THUNDER FORCE (2021) – The most unfunny comedy I have seen in years!
Rating: ⭐

Netflix continues to make bad decisions when it comes to some of its original movies. Thunder Force is the latest in its growing list of bombs. This despite having a seemingly capable cast that includes veteran comedian Melissa McCarthy, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman. The premise of the movie involving the formation of a team of super hero to fight of super villains does however, sounds like a bad idea feeding of the proliferation of superhero movies. Enough with the super hero jokes already. We get more than enough of such humour in the actual Marvel and DC movies themselves and don’t need to have a movie specifically making fun of this genre.
However the main problem with Thunder Force is not its tried and true storyline, but in its script. The jokes all come across as very forced and long-winded. Long after the punchline has been delivered, screenwriter (and director) Ben Falcone, lingers on with the joke repeating it in increasing less funny and painful ways, as if worried that the viewers didn’t get the joke the first time around. What makes things worst is that these verbal jokes are not funny in the first place but they are being treated like it’s a big laugh out aloud moment for everyone to enjoy. It’s like watching a standup comedian fall flat with his jokes all night. The cast of established actors and comedians deliver these jokes with such lack of energy and commitment they might as well have been replaced by puppets or computer animation. I am particularly disappointed with Octavia Spencer for agreeing to appear in such trash . She should be ashamed of herself and offer to return her Oscar to the Academy as an act of redemption.
I have to admit that I did have one laugh out loud moment and this was more a visual gag rather than a verbal one involving the two ladies struggling to get into their very cool looking and low sports car. Somehow, seeing them get in the car reminded me of myself struggling to get into those very low sports cars, so I guess in effect I was actually laughing at myself for this moment. Even this gag was not spared the “this joke is so funny we just have to do it again” routine when we see them struggling to get out of the car!
Thunder Force is as bad as it gets so stay far far away from it. You can and will thank me for this.