Super - Attento crimine!!!

This is a 'love it' or 'hate it' movie. Like this reviewer, a small fraction of the audience will find themselves in between. The general public will either love this or hate it, depending on their expectations in comparing this movie to "Kick-Ass"; and it will always be compared with "Kick-Ass". Both films are about ordinary people donning costumes to fight crime. However, this is where the comparison ends. Written and directed by James Gunn, this is not a movie for just anyone. Keeping in mind his "Dawn of the Dead" and "Slither", it becomes evident that Gunn has intended for this movie to target a specific segment of the movie going populace, specifically those who enjoy very dark humor.

A cook by profession, Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson) is sad man with a depressing past and a feeble excuse of an existence. His greatest moments in life is marrying a recovering drug addict, Sarah (Liv Tyler) and helping a cop catch a purse snatcher. These events are so overwhelming that Frank even symbolizes its meaning through crayon sketches. Then things turn sour again. Sarah relapses into drug addiction and even leaves Frank for Jacques (Kevin Bacon), her drug dealer. Attempts to get his wife back results in insults and beatings, until the day Frank has an epiphany. Having realized that the only way to recuperate his wife is to punish drug pushers, Frank becomes a furious vigilante, and soon gains media attention as "The Crimson Bolt".

As an independent production, "Super" has its moments as a believable and funny film, with some good acting by the likes of some top actors. Although the plot, acting and twisted humor are the highlights of the film, it never comes together as a whole. Like Kick-Ass, the story pits average Joes as superheroes but without super powers. But unlike the aforementioned film, the vigilantes here are almost psychopathic. And yes, there is more than one. Last seen together in Juno, Ellen Page joins Frank as "Boltie", a sensuous side-kick bordering on lunacy. Together, they are more dangerous than the sleaziest of dark alley crooks. As actors, both D'Arbo and Page are scary, funny and insane. In opposing roles are Kevin Bacon and Michael Rooker as his side-kick. Bacon is the same as in all his antagonistic roles, 80% threat and 20 % deed. My biggest disappointment is the underplayed role of Liv Tyler. Gorgeous as she is, Tyler's role (and character) is a negligible two pennies worth that could have been done without.

Coming back to Gunn and his attempt in making an off-beat, albeit, dark comedy, I can say his approach is acceptable in starting an offshoot in the superhero genre. By his words, there are thousands of bank heist movies, so why not a few movies about superheroes without super powers.

If you haven't seen "Kick-Ass", I would suggest you watch that film first. If by then you are ready for some in-your-face violence (literally), a twisted and absurdly dark plot with a questionable conclusion, then, and only then would I suggest you try this movie. But don't say you weren't warned. In not calling it tasteless, this film does have a certain odd taste to it. It's like curiously savoring a medium-rare steak and then wondering halfway "what if the meat is human flesh!?!"

In many ways, SUPER is a more successful film than KICK ASS, a movie with which it shares many qualities: they're both black comedies about ordinary people becoming superheroes to help the innocent and fight evil. The thing with KICK ASS is that it forgot it was a spoof somewhere along the way and become exactly what it was previously parodying; SUPER, which looks ultra-low budget in comparison, never forgets and stays true to itself throughout.

SUPER is shot in a kind of faux documentary style that really works. As with most comedies, it's a mixture of gags that hit and miss. The ones that miss are the overly familiar low brow jokes about sex and vomiting, but the ones that hit more than make up for those; my favourite scene is the one where the Crimson Bolt squats in a dark alley, waiting for criminals to show up. He wait, and waits, and waits...

Rainn Wilson, a hitherto unknown-to-me actor, acquits himself well with the role and, crucially, proves to be a sympathetic hero. Ellen Page, whose presence I typically find irritating in a movie, is a delight as his over-excited sidekick. Kevin Bacon contributes the best and most confident performance I've seen from him in years, and you wonder what he's been doing all this time. There's a nice little role for cult favourite Michael Rooker, too, which is the icing on the cake.

One thing I particularly liked about SUPER was the realism in regards to the extreme violence: there are no bloodless hits and bullet holes here, just real-life injuries: when people are whacked they bleed and bleed copiously, and bullet damage is horrendous rather than superficial. It's a refreshing change, and distinctly non-Hollywood. For that, SUPER deserves kudos.

Starts like silly fun comedy about the guy trying to be a superhero, but it quickly becomes a gory (quite shocking at times) 90's action movie style parody, with a twist of bizarre psychological characters that seem funny but they're actually creepy most of the times. Ellen Page steals the show with her crazy clowny character. It has it's flaws, right, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise and an entertaining movie. Definitely recommend it to indie movies lovers

Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson) loses his wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler) to a scummy drug lord (Kevin Bacon). Rather than committing suicide, wallowing in self-pity, or simply moving on, Frank has a "vision" from God. This comes after he watches a TV character / preacher known as "The Holy Avenger" (Nathan Fillion), who is sort of Jeezuz-gone-steroidal. This apparent revelation leads Frank to assume a new identity as a not-so-super hero known as "The Crimson Bolt".

Soon, TCB is joined by his self-appointed, totally unhinged sidekick, "Boltie" (Ellen Page). Together, they set out to fight crime, and rescue Sarah from the clutches of eeevil, with decidedly mixed results.

SUPER is hilarious, exhilarating, and even poignant at times. Those looking for a straight-on, low-budget Marvel / DC clone, might not be satisfied. However, anyone who enjoys a fine black comedy that doesn't mind shaking things up a bit, will love this! All of the characters are fun, including Michael Rooker as -what else?- a thug, and Gregg Henry as a cop. Wickedly bizarre, mirthful entertainment...

The superhero film craze has led to a lot of ordinary main characters taking justice into their own hands. In that sense, nothing will strike you as original about "Super," the latest film from James Gunn ("Slither") and one made on a shoestring budget. Rainn Wilson stars as Frank, a man who loses his cool when a drug kingpin (Kevin Bacon) steals away his wife (Liv Tyler). After having a vision in which his brain is quite literally "touched by the finger of God," Frank decides to create his own superhero, the Crimson Bolt, a force against all that is evil in the world, or at least the small town he lives in.

Much like last year's "Kick-Ass," which re-examined superhero tropes using unlikely and subversive heroes, "Super" specializes in being deliberately perverse and relishes in the violation of genre expectation. James Gunn's film is foul, hilarious, real and campy all at different times. The film's disapproving critics will undoubtedly argue that down-to-earth characters and a gritty context cannot coexist with excessive, comical violence. Gunn likely believes that these two universes can be reconciled into one film, but nevertheless, the film delivers roaring entertainment with surprising moments of poignancy despite being a complete brain-scrambler.

"Super" begins like a typical narrated indie comedy. It portrays Frank as a bit of a dreamer, a slightly unrealistic person with a slight but charming naïveté. He finds oddly religious sources of inspiration to become a hero, such as the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), a made-up TV superhero used to promote Christian messages to children. Although Gunn brings Frank's overactive imagination to life, the film stays grounded in its "real person seriously considers being a superhero" concept. As Frank's world comes crashing down, we develop a definitive sense of pity and support his revenge fantasy. Then Gunn blows the lid open.

First off, the Crimson Bolt's weapon of choice is a pipe wrench. It seems goofy and kind of silly at first, but then he's actually bashing people over the head with a pipe wrench until they're bleeding and/or unconscious. Eventually, sweet lovable frank becomes a morally ambiguous hero, especially after he decides to teach the guy who butted in line at the movie theater a thing or two. This certainly makes "Super" a more complicated film, but it also creates a definite discomfort. Enter Ellen Page as the over-zealous comic book shop girl who inserts herself into the equation as Frank's kid sidekick Boltie. She not only attempts to seduce Frank, but she has an even more unrealistic notion of the violence she seeks to create. Together, they serve as a catalyst for the black comedy elements and the campy gore.

Both Wilson and Page push themselves in positive ways with their roles. Page leaves her dry wit comfort zone for some outrageous antics and Wilson shows some range with Frank's emotional side. Their radically different notions of what being a superhero is about leads to great hilarity and disturbing conflict.

Gunn chooses to sacrifice communicating the great depth of these characters by violating viewer expectation with the violence. Some of the gore stays realistic but uncomfortable while other deaths go over the top. The inconsistencies jar the tone of the film and suggest to the audience that they should take the film more or less seriously depending. It can become very difficult to remain engaged in the character sub-plots and the script's other strengths with this distraction. The other issue is the lack of realism with Frank being able to pull of his superhero. He drives around with his own license plates, for example and does a terrible job of concealing his identity. For a film that chooses to create down-to-earth characters, it becomes a bit hypocritical to ignore obvious truths.

Yet the fun, the humor, the strength of character and the way Gunn challenges thematic notions raised by most superhero films definitely elevates "Super" in a way that suggests its future will be as "cult favorite" as opposed to "lauded superhero spoof." The way it toys so carelessly with realism and cartoony realism makes the ride a bit bumpy, but judging it purely on entertainment value it's a hilariously good time. One simply must be able to reconcile its various genre elements in order to remain engaged in Gunn's unique and well-intentioned story that deconstructs our previously unquestioned love of superheroes.

~Steven C