I have to admit to “MCU Fatigue”. I’m predisposed to be more excited about DC properties, but there’s no question that Marvel Studios has done an amazing job of putting forward an interlinked story, for the most part.
My wife and I try to watch most superhero movies opening weekend to avoid being spoiled by errant headlines on media sites. We saw Thunderbolts* the Saturday morning of opening weekend.
This movie is different from, say, Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s not shifting to a bunch of new characters, instead tying together ‘loose ends’ from five or six story arcs in the MCU.
My major complaint with this movie was that there were large portions of it that were shot too darkly. Not tone, actual lighting! It’s actually a major complaint I have with a lot of media from the last 8 years or so.
I was surprised at one character arc that didn’t get much screen time. However, my biggest surprise was that the movie didn’t shy away from depicting mental illness. While I try not to give spoilers, and I don’t think that’s a large one, it really did set the movie apart (and raise it a notch) for me.