Thunderbolts* & The Accountant 2 Are Both Pretty Enjoyable
The Summer movie season has begun and so far it has delivered. Don't get me wrong. Sinners is still (by far) the best movie of the year. If you haven't seen it yet, rush out and see it immediately. But if you are looking for a decent action movie with a likable cast, you could do a lot worse than Thunderbolts* and The Accountant 2.
Here are mini-reviews of both along with The Legend Of Ochi:
Thunderbolts* is a very enjoyable 2/3 of a movie that tries to have a deeper meaning in the final act. The problem is that this is far too blunt to be able to pull that off. No one expects subtlety in a Marvel movie but this also wants to be more than it possibly can.
As frustrating as the sledgehammer last half hour was, there are some big positives here. David Harbour and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were very entertaining. Florence Pugh carries this movie and never overdoes it. Unlike most recent Marvel films, this felt like it's own movie and not some forced connection to another release months later.
I liked how Thunderbolts* was directed by Jake Schreier. It was well-paced and he made some creative choices. Compared to the stale Captain America: Brave New World, this felt like a much more complete movie.
Thunderbolts: B-
The Accountant 2 delivers on the same fun yet weird action that they had in the original. It doesn't exceed the first movie but that's a tough ask for any sequel. I give this credit for being almost as good. This does miss Anna Kendrick and the nervous energy/humor that she brought to the original film. But, this wisely expands Jon Bernthal's role from the original. You can tell he's having a great time making this.
You can make a compelling case that Ben Affleck could be spending his time better than starring in action movies. He's a great director and a very good actor. But, that might also be an unfair complaint.
He clearly enjoys working with director Gavin O'Connor and (along with these Accountant movies and The Way, Way Back) they've made three good ones together. In a year where we've seen far more bad movies than good, there's something to be said for something as simple as as an enjoyable time at the theater.
The Accountant 2 delivers on that.
The Accountant 2: B
The Legend Of Ochi had me caring far more about Ochi than any human being in the movie. I don't understand why these people needed to be weird for weird's sake. This is Gremlins meets Napoleon Dynamite (if you removed the comedy).
It tells the story of a girl who finds and odd creature in the woods and befriends it. Her father (and an army of boys for some reason) is hunting these creatures. In shocking news, the creatures are actually nice. I'm guessing Finn Wolfhard agreed to do this for the chance to work with Willem Dafoe. That's the only explanation because Wolfhard is entirely wasted. Emily Watson plays a shepherd with a wooden hand for some reason.
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I did love how this uses practical effects and avoids CGI. It is clearly an homage to Gremlins and E.T. But in those movies, you care about the humans too. They are relatable and even the odd ones (like Billy's inventor Dad) have clear motives.
This is a movie. It's not Brooklyn. Not everyone needs to be quirky.
THE LEGEND OF OCHI: C-
2025
1)Sinners
2)Presence
3)Black Bag
4)Warfare
5)Novocaine
6)The Amateur
7)Drop
8)Death Of A Unicorn
9)THE ACCOUNTANT 2
10)The Damned
11)One Of Them Days
12)Paddington 3
13)THUNDERBOLTS
14)Hell Of A Summer
15)Valiant One
16)Rule Breakers
17)Heart Eyes
18)Mickey 17
19)Last Breath
20)Flight Risk
21)Minecraft
22)Den Of Thieves 2
23)Dogman
24)Companion
25)A Working Man
26)The Alto Knights
27)The Penguin Lessons
28)The Chosen Part 2
29)Looney Tunes
30)Opus
31)Becoming Led Zeppelin
32)Captain America: BNW
33)The Chosen Part 1
34)Riff Raff
35)Inheritance
36)The Chosen Part 3
37)The Wedding Banquet
38)THE LEGEND OF OCHI
40)Night Of The Zoopocalypse
41)Sneaks
42)Ash
43)The King Of Kings
44)The Friend
45)Snow White
46)The Unbreakable Boy
47)Brave The Dark
48)Wolf Man
49)The Monkey
50)Love Hurts
51)The Last Supper
52)Woman In The Yard
53)In The Lost Lands