WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sony's Bloodshot, now in theaters.

Starring Vin Diesel as the Valiant Comics character, Bloodshot is finally here. Judging by the reviews and the 31-percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, however, most critics would rather it didn't exist at all.

Obviously, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the thing is, Bloodshot is a far better effort than anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe has put out recently. It might sound like a ludicrous statement to make, but there is a serious case to be made for the film's merits.

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For one, Bloodshot works superbly well as a standalone picture. There are no cameos or post-credits scenes teasing Ninjak, X-O Manowar or other Valiant characters. This is purely Ray Garrison's story, and it's nice to walk into a theater concerned only about the current film on screen and not the other 500 interconnected properties.

In this day and age, it's quite novel to see a superhero film that doesn't have attachments. While there has been talk of a potential Valiant Cinematic Universe, the discussion points have centered on the current film -- not something else that may or may not be coming down the production line. This allows the audience to live in the moment and invest in Ray Garrison's story.

Speaking of a different approach, Bloodshot is exactly that. This isn't a traditional cape and cowl affair; its setup, plot and overall tone leans more on sci-fi action. In fact, it has far more in common with Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop than it does with Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and the Wasp -- and this is exactly what the genre requires if it's going to evolve.

Not since 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier has the MCU stepped outside of its traditional approach. It makes sense, really, because the films are raking in more money than the GDP of some countries. And there's also something to be said about the luxury of comfort and formula. The downside to this, however, is that the films become predictable, so everyone knows what to expect before they enter the cinema.

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While Bloodshot comic-book readers could predict the big twist in the film, the general audience wouldn't -- and that elevates the entertainment factor. It's rare to find a comic-book movie that does your head in with a plot twist that no one saw coming, yet this film achieved it.

More importantly, Bloodshot actually has a theme: letting go of the past to move forward. In the film, there are a host of former soldiers who struggle with their history and the brutal effects of war. They feel imprisoned by their past and are reluctant to embrace the future. While this could've been explored further, it's still more powerful than the themes of most comic-book movies, which feel as if they merely exist for the big team-up spectacle down the road.

Of course, the big team-ups are all about the money -- and this is where Bloodshot finds itself in an interesting situation since there's no pressure to be an overwhelming financial success. The film cost a reported $45 million to produce, which is still $13 million less than Tim Miller's Deadpool. It doesn't need to set the box office on fire; it just needs to make bank. That being said, it's uncertain if it will achieve this, considering how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could impact theater attendance.

Regardless, money doesn't mean everything. Bloodshot might not become as big as an MCU film, but it's already successful for the simple fact that it did something differently. From a creative perspective, it's a winner for not conforming to the norm.

Directed by Dave Wilson (VFX Supervisor for Avengers: Age of Ultron) with a script by Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare), Bloodshot stars Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce and Toby Kebbell.

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