The Specials

The specials is nothing short of brilliant. The comedy is wonderful, with a nice Clerk's style hard edge to most of it. The characters well realized, and the superhero world is taken to a logical, and never used before conclusion. Most importantly though, is the fact that the film has real heart, and characters you want to see more of. Special indeed.

Nifty low-budget variant on MYSTERY MEN, with a script that's about four times as good. Here, the superheroes are less dysfunctional and more beset by the amorous pangs and gnawing dissatisfactions of everyday life; the humor ranges from the gulpingly broad to the surprisingly observant, deft, life-sized. The movie is visually hideous, but the script is astonishingly lively, and some members of the cast burst out at you. As the Shatneresque team leader, the Strobe, Thomas Haden Church is like a concentrated Swat team of extreme earnestness. And there is a lovely scene--not really funny, but you can feel the audience beaming at it--in which a mongoloid "space orphan," dandled like a pinhead mascot through most of the movie, takes the stage at a techno nightclub and breakdances to "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)."

The life of a superhero often seems very glamorous. Being able to fly, have incredible strength, live forever, and defeat the bad guys is the stuff of many child's dreams. Popular comics such as Action Comics and Detective Comics brought new creations Superman and Batman to American readers and they soon became part of the national conscience and inspired children the world over for generations to come. The life of a superhero however is not without its problems. Sure, there are the adoring fans, the admiration of the world, and the great powers, but what about the costs? There are super villains bent on your destruction, a secret identity to protect, and in many cases a day job to pay the bills. In `The Specials' we are introduced to a new collection of heroes and learn firsthand how tough it can be to be a superhero and what a burden having superpowers can be. The Specials are listed as the sixth greatest superhero team in America and when they are not battling bad guys, recruiting new members, or trying to work on their public image, they are one big happy family or so it would seem. Director Craig Mazin's making his debut film gives us a look into the secret order of superheroes in a film that is part documentary, drama, and comedy. The Specials are lead by The Strobe (Thomas Haden Church) as he strives to set a good example in the community and fight crime on all levels. The Strobe is married to Ms. Indestructible (Paget Brewster), a lady who when not fighting at her husbands sides, spends her day answering the phones and paying the bills at the Special's lair, a simple house in a quiet California residential area. The story opens with the arrival of Nightbird (Jordan Ladd), who as the newest member of the team is finally meeting her partners in the business. Other than The Strobe and Ms. Indestructible Nightbird has little knowledge of her new team. There is The Weevil (Rob Lowe) Deadly Girl (Judy Greer), Minute Man (James Gunn), and Amok (Jamie Kennedy). They all seem friendly towards her as do other members she meets during the course of the day, yet all is not as well as it seems. It turns out that the weight of not having the name recognition that other superhero groups enjoy has put a strain on the team. The strobe is always chastising Amock and The Weevil for their behavior in public as a tabloid has recently published a picture of them smoking in a bathroom stall. The Strobe thinks that this behavior is not only unprofessional, but it hinders their chances to gain respect and thus better work. It seems that the group are only given assignments when other heroes are busy or not interested in the work that is offered. There are also complaints that names are being mispronounced and that their costumes are not flattering bringing the Strobe's leadership skills into question.

Attempting to improve what looks to be a sinking ship, The Strobe announces that he has come to terms with a toy manufacturer for a line of action figures based on the Specials. It is believed that the toys will not only increase their standings amongst the public and other heroes, but will increase the cash flow for the team. Sadly things do not go as planned, as The Specials soon find themselves faced with their biggest challenge yet, surviving each other as petty jealousies, personal ambitions, fears and desires soon threaten to rip the group apart. `The Specials' is a direct to DVD release that while short on special features and effects is filled with originality. Yes the film does not have much of a story, but the film does not take itself to seriously at all and neither should viewers. Instead, it is a interesting slant on what happens to heroes when the cameras are off and how they have to contend with many of the same issues that everyday people do and how their powers can be a hindrance far more than a blessing at times. Church is great as the Strobe as he presents a leader who is ready to boil over at a moments notice from the pressures he is under both at work and on the homefront. Lowe is great as the son of the Original Weevil who has issues with his father as well as an offer from a far more established supergroup to ponder as he tries to decide between personal ambitions and loyalty. I could go on for a while about the various members and their issues but that would spoil the charm of the film. `The Specials' is not for everyone as it is silly film without much in the way of plot. However if you are a fan of comic heroes you may enjoy seeing the dirty laundry being aired and seeing the side of superheroes that the comics don't or cant show. I for one would liked to have seen more and hope that the film will find an audience on DVD and we may yet hear more from `The Specials' as there is still more of their story to tell. 2.5 stars out of 5 Gareth Von Kallenbach

I rarely rent DVDs, because I see a theatrical film about every other week, and have about 35 movie channels & a DVR to catch the more obscure ones. After reading The Scarecrow Video Guide, I decided to join Netflix and made a list of out-of-the-mainstream movies , and old classics I'd missed. The Specials was the first one I watched.

At the time this was made, it's no wonder it didn't get much of a release. Rob Lowe, was still in the early stages of his West Wing comeback, Thomas Hayden Church was a barely remembered sitcom has-been, & Jamie Kennedy was primarily known as the annoying guy from Scream. The rest of the cast was pretty much unknown. (The trailer on the DVD lists Melissa Joan Hart 4th, despite the fact that she appears in exactly one scene.) On top of the cast issues, the plot sounds similar to Mystery Men, which had bombed a year earlier.

Now, Lowe is respected again, Kennedy is an above the title star (nevermind the quality of the titles), and Hayden-Church is an Oscar nominee. Meanwhile most of the rest of the cast have become cult TV/film favorites... Sean Gunn from Gilmore Girls, Judy Greer from Arrested Development, Paget Brewster from Andy Richter and Huff, and Jordan Ladd from Cabin Fever and Club Dread.

The fun script is what holds it together. Written by (and co-starring) Sean Gunn's brother James halfway between his Troma stint and the unbearable Scooby Doo 2, it's a creative look at the mundane part of being a super-hero. Unlike Mystery Men, which depended too much on special effects, this film has virtually NO action. It's just a series of amusing character pieces. It never really delivers on laughs (except when the gang gets their own action figures), but it's consistently interesting and different. When the film gets to the goofy musical/dance scene so common nowadays, the song featured is not a pop hit, but an obscure 70's novelty song. I found myself grinning ear to ear, despite the fact that it serves NO purpose.

The direction is flat, but fitting to the subject matter. All in all, a fun way to spend 90 minutes and certainly worth a rental.

Next on my film adventure- Steven Soderburgh's Schitzopolis!

This low-budget improvement on Mystery Men is about real people with slightly unreal abilities that don't save them from personal problems you'll recognize. What saves them is each other. As a bunch of misfits with only their very mild "super" powers and illusions(?) about fighting evil to bind them, this bunch of pretty much ordinary folks is doing the best it can. You see nothing, really, of their comic-book abilities. Instead, we see how they deal with the notion that they have something to contribute to a world that doesn't really appreciate them as it should. Which, I dare say, will reach a lot of the intended audience of this film.

I can't quite explain why, but the close-up look at mostly banal daily problems affecting these earnest do-gooders was heartening. They mean well, even if they can't quite cope any better than the rest of us. That's something we all wish we could say about ourselves, and know it was true. For this bunch, it is true and, deep inside, they do know it. That's, maybe, what actually makes them special. Their lives are a mix of joy and sorrow, victory and defeat, humor and despair. They are probably more fun to watch than to be, but if there were a bunch like this operating in my town, I'd want to join.