'' THUNDERBOLTS* '' : FILM REVIEW

CINEMASCOPE. DESPITE the superficial similarities to the comics - and at times, the utter lack there of - Thunderbolts* is not what one assumed it would be, a bad, or even a half bad.

Marvel movie that relies on corporate decisions and familiarity with prior movies and shows to nail the story which, by the way, is dead simple to begin with.

Yelena, Ghost, US Agent and Taskmaster are called to a secret hideout by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. [ This miscast Julia Louis-Dreyfus,  the CIA director who wants to tie up her loose ends amidst pressure from the US Congress.]

The group, before being cooked to death in an incinerator, meet Bob - a scared young man who has no idea why he's there with them.

Soon, Bob is revealed to have superpowers that far outweigh the combined might of the  original Avengers.

Marvel, its confidence shaken by unsuccessful releases - ETERNALS, BLACK PANTHER :  WAKANDA FOREVER, THOR : LOVE AND THUNDER, ANT-MAN : QUANTUM MANIA, THE MARVELS, CAPTAIN AMERICA : BRAVE NEW WORLD - weren't that secretive about Bob's identity, but for the sake of this review, I'll withhold that crucial [ but publicly available ] information.

Suffice to say that his ability to make him a major player in the upcoming event movies.

THUNDERBOLTS*, technically, doesn't have a villain, but that doesn't make it any less of a good time.

Director Jake Schreier [ Paper Towns, Robot and Frank ], working from the screenplay by Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo, has unusual restraint and  clarity for a tentpole helmer who, understandably, should be under immense corporate pressure to do things a certain way.

He treats his characters with respect, giving as much screen space as he can to them, without compromising on the teeny bit of story he has to deal with.

Surprisingly, Schreier also shows a mature hand in pulling off action sequences. Unlike haphazard film-all-you-can-from-all-angles  approach to editing fighting scenes - leaving one weary and disinterested from all the quick cuts - the action in Thunderbolts* has fewer cuts and longer takes.

The eye, therefore, acknowledges the work actors and choreographers have put in.

There isn't a lot of action, but one doesn't need that, especially for a film whose main intention is to lay the groundwork for bigger films in the coming months and perhaps, sustain the characters just enough that they carry some emotional resonance when they eventually play with the big boys in Avengers : Doomsday and Secret Wars.

The World Students Society thanks Mohammad Kamran Jawaid.