Jason Bateman is one of the most likable stars in Hollywood, with a sunny-yet-sardonic disposition
and winning smile that instantly make his characters easy to root for.
Thanks to his proven humor and scene-stealing screen presence, Bateman has become one of
the most relatable and revered comedy actors in the industry right now.
In recent years, Bateman began to subvert his own nice guy persona with some gritty
roles in films and television.
"Let's put your head down.
Come on.
I don't want to have to use this, kay?"
In Bad Words, he played Guy Trilby, a bitter 40-year-old who uses a loophole to infiltrate
a kids' spelling bee.
In The Gift, he became Simon, a man who is forced to reckon with some of his own harmful
behavior when an old acquaintance shows up to expose his hidden dark side.
Meanwhile, Bateman's Emmy-nominated role as Marty Byrde in Ozark showcases just how much
a man may be willing to do to protect and provide for his family.
Now, in Thunder Force, Bateman brings something entirely new to the table as the Crab, who
works for a Chicago crime boss who's hiding in plain sight.
The Crab is like no character Bateman has ever played, and there's one scene in particular
that shows just how well Bateman can play the conflicted baddie... or, as calls it,
the "half-creant."
"Half Korean."
"Half-creant."
"Oh, I thought you said half Korean.
You're not the first one to… yeah."
When we first meet the Crab, he's on the other side of a robbery that is thwarted by the
newly-minted Thunder Team duo.
After weeks of treatments and training, childhood besties-turned-superhero vigilantes Lydia
and Emily suit up for their first mission at a convenience store the Crab and his criminal
colleagues are holding up.
Although it's a messy operation, the two manage to stop the Miscreant goons in their tracks.
But even as Lydia puts a stop to the Crab's crime spree, she sees something she likes
in him - including his giant red pincer arms.
"What are you?"
"Well I'm a Gemini.
What the hell are you?"
"You'd think Cancer, but, uh, Capricorn actually.
Sag moon.
And all kinds of things rising."
Lydia and the Crab appear to have an instant, albeit odd connection.
So she invites him out to dinner for a date that is both work and pleasure as she tries
to snag some key intel about his boss, the King, by literally buttering the Crab up - and
it's this scene where Bateman truly shines.
The humor of the scene is gentle, but steady, and Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy play
off each other beautifully, with Bateman bringing his signature deadpan to some of the most
absurd dialogue.
"Hey, are you pitching the seafood tower to a half crab?"
"Oh, Jesus."
"Recommending that to me, huh?
Boy, that takes a lot of stones."
"What is this, the cannibal table?
You gonna offer me a 32-year-old woman named Lydia?
Because I'm 32."
"I believe it, and no I won't offer you that.
I'll be more sensible next time."
"Why don't you connect with your guests a little bit better?"
"I am so sorry, sir.
I didn't see your pincers."
"And I apologize for raising my voice, but I got bit on the ballbag by a radioactive
crab, and I used to love shellfish, so my fuse is a little short.
This is a triggering environment for me."
Bateman has long had a knack for being a grounding voice amid some slapstick screen situations
- as with nearly the entire run of Arrested Development.
"These aren't even birds.
I am not...that's enough.
There are people working here."
But here, he's the one who gets the chance to ratchet up the absurdity level with his
dialogue, and he appears to have a lot of fun with it without ever showing a hint of
breaking.
Jason Bateman also infuses the conversation in this scene with an intriguing mixture of
soft flirtation and thinly veiled frustration, somehow finding the perfect mix between the
two.
"Cheers to me.
Son of a bitch.
God damnit.
Whooo.
Don't be rude.
Eat your dinner.
Thank you."
Even as he's affectionate with Lydia, he still gets to be - sorry - a bit crabby, like when
she offers to help him hoist up his glass, and he quietly snaps at her
"Hmm.
That's…
Hang on one second."
"Can I give you a little..."
"No, no, I'm not a child."
At this point in the film, we don't yet know whether the Crab is putting on a deceptive
charm offensive with Lydia or if he really does enjoy her company as much as he seems
to.
Bateman does a great job of hamming him up just enough so that you maintain that sense
of disbelief about his true nature.
This approach also helps to bolster the Crab's claim that he is only half-in on his chosen
life of crime - partly loyal to the Miscreants but also bored by all the bloodshed and mayhem.
While Lydia has arranged the meal in hopes of learning something new about the King,
she also really does want to figure out whether the Crab is a worthy catch.
So by being both blunt and amorous in equal measure, Bateman's performance as the conflicted
character completely sells her - and audiences - on his so-called self-identification as
a "half-creant."
"How about a toast.
Huh?
To me?"
Thanks for watching.
Click the links in our video to watch more from Netflix Film Club.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest exclusive videos.
Plus hit the bell so you don’t miss a single one.