"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2432701,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432697\/revisions\/2432701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2432698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2432697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2432697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2432697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}