Thunderbolts 3D Movie Review
Thunderbolts*
3D Movie Review
by Jacob Scarberry
3D
This is easily one of the MCU’s best examples of what they can do with converted 3D. Right from the jump, there’s a great sense of depth and dimension—starting with Yelena skydiving off a skyscraper, which gives you that stomach-dropping sense of vertigo. There are a ton of pop-out moments too. Yelena, Bucky, and US Agent all aim their weapons straight at the audience more than once, and it ranges from subtle to straight-up in-your-face—and it’s awesome. One standout moment has OxCorp sentries pointing laser sights directly at you, and it really lands.
Now, I did notice a fair bit of ghosting in the backgrounds of some scenes. I’m not sure if that’s on the theater’s projector, the screen, or maybe the cinematography itself—but it’s worth noting. Still, Thunderbolts* is a first-rate 3D presentation and absolutely worth the upgrade if your local theater offers it.
Final 3D Score: 8/10
Movie
Hello Darkness, My Old Friend. This is definitely a change of pace from your typical MCU fare and I am here for it. Thunderbolts* is a far better movie than I expected.
Thunderbolts* opens with Yelena (Florence Pugh), still struggling with the loss of her sister from Avengers Endgame. She’s working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus going full evil “Veep” here), drowning in depression and vodka, feeling completely lost. To make things worse, the closest thing she’s ever had to a father, Alexei (David Harbour), has kept his distance since the events of the Black Widow movie, which only deepens the emotional weight she’s carrying. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is now a congressman—yeah, seriously—and he’s investigating Val and OxCorp, who are caught up in a mess of shady dealings. Val’s on the verge of impeachment from her CIA position, and to cover her tracks, she starts erasing the evidence—by sending Yelena, US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) to kill each other and destroy everything, bodies included. In the chaos, they accidentally find Project Sentry: a guy named Bob (Lewis Pullman). These characters band together to survive, get revenge, and—despite themselves—start to become an actual team, all while facing their own demons.
This isn’t your average Marvel flick. No endless quips, no shaky-cam fight scenes, no SkyBeam™ finales. This movie goes deeper, to more unexpected places. Sure, there’s action to keep the casual fans hooked, but what really pulls you in is the psychological edge (think that junkyard fight in Superman III—yeah, that kind of cerebral). Thunderbolts* is one smart movie (far smarter than it looks). And somehow, director Jake Schrier (Paper Towns, Beef) pulls it off. The film balances brains and spectacle, and the script gives us solid storytelling, real character work, and actual laughs that don’t feel forced.
The acting is strong across the board, with Florence Pugh and Lewis Pullman standing out in particular. Their performances work not just individually, but because of the chemistry they share. Despite being a hodgepodge team, the group works surprisingly well together—and they’re genuinely fun to watch on screen.
If I have one complaint, it’s that the first half of the movie drags just a bit. There’s a whole stretch (in the gorgeous Utah landscape) that goes on for too long. A tighter edit could’ve trimmed 10 minutes and sharpened the pace.
Still, everything else fires on all cylinders. Thunderbolts* isn’t just one of the best post-Endgame films—it might be top-tier MCU, period. Don’t expect Marvel’s version of The Suicide Squad. Expect a smart, thoughtful comic book movie that kicks off summer 2025 in the best way possible—and man, do we need that right now.
Final Movie Score: 9/10
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