PureWow
*Warning: Minor spoilers ahead*
Prepare for blastoff, because Thunder Force is finally available to stream on Netflix. The movie stars Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as two best friends, who reunite for a full-blown superhero mission. In honor of the highly anticipated premiere, I watched the brand-new flick with the sole intention of determining whether it’s worth your time.
So, what is Thunder Force about? And should you add it to your streaming queue? Here’s my honest review.
Without giving too much away, here’s what you need to know: The movie follows two childhood best friends—Lydia (McCarthy) and Emily (Spencer)—who couldn’t be more different. While Lydia works in construction, Emily owns a high-tech company that’s developing a formula to grant ordinary people superpowers.
Despite the fact that they haven’t spoken in years, Lydia pays her old pal a surprise visit when Emily doesn’t attend their school reunion. When Lydia is left unattended in Emily’s office, her curiosity gets the best of her, and Lydia accidentally injects herself with a super-strength serum.
One thing leads to another, and the pair team up to become a genetically modified superhero duo, dubbed “Thunder Force.” Their goal is to protect citizens from evil miscreants—like The Crab (Jason Bateman), a human with claws for arms. (Not kidding.)
It’s important to note that I’m not very keen on superhero movies to begin with. (As in, I couldn’t care less about what Marvel is developing next.) Since my expectations weren’t very high, I was surprised when the film rendered the occasional chuckle (thanks, McCarthy) or moment of: “Hey, maybe this isn’t so bad.”
But to be completely honest, the story line reminded me of a live-action version of The Incredibles, following an over-the-top superhero plot that’s a tad too silly for adult viewers. The problem? The movie isn’t necessarily child-friendly, since it’s laced with occasional cuss words, so I’m not sure what audience it’s geared toward.
Although I wouldn’t call it a 100 percent pass, it’s not something I’d spend another hour and 40 minutes watching again. That said, I enjoyed seeing McCarthy and Spencer together.
3 stars. Thunder Force had serious potential, thanks to the all-star cast. However, since Spencer and McCarthy (along with newcomer Taylor Mosby) were the only reasons I kept watching, I couldn’t give it a higher score.
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