Thunder Force
By James Davidson
“Thunder Force” is a new comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Olivia Spencer. In a universe where all people with superpowers are evil, called Miscreants Emily Stanton (Spencer) has created a way to give ordinary people powers in able to fight back. The only problem is that her former best friend from high school, Lydia Berman (McCarthy) has accidentally taken the first dose. Lydia is a bit rough around the edges and the two have become estranged since high school. Emily decides to share her powers with Lydia, giving Lydia super strength and starting the treatment for invisibility for herself. Together the two become a crime fighting duo that must fight the Miscreants and save their city, and their friendship. “Thunder Force” was released on April 9th 2021, and is available on the Netflix streaming service.
I thought this movie looked pretty ridiculous, but I thought it might be worth a few cheap laughs and might be a fun way to spend the evening. I wasn’t too far off in my assessment.
While this film was great for a few laughs, most of the humor was unoriginal. Melissa McCarthy was typecast into playing the same, rough around the edges, beer swilling, cussing character that she always plays. While it is funny at times, it does get old at times and is overplayed.
The plot itself is straightforward with no unexpected twists or surprises. It was interesting enough and I did have fun while watching this movie. I did find myself wishing for a bit more originality, both in the humor and in the writing. While there was nothing particularly wrong with either, I think they could have been better with more original content.
This movie is rated PG-13 for some action/violence, language, and mild suggestive material. Other than a few crass remarks by McCarthy and some language, I think this movie is appropriate for the entire family, and could be a fun way to spend an evening in together if you don’t expect too much.
“Thunder Force” is a film that, apart from a few funny moments, struggles to rise above mediocrity. It’s stars are hopelessly typecast and the story is pretty unoriginal. While there are a few funny parts that had me laughing, most of this film is forgettable. It earns 2.5 out of 5 stars.
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