by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What makes a good comedy? A fun genre to play with certainly does go a long way in setting up for some great laughs. Say, taking an extremely popular genre and poking fun at it. That seems like a great first step, right? Thunder Force had a great start! But you need more than a good set up to deliver the laughs. How about some forced physical comedy to make fun of an actor’s weight? You cannot go wrong with a ton of cringe comedy based around strange and uncomfortable set-ups, right? But wouldn’t it be great to throw in some recurring gags based on gross out moments? Wait… none of those things sound good. Is this Netflix comedy in trouble? Let’s find out!
With a writer/director like Ben Falcone, what should we expect out of Thunder Force?
Falcone has a specific track record with awkward and dumb comedies like Tammy and The Boss. The premise of this film is based around a pair of childhood friends forced back together as they develop superpowers to fight off an evil group of villains called Miscreants. You have a fun set up with the superpowers and you also have a fine set up for the emotional core of the film. But both of these aspects are squandered. First off, Falcone does not bring a whole lot of personality to his films. The cinematography is pretty flat and there are not many sequences done in an inspired or interesting way. With that approach, everything else really needs to carry the load. Unfortunately, leads Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer are not able to do too much with what they are given.
Let’s get to the heart of the film. Do we care about their friendship?
There would be a stronger connection if they both didn’t play complete archetypes that don’t feel like real people. McCarthy is just a walking quip that acts like a complete jerk for almost the entire film. Spencer is so understated and uptight that she is just not likeable. With all of that, why should we care? Sure, they have solid chemistry and are both talented actresses, but when your characters are paper thin like this, it is tough to grab the audience. How about the superhero satire? Well when you deliver overweight women gags with stupid physical comedy, you really don’t have a lot going for you. Sure they point out the inherent silliness of superpowers like having crab claws for hands, but they soon squander it through cringe sexual scenes with rubbing butter on his claws. I wish I was kidding. They honestly don’t even parody superheroes that much in this film which is supposed to be a comedy. Thunder Force really just feels like an uninspired Marvel movie. The twists feel extremely predictable and the film never really inspires magic or surprise.
But can the actors make the most of what they are given?
McCarthy does her “McCarthy thing” in this one. She feels so much like Adam Sandler at this point, it is frustrating. Both are really talented actors but choose to do low hanging fruit comedies that do not ask much of them. McCarthy flops her body around and makes snarky comments in this one. That’s it. Spencer is also an extremely talented actor but she is given an over serious and flat character. Bobby Cannavale is the same cheesy villain he plays in many action comedies. Does he own it? Sure. Is he particularly interesting? No. Pom Klementieff is awkward in this role with her line delivery feeling off and awkward. She doesn’t add a whole lot to the film. But then there is Jason Bateman. Even if they use his character for some seriously bad and cringy sexual comedy, he really owns his role in the film. He brings his fantastic charm and almost all of my laughs came from him.
Will you be taking your time to stream Netflix’s new superhero comedy?
Do you just want a mindless silly time that is easily accessible? Thunder Force just might be a great option for you. If you want something clever and inspired, this one might leave you wanting more. It surely made me want something more. But if you are a fan of collaborations between Falcone and McCarthy, you will certainly enjoy this one too.
Grade: D