Melissa McCarthy has a solid track record of box office success since first breaking out in a big way with her Academy Award nominated turn in Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, while she also proved her dramatic chops by landing a Best Actress nod for an astonishing and completely unexpected performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Despite boasting a string of commercial hits and several acclaimed outings in other genres, though, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that McCarthy’s personal brand of comedy doesn’t appeal to everyone. There’s no denying she’s a great actress in the right project, but ironically, the majority of her weakest efforts tend to come when her husband and producing partner Ben Falcone is behind the camera.
Falcone has directed four features so far, all of which starred McCarthy in the lead role, and reception to the quartet has been tepid at best, with Life of the Party holding the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of them all at a measly 38%. However, Netflix will be hoping that fifth time marks the charm, and you can make up your own mind after watching the trailer for the streaming service’s upcoming superhero comedy Thunder Force.
McCarthy plays a woman who develops a method of giving superpowers to regular people, but accidentally does it to her best friend, forcing them to team up as the world’s first crimefighting unit with special abilities, as they try and save Chicago from the clutches of an evil villain.
It’s a decent setup, and McCarthy is joined by a solid roster that includes Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale and Melissa Leo, so the potential is definitely there for an entertaining romp, but Falcone’s spotty track record as director means that there’s no guarantee that Thunder Force will deliver on the promise of either the premise or cast.
