THUNDERBOLTS* is a wonderful reminder that all of us have a little superhero in us.

THUNDERRRBOLTS, and make sure you roll the R.

One of the amazing things the MCU has done with its 6 phases is prove that you can have gargantuan budgets, boatloads of CGI, special effects, massive superstar celebrities, and still manage to tell incredible stories. Withstanding the dramatic failures of a few noticeable missteps like Iron Man 3, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The MCU has ushered in a fantastic of Super Hero classics.

For a minute there seemed to be grumblings about Marvel fatigue. Between Disney+ and its constant introduction to fairly unknown characters getting their own series on a monthly basis to a non-stop schedule of major motion picture releases, it was getting easy to ignore the latest whoever from whatever multiverse.

Through all the noise the MCU decided to release the oft rumored THUNDERBOLTS*. A team of under appreciated and rarely publicized “super heroes,” comprised of: Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, The Taskmaster, The Ghost, and the brilliantly played Red Guardian. Unless you're a real fan of the MCU that list of characters isn't going to be raising any newbie fans eyebrows.

This is where this movie excels. Without all the pomp and circumstance, or CGI effects, or colossal celebrity appearances, THUNDERBOLTS* went outside the norm and made a really good movie. A film with really good writing, great character development, some incredible emotional highs and lows, and actors that really brought their A game.

Let's set it off with Florence Pugh who reprised her role of Yelena Belova. The Black Widow assassin who we join wallowing in the grief of losing her adoptive sister, while employing her lifelong training to leave a train wreck of bodies on her way to filling “the void.” Not only does Florence expertly navigate the tragedy of her loss but she manages to make you want to have her back even though she's got an awful history of murder and mayhem. And can we please give her a round of applause for jumping off of the second tallest building in the world, at her insistence making the movie studio panic.

Now after seeing Sebastian Stan play the orange one with flawless precision in The Apprentice, I was excited to see him get back into superhero shape and bring Bucky Barnes back to form. Not only did we get Bucky in all his vibranium armed glory but he also masterfully navigated being an elected member of the US House of Representatives, making him a cheat code of sorts for this burgeoning squad.

I feel like at this point a third Captain America is overkill but Wyatt Russell does a great job of humanizing the shield wielding superhuman. The bravado of a seasoned super veteran with the baggage of a tortured soul that is masked by his massive ego. Like every great captain John Walker goes through the kind of transformation that makes it impossible to not applaud his efforts.

Since Taskmaster is part of the cast and is considered part of the team it only makes sense to mention her but her mention will be brief as her appearance. Olga Kurylenko did what she needed to do.

Alright, now we have Ghost played by Hannah John-Kamen. Making her first appearance in the Ant-Man and Wasp film, Ghost has an interesting superpower that she has learned to control from her Ant-Man days making her a huge asset for the THUNDERBOLTS* in some key film sequences.

David Harbour, man oh man, David Harbour. With phenomenal comedy timing and scene stealing vigor, David brings the Red Guardian to life in a way where it's going to be impossible for anyone else to play him. From his self admitted failure as a father to his obsession with wanting to return to his former glory. The Red Guardian brings this crew of semi-super heroes together where it almost feels like just maybe they could really be the next coming of the, dare I say, AVENGERS!!

The piece de resistance of this film has to be the performance from Lewis Pullman who played Bob, aka The Sentry, aka The Void. Lewis undergoes an incredible series of transformations in this film and he plays them expertly. Having to go from complete opposite ends of the personality spectrum we get to witness the absolute maximum abilities that any superhero can have in the MCU, even rivaling the invincibility of Captain Marvel.

Honorable mentions have to include Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who returns as Valentina Allegra De Fontaine, and Wendel Pierce who plays Gary not just cause its wonderful to see Wendel in the MCU but also because he plays the conscience of the film throughout and says things to those in power that all of us wish to say to our bosses.

With a budget of $180 million dollars this film is the furthest thing from low budget or indie, but the way the film was created makes it feel like the most important part of the film making process was to make a really great film. From the limiting of the CGI, to the practical approach to the stunts and fight scenes, and to the creating a set around 1 and a half city blocks, THUNDERBOLTS* took an approach that not only works for the big screen but also to filmmakers that love the art of film.

This really feels like Marvels version of Inside/Out tackling some incredibly heavy themes around death, grieving, dysfunction, and the constant battle of trying to find decency in the most flawed of humans. With the introduction of the shame room, the void creates a space where you have to relive the worst of yourself over and over again and this is where we really learn a lot about this beloved crew of miscreants. This film really is about second chances, the great thing is the creators knocked it out of the park in the first try.