Melissa McCarthy leads a star-studded cast through a draining comedy
The film was crafted by McCarthy’s husband and collaborator, Ben Falcone.
When Netflix announced they would be at the helm of a Melissa McCarthy-led superhero action comedy, hopes were high for a star-studded, raunchy Marvel parody. However, what audiences received has divided them in two, as they debate whether or not they were misguided through false advertising and high hopes.
The film “Thunder Force” focuses on Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as Lydia and Emily, two childhood best friends that grew apart over the years. They reconnect when Emily (Spencer) develops a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.
The two bond once again and fight crime, as well as a few star cameos along the way. The film is packed with the usual McCarthy-style acting and jokes, action, and the expected slapstick sense of humor taken from other McCarthy films.
The film was advertised as yet another lighthearted, so-so comedy from McCarthy and her husband/director Ben Falcone, yet many had higher hopes for one that Netflix chose to take under their belt with a modern superhero take.
While many hoped for an R-rated action flick, just as McCarthy did with her Muppets-spinoff, “The Happytime Murders”, they received a family-friendly parody of the Marvel and DC superhero films.
Falcone previously directed McCarthy in other recognizable films such as “Tammy”, “The Boss”, and “Superintelligence”. While these films managed to rake in a healthy profit, few received positive, or even mixed, reviews from audiences as well as critics.
While the premise heavily implied something new from the creative team, the film rather falls into place alongside the rest of the hum-drum forgettable films. Instead of seeing McCarthy develop a new character alongside Spencer, we see them playing the same characters that are in the aforementioned films.
While “Thunder Force” offers up a lighthearted action-comedy to pass the time, the film sadly falls prey to being quickly forgotten after watching. Rather than standing out from the rest of the team’s catalog, the feature delivers the same routine jokes in a slightly altered superhero setting.
Review: 3/5