Thunder Force Movie Review - Silly Fun but Slow

The world of Thunder Force is terrorized by super-villains called Miscreants with no superheroes to fight them. When uber-smart Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) develops formulas to endow regular folks with superpowers, the abilities are accidentally given to her estranged childhood pal Lydia Berman (Melissa McCarthy). The two women become Thunder Force, the first superhero duo and it’s up to the inexperienced superladies to battle the Miscreants and save Chicago from mysterious, evil politician The King (Bobby Cannavale).

Ready for their first missionCourtesy of Netflix

Backstory

In 1983 Earth and her people were hit by a pulse of cosmic rays triggering genetic changes in some humans, especially those who were, by-nature, sociopathic, giving them superpowers. They were named Miscreants. By 1988, tween Emily Stanton’s scientist parents were destroyed by one of these super-villains. She then vowed to make their life’s work (creating a way for ordinary people to become Superheroes), her goal. She was always teased for her smarts and only unlikely buddy Lydia, a not so smart but brave girl, would protect and befriend her all through school. When Emily reasoned that Lydia’s reckless nature was dragging her down, the friends broke up.

Lydia is the wild risk takerCourtesy of Netflix

Today

Now in her ‘40’s, Emily is a Chicago blue-collar worker driving a huge fork lift for a living wishing there were something she could do to stop Miscreant Laser (Pom Klenmentieff) from robbing banks using her blue death ray and basically terrorizing the whole town. When her high school reunion comes up, Lydia texts old, ex-pal Emily asking her to come. Emily writes a friendly answer but doesn’t show up so Lydia goes to her huge, new, expensive scientific headquarters to drag her there. Emily was busy with work and forgot. While she is out of the room, Lydia starts touching sensitive scientific equipment finally plopping down on what looks like a dentist’s chair for a rest but boom! She is automatically locked down and injected with needles. Emily can do nothing to stop it.

Lydia sits in a chair and is accidentally injectedCourtesy of Netflix

Inoculations and Training

Emily explains that she planned to inject herself with two superpowers (strength and invisibility) to become an avenger to stop the Miscreants. Now, Lydia will have the super strength). She is left with invisibility. The process with take many shots and lots of training. Meanwhile, Lydia will stay in the building. She meets and befriends Emily’s super smart teen daughter Tracy (Taylor Mosby), a college grad at 15, and stern lab head Allie (Melissa Leo). Lydia is freaked to learn that Emily’s invisibility treatments are only pills while she continues to get jabbed by needles and develops a craving for raw chicken! Both women have to train and renew their old friendship while Laser continues to attack politician The King who is running for Mayor.

Emily's bright teen daughter TracyCourtesy of Netflix

Supersuits and Supernames

Training done, the ladies don spiffy, sleek supersuits that have a habit of stinking since you can’t wash them. After discussion they end up calling themselves Thunder Force. Hey, it sounds powerful. They get a very sleek Lamborghini to drive but it’s so low and so small, they can barely get into it. On the way to their first mission, stopping a liquor store robbery by Southside criminal Miscreant The Crab (Jason Bateman), Tracy, via radio, tells mom how to use a Taser and warns that she will be visible when using it. The ladies sing in the car to get pumped and are able to stop the robbery but with a lot of awkward misfires. However, Crab is impressed, especially with Lydia. There is definitely a spark between the two even though he does have crab claws for arms.

Lydia and Emily first suit up as Thunder ForceCourtesy of Netflix

Growing Popularity

Thunder Force gets more competent and popular while The King’s popularity in the polls rises. We see that he is actually working with Laser and Crab, planning to bust them himself to assure his election as Chicago Mayor. These Thunder Force gals are getting in his way. When he can’t recruit them to his team, he threatens to have them killed. We see that he is actually a Miscreant with super strength. Thunder Force is recruited by King’s opponent Rachel Gonzales (Melissa Ponzio) to support her growing campaign as the crowd cheers them at a rally. The King is angry and plans to pretend he is a great loser and throw Rachel a victory party which he will actually bomb.  

The King and The CrabCourtesy of Netflix

Argument and a Date

After Laser attacks a diner where her friends eat, Lydia gets super angry and, after the passengers get out, tosses a bus miles away! Emily thinks this is irresponsible and she and Lydia argue. Lydia stomps off and accepts a dinner date with Crab in which she hears how he became a half man, half crustacean and they share a love of raw chicken while he tells her about King’s plans to blow up the victory party. The new mission? Find the bomb at the party and get it diffused or out of there.  After they are betrayed by someone they trust and almost blown up by Laser, the ladies try to find the bomb and Tracy, who has secretly taken her own superspeed serum, suits up and comes to help.

The very dangerous Miscreant LaserCourtesy of Netflix

Confrontation

The King and the superwomen battle and when he pins Lydia down, Crab helps her only to get his claws ripped off by his boss! The Thunder Force does find the bomb but it is super complicated and Lydia volunteers to get it out of the building hoping that her suit and superstrong body will shield her from the blast. Will it? Will The King and Laser be defeated? Will Crab and Lydia keep dating?

Lydia is angry that Laser almost killed her friendsCourtesy of Netflix

Wrapping Up

Thunder Force is silly fun and I love Melissa McCarthy and the talented Octavia Spencer. Their real-life friendship shows in the film but the movie, written and directed by Melissa’s husband Bob Falcone, is too self-indulgent and needs a good editing or somebody less close to the material to just say “No!” Scenes go on too long as some of the jokes fall flat. Especially the dinner date scene between Lydia and the Crab seems to never end. The fact that one character is a traitor is telegraphed and hardly a surprise.

Invisible Emily fights LaserCourtesy of Netflix

Pom Klementieff was the delightful Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy and villain Laser here. She’s competent but not flamboyant enough for such a character. She’s a better goodie than a baddie and where are the cool superhero gadgets? Emily’s smart daughter Tracy has the brains to be sort of a Bond-style “Q” to the Force by coming up with some funny and fun weapons for them to flaunt but all she gives her mom is a Taser gun.  

Laser terrorizes ChicagoCourtesy of Netflix

The cool and fun retro music by Van Halen and Seal is a hoot but can’t really pick up the pace or make the overall story more interesting. Thunder Force will provide a chuckle or two and is worth three stars.

Thunder Force Movie Rating: 

Courtesy of Netflix

See Thunder Force streaming on Netflix now!