Thunderbolts* (4½ Stars)

The star after the film's title isn't a mistake. It's an asterisk. Asterisks are used to draw a reader's attention to a note written at the bottom of the page. In this case, it's not a written page, it's a film, and the asterisk is pointing to a message at the end of the film, after the credits. After the credits we're told that the team temporarily calling themselves the Thunderbolts will call themselves the New Avengers.

Unlike the usual Marvel films, I have no feeling for the characters. The Thunderbolts first appeared in 1997, well into Marvel's post-canon era, when I rarely read comics. All I know is that the team members in the film aren't the same as in the comics, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Marvel's films are famous for their mix and match approach, taking characters with the same names as in the comics, but often with different powers and always with different costumes. There's no respect for the original source material.

Having said that, I have to admit that it's a good film. It's one of the better Marvel films in recent years. Florence Pugh carries the film as Yelena Belova, the new Black Widow, but my favourite character is Bob. He's fascinating. But watch the film yourself if you want to know why.