Netflix’s newest release, ‘Thunder Force’ is stupid, but funny it is not. The story follows two best friends: Lydia, played by Melissa McCarthy, and Emily, played by Octavia Spencer, who were once close as they grew up together, but grow apart as their lives take them on different paths. They finally reunite by mere chance and accident when they both find themselves with superpowers and decide it is their duty to save the city of Chicago.
With as much potential as this movie had, I was excited to watch. Two middle-aged women with superpowers that fight evil was sure to be a cool and interesting direction. Admittedly, the film touches on the topic of how different they are from the normal superhero, but then it’s forgotten fairly quickly. These make the very next scenes of the movie quite unrealistic and hard to watch, even for a superhero movie. I found myself pointing out the flaws more than I enjoyed it.
Considering the star power brought by McCarthy and Spencer, I can’t help but think that this movie is beneath them both. “Thunder Force” was a major disappointment as it was shaping up to be a parody of the superhero movie. The oversaturated genre has dominated the movie industry for years and it’s safe to say that many are tired. But….
Despite having a rating of PG-13, the jokes are more suited for a ten-year-old. The movie tries hard to be edgy but ends up being childish. It’s, dare I say it, corny, with nothing to fall back on. McCarthy and Spencer dealt well with what they were given, so maybe this is a problem on the writers’ end.
The writing showcases just how bad the acting is and highlights the lack of chemistry between the supposed two best friends. Spencer and McCarthy often look as if they don’t want to be in the same scene together and are just confused as the viewers are. Their performances are over the top, which ends up ruining the last remaining traits of a decent plot. The plot ends up taking a backseat to the dramatics, the movie loses its luster and at this point, it becomes quite unwatchable. Keep in mind, this is stuff I noticed immediately. I was only 40 minutes into an hour and 47-minute movie and quite honestly I’d seen enough.
The movie takes a turn and tries its hand at being serious in some scenes. The film’s core plot is about friendship and I’m glad to see that they followed through with that. However, there are not enough heartwarming moments and the writers don’t really let the actresses be vulnerable. The movie went gimmick after gimmick and eventually, I grew tired and wanted to see something more simple. It was cluttered and packed with an unnecessary plot to the point where audiences could no longer see McCarthy’s comedic timing or Spencer’s knack for dramatic acting. That was the biggest disappointment of all.
Overall, I’d say the movie is built solely on the potential of how good it should have been. Any time the cast is given the freedom to be themselves, the movie comes alive. But in the end, the shenanigans prove to be too much for a proper story arc and development.
Photo Credit: Netflix/IMDb
