140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Absurdly violent, this black comedy is less funny than expected, considering the talent involved. Uneven & off-tone but good for few laughs.
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Super:
Superhero movies always dance with the dark side. These costumed characters are vigilantes, after all, and there isn’t a large difference between the good guys and the villains sometimes. Superhero films are also good material for comedy; there’s something inherently silly about dressing up in a costume.
Super tries to run with both of these ideas. The result is messy.
Sad-sack short-order cook Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson) decides to become a vigilante/hero after his recovering addict wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) is lured into away from him by drug-dealing strip club owner Jacques (a “what the hell is he doing here” Kevin Bacon).
One of his motivations for donning a costume is believing he has been touched by God through His messenger, the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), star of a crappy Christian public-access show. This is the worst use of Nathan Fillion I believe I have ever seen…
The movie details his pathetic early attempts at creating a costume, fighting crime and maintaining a secret identity. It’s not bad stuff, particularly as he flails about in his “Crimson Bolt” costume in broad daylight, mystified as to where to look for crimes.
But it takes a huge left turn when he finally confronts “criminals”, such as the guy who cut in the line in front of him. His costume fools no one, but after he viciously attacks wrongdoers with a pipe wrench, they find it hard to complain.
He accidentally enlists the help of an over-eager comic book store clerk named Libby (Ellen Page) when his attempts to search comic books for ideas on being a superhero give him away. Despite his reluctance, he lets her suit up as “Boltie” and join him in the noble cause of ridding the city of thugs – like the guy who may have keyed her friends car – or maybe not.
The movie’s latter two acts are totally joyless, leading to a bloodbath climax that clinches the film’s failure. Super suffers from nothing so much as an identity crisis. Writer/director James Gunn can’t decide on a tone and stick with it. I’m very nervous that he is responsible for Guardians of the Galaxy.
The problem isn’t that it’s a violent movie. I like dark comedies and you can absolutely include violent content for laughs and/or for shock value. The problem is that it’s atonal violence. It doesn’t match the feel of the film. Super is like a mash-up of two different films.
There is a good movie to be made out of an everyman trying on the role of a superhero; that movie is called Mystery Men and they already made it fifteen years ago. Maybe that’s the movie I should have reviewed…
Poster:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/eL57ncw2jr8
Bechdel Test:
Fail
The Representation Test Score: D (2 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Rainn Wilson Frank Darbo/The Crimson Bolt, Ellen Page Libby/Boltie, Liv Tyler Sarah, Kevin Bacon Jacques |
| Rating | R |
| Release Date | Fri 10 Jun 2011 UTC |
| Director | James Gunn |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama |
| Plot | After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, but lacking in heroic skills. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 96 |
| Tagline | Shut up, crime! |
| Writers | James Gunn (written by) |
| Year | 2010 |
