Clash of the Thundermans Review: Superhero Family Feud

The plot splits the family like a badly cut pizza. Chloe, the youngest (Maya Le Clark, now all grown up), suddenly develops a destructive new power that makes her a walking earthquake with a mood ring. The Hero League, led by the gloriously names President Kickbutt (Daniele Gaither), orders her to an elite boarding school - basically Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, but with more homework and fewer British accents. The decree is clear: years of training, or else.

Naturally, Phoebe (Kosarin), Barb (Rosa Blasi), and Billy (Diego Velazquez) say “nope” and take Chloe into hiding, turning a simple family disagreement into a fugitive road trip. Meanwhile, Max (Jack Griffo), Hank (Chris Tallman), and Nora (Addison Riecke) play the role of reluctant bounty hunters, tracking down their own kin. The result is a fractured family dynamic that leads to the titular clash - a showdown that plays out less like an epic battle and more like a sibling squabble escalated wildly out of hand. The premise is genuinely interesting, exploring themes of fear, control, and parental anxiety, but the execution often gets lost in its own slapstick.

Trevor Kirschner, a veteran of the original series, knows these characters inside out. He shoots the film with the glossy, television-friendly aesthetic of a Disney Channel original circa 2013. The pacing is brisk - 90 minutes flies by - but it occasionally feels like you’re watching three episodes of a TV show stitched together, complete with credit-scene-style endings that don’t quite land. The script oscillates between genuinely witty banter (Max’s sarcasm remains the MVP) and cringe-worthy dialogue that feels like it was written by a cool aunt trying to sound hip.

The cast clearly still has chemistry. Kosarin and Griffo slip back into their roles like comfy sweatpants; their bickering dynamic is the heart of the film, and their eventual, inevitable team-up is the emotional payoff fans want. Le Clark handles the "burden of power" arc with more nuance than the script deserves, while Tallman’s goofy dad energy remains reliably hilarious. The adults, particularly Rosa Blasi, are given the thankless job of delivering moralistic lectures in between CGI explosions.

But the real issue here is tone. One minute you’re watching a scene about the psychological terror of accidentally hurting your family, and the next, you’re seeing a gag involving a comically oversized soda. The action sequences are competent but unspectacular - the powers look like they were rendered on a mid-tier gaming laptop - and the stakes feel incredibly rubbery. The “rogue” faction is never really dangerous, which makes the dramatic tension feel like artificial sweetener. You know they’ll hug it out, so the battle for the future feels less like a war and more like a rain delay.

Critically, the movie has been a divisive beast. The TMDb score sits at a brutal 4/10, likely from viewers expecting more explosive spectacle, while IMDb users have rallied to a nostalgic 7.6/10. That’s a massive gap, and honestly, both are right. For fans, it’s a warm blanket. For critics, it’s a half-baked exercise in franchise management. The film commits the sin of trying to have its cake and eat it too - serving family-friendly moralizing while also attempting to be a “big” event movie. It never fully commits to either.

Pros

• The chemistry between the original cast is still electric, especially Kosarin and Griffo.
• The premise actually has teeth - dealing with fear of one’s own powers is a rich vein.
• A brisk runtime that never overstays its welcome.
• Genuinely funny moments scattered (gratuitously) between the drama.

Cons

• The tone is a herky-jerky mess, swerving from sitcom gags to pseudo-dark drama.
• The CGI and action choreography look woefully dated by 2026 standards.
• The “rogue vs. loyalist” conflict is deeply strained; nobody ever feels truly threatening.
• President Kickbutt is criminally underused despite being an instant icon.
• The plot is essentially a 90-minute excuse to get the band back together, not a cohesive story.

Clash of the Thundermans is the cinematic equivalent of a text from an old friend: it’s nice to hear from them, but you quickly realize they haven’t changed much, and you’re not sure you have the patience for their drama anymore. It’s a pleasant, disposable dose of fan service that relies heavily on nostalgic goodwill. If you’re a devotee of the original series, you’ll enjoy seeing this family reunited, warts and all. If you’re not, you’ll wonder why a “superhero battle” features more emotional group hugs than actual punches. It’s a sweet, flawed, ultimately forgettable watch that exists purely to give viewers a warm, fuzzy feeling of “hey, I remember that show.” And honestly? Some days, that might be exactly enough. Just go in with your expectations at street level - not on a tall building - and you’ll have a decent time.