The Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” Reviews Are In

Reviews are now in for Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts” and with 72 revews counted, the title sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes which puts it on par with the first “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Shang-Chi” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

The aggregate site has removed its ‘average rating’ scores recently so it’s not clear how much of that positive reception is simply liking it or loving it. Over on Metacritic, the film is pulling in a 70/100 – on par with “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”.

Reviews all seem to indicate the film is a return to form of sorts for Marvel with a focus on the characters and a contained story, as opposed to focusing on easter eggs and setting up other films. Here’s a sampling of the reviews:

“In many ways, Thunderbolts* feels like a breath of fresh air and a notable step forward for the MCU as a whole, which is pretty remarkable given that this is a cast of characters where the literal point is that they’re loose ends left adrift.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

“If this simple and relatively spirited return to basics is definitely a step in the right direction for the MCU, that direction is still ‘backwards.'” – David Ehrlich, Indiewire

“Thunderbolts* is a refreshing offering from the MCU that takes plenty of big swings and only occasionally misses. The movie cares more about the characters and relationships on screen than the franchise at large, and that means we do too.” – Emily Garbutt, Total Film

“If The Avengers was the movie 2012 America needed, reveling in Obama-era exuberance while reeling from 9/11, then Thunderbolts* fits 2025, presenting a world where everything kinda sucks, and powerful people seem intent on crafting your demise.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict

“Thunderbolts* is far from a cinematic masterpiece, but it’s a much-needed course corrective for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” – Meghan O’Keefe, Decider

“With Florence Pugh as the intensely magnetic center of this ramshackle maelstrom, and despite a couple of familiar Marvel shortcomings, it’s a protean superhero saga that stands on its own—regardless of its title’s qualifying asterisk.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

“Fortunately, and shockingly given just how many arcs the film has to balance and serve, the whole thing works because it is so explicitly rooted in character, not twists.” – Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

“Thunderbolts* is a bit messy initially, but thanks to the cast’s natural chemistry and stellar third act, it ends up being one of the most emotionally impactful Marvel movies in a long time.” – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

“All the assembled parts here, including an especially high-quality cast work together seamlessly in a way that Marvel hasn’t in some time. Most of all, Pugh commands every bit of the movie.” – Jake Coyle, AP

The Jake Schreier-directed film marks the final chapter in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and opens in cinemas on Thursday night.

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