by Christopher James
Longtime friends McCarthy and Spencer in "Thunder Force."Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer are already acting superheroes. Over their long careers, they’ve stolen scenes from the best, been nominated for Oscars (with Spencer winning in 2011), and headlined comedy, drama and horror films. There’s nothing these women can’t do… until now. Thunder Force is their kryptonite. There’s no superpower in their arsenal that can save this comedy, which is completely devoid of laughs.
Thunder Force takes place in a world much like our own. The main difference: mysterious intergalactic rays touched down in the 80s and gave a few bad apples superpowers. These super individuals, called Miscreants, use their powers to terrorize everyone in sight. If only bad guys are given powers, how are the good guys ever going to prevail?
Thirty years have gone by and the Miscreants are still wreaking havoc on Chicago. Former high school friends Lydia (Melissa McCarthy) and Emily (Octavia Spencer) have not talked since their senior year. After her parents were killed by Miscreants, Emily devoted her life to developing a scientific way to give normal people superpowers to fight back.
Melissa McCarthy (left) and Octavia Spencer (right) hope to save the world, but they can't even save their own movie.In the present day, she is a high powered scientist with a Tony Stark-esque skyscraper. Meanwhile, her former high school protector, Lydia, never really applied herself and currently works as a forklift driver. On the night of their high school reunion, Lydia arrives at Emily’s office in an effort to convince her to attend. While making herself at home, Lydia unknowingly injects herself with Emily’s prized concoction, which bestows super strength on the user. With no choice but to move forward, Emily trains Lydia to be a superhero that can take down the Miscreants. She also tests out the invisibility serum on herself, making them the Thunder Force crime fighting duo.
Melissa McCarthy has a wealth of talent that, much like a superpower, can be used for good or for bad. Her gifts allow her to be barbed and heartbreaking in a drama (Can You Ever Forgive Me) or gut-bustingly hilarious in a comedy (Spy, Bridesmaids). Unfortunately, the one clear sign whether a film of hers will be a win or a dud is to look at the director. Thunder Force is the fourth film she has starred in that was written and directed by Ben Falcone, McCarthy’s husband. Their collaborations in the past (Tammy, The Boss, Life of the Party) have ranged from middling to downright bad. Thunder Force falls towards the bottom of the pack. It’s so lifelessly directed that the talented McCarthy flounders without a substantial joke to cling to.
One might think that the two leads may save any failings with the script and direction. Unfortunately, McCarthy and Spencer are not a winning superhero team. Both actresses can have chemistry with a wall. Yet, their friendship feels forced. McCarthy is allowed to have a little fun with her character, since Lydia is a version of the brash persona she’s cultivated over the decade. Spencer gets absolutely nothing to work with. Emily is given no personality outside of her brain. People have done great work being the “straight man” to McCarthy’s manic energy. For example, Sandra Bullock used her movie star charisma to strike up a rich conflict with McCarthy’s wild card in The Heat. Spencer just sighs and turns invisible. The live wire energy she brought to a movie like Ma is completely absent here. There’s a version of Emily that could be more of a smart-ass, more of an eccentric genius or even just more awake. Neither the script, nor Spencer, decide on any beat other than “mildly disappointed.”
Jason Bateman (right) fares much better than Bobby Cannavale (left) in the supporting cast of "Thunder Force."The supporting cast doesn’t offer much levity from the very expected script and flat direction. Bobby Cannavale telegraphs every twist and turn as mayoral candidate The King. Our primary Miscreant, Laser (Pom Klementieff), is neither threatening or entertaining enough to be a convincing villain. As Emily’s research compatriot, Allie, Melissa Leo gets a laugh or two in, but is completely wasted overall. In a particularly uninspired ensemble, the one consistent bright spot was Jason Bateman as The Crab, a half-creant who finds himself attracted to Lydia. With Ozark earning him such acclaim, it has been so long since we’ve seen him return to his comedy roots. Affixed with large crab hands, Bateman doesn’t just rely on easy physical comedy to make himself funny. His dastardly crustacean lays on the charm as he tries to woo the super strong Lydia. A romantic dinner date that ends in butter play stands out as the highlight of this rather standard film.
The superhero genre is ripe for satire. With both The Heat and Spy, McCarthy has demonstrated her ability to skewer tired genres and make them feel fresh again. Unfortunately, Thunder Force has none of the wit or originality of these other movies. Falcone’s script dutifully hits every expected beat, hitting every cliche unironically. It’s not just that the movie is unfunny, it’s extraordinarily dull. D+
Thunder Force debuts on Netflix on Friday, April 9th.
Thunder Force is now streaming on Netflix.
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