“Super” American Theatrical Poster
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Andre Royo, Sean Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, Don Mac
Running Time: 96 min.
By Ningen
Rainn Wilson plays a perpetual loser named Frank whose wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) gets taken in by a drug-lord named Jacques(Kevin Bacon), causing him to don a superhero persona and costume to match. As The Crimson Bolt, he takes out local criminals, a-holes, and finally the Boss Man himself. Accompanying him is an admirer and fan-girl Libby(Ellen Page) who also suits up as Boltie, his side-kick.
Unfortunately, I’m only familiar with James Gunn’s work through Tromeo and Juliet. I haven’t seen his other superhero spoof, The Specials, nor have I caught his more mainstream stuff like the Scooby-Doo movies, the Dawn of the Dead remake[He worked on the scripts for the first S-D and Dawn.], or even Slither. And I was kind of wary of Super after being burned by Kick-Ass. The (legal) chicks were average-looking, the fights were already done better in the Punisher movies, and there was no reason for that thing to be two hours, other than for unnecessary exposition which did not enhance the story.
But a certain comic book adaptation hater seemed to have a soft spot for Super, so I gave it a whirl. And I’m glad I did. Super is basically what Kick-Ass should’ve been: an actual look at an amateur vigilante meant to be a sendup of the superhero genre and its fanbase. And it’s all there: The endless conversations about tropes and powers; the fetishizations of the costumes and weapons and the inability to distinguish fantasy from reality; and the fascist “might makes right” mentality behind crime-fighting.
But the best part is that, even though it still caters to that same audience it’s mocking, it does it in a way which makes sense. Boltman doesn’t get it right the first time, nor does his experience automatically give him an edge. He’s clumsy, messy, and thoughtless. And his partner is basically everything you hate about comic book side-kicks: talky, rash, and mostly ineffective. But Gunn still somehow manages to deliver on cool and gory action scenes which, unlike Kick-Ass, don’t require me to suspend any sense of disbelief. And while the duo make Bacon’s character look like the “normal” one of the bunch, the pair manage to come off endearing, anyway. The comedy itself is very absurd [Picture a Christian-themed comic book hero lecturing to “teens” about pre-marital sex on tv.] and yet very appropriate for the theme of the film. And while you don’t get (non-animated) nude scenes[Sorry, Page fans.], there’s some great use of sexual tension between characters.
So while Super isn’t going to win any major awards, it’s definitely a great superhero film you can enjoy on different levels-and for once, not just the self-serving kind.
Ningen’s Rating: Action 8/10 Story 7/10 Girls in hot outfits 9/10 Total: 8.5/10
