Thunderbolts* (PG) – 127 minutes

The director of the CIA and powerful head of a shadowy cutting edge tech company Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is facing impeachment.

Working for her as a contract killer (she is in the “clean-up business”) is Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), whose work no longer fulfils her.

There is an emptiness in her … a void. She is not happy and feels that she doesn’t have a purpose.

Yelena hasn’t been in touch with her embarrassing father Alexei Shostakov (aka Red Guardian), a former Russian soldier, for a year, so she remedies that.

But when that doesn’t satiate her, she appeals to Valentina for a different role, which she agrees to after asking Yelena to complete one last job.

But truth be told, Valentina is out to erase any connections to her distinctly compromised past, which includes eliminating Yelena and other antiheroes.

She traps them in an underground vault, planning to destroy all of them.

I speak here of John Walker (for a short time Captain America), who did the dirty on his wife and child, Ava Starr (aka Ghost) and Antonia Dreykov or Taskmaster.

What none of the four count on, nor does Valentina, is the arrival of a discombobulated individual known as Bob (Lewis Pullman).

He has no idea how he got there, but he is depressed and would be happy to end his life.

It turns out that Bob took part in a medical experiment orchestrated by Valentina.

Also on the warpath, looking to expose Valentina is US congressman Bucky Barnes (also known as Winter Soldier).

He looks to Valentina’s executive assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) for inside information.

In time, Winter Soldier will join forces with the disparate group of reprobates I referenced earlier.

That will also see the emergence of the compromised Bob as an all-powerful figure.

With twists aplenty, Thunderbolts* is a superhero film with a mental health focus.

It is a distinct point of difference to previous movies of this genre and one I dare say that many viewers will relate to.

Importantly, director Jake Schrier has still managed to keep it entertaining and engaging.

Its origins are the Marvel comic franchise first published in 1997 and continues the big screen Marvel Cinematic Universe that started with Iron Man in 2008.

Thunderbolts* is a fine showcase for Florence Pugh, complete with foreign accent, to illustrate just how versatile an actor she is. She is front and centre throughout, as Yelena takes Bob under her wing.

The shoot ‘em up action sequences are mixed with more reflective moments, as Bob seems to be able to channel the antiheroes less than salubrious past.

I appreciated the light and shade in the film, in what is quite a complex storyline by writers Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo.

As Alexei Shostakov, David Harbour adds light relief and humour, revelling in his deliberately over the top role.

I relished the devilish enjoyment Julia Louis-Dreyfus had in realising the villain of the piece, Valentina.

All up, I suspended belief and enjoyed the wild and woolly ride.

Incidentally, the asterisk in the title, which is certainly unusual, makes sense as the film nears its conclusion.

And, remember to stay on while the final credits roll and beyond, as Thunderbolts* points to the inevitable sequel.

Rated PG, it scores an 8 out of 10.