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Woody Harrelson stars as Defendor in a new indie film dealing with the subject of "everyman" superheroism. Peter Stebbing's film is a refreshment of the genre rather than a reinvention as the same theme of self-appointed superheroes has been tackled earlier in such films as John Ritter's Hero At Large or last year's Watchmen. Stebbings seems to be aware of this fact having no problems with a somewhat awkward, but totally relatable tone. He effectively blends black comedy, character-driven drama and action movie. His script is a shrewdly multi-layered one: part a compassionate character study, part "one man can make a difference" story. The acting is yet another high point. Harrelson plays the character as proud, hurt, confused, and furious, yet still remains perfectly authentic. Kat Dennings as a wounded runaway that supports our hero is also very believable. In the end though, Defendor seems far less than the sum of its parts largely due to the film's small scale not letting it fly high as well as less-than-spectacular ending. Despite this, Defendor is still one to see. 7.5/10 (B)

Aptly titled Kick-Ass is an excellent comic book adaptation that proves that there is no stagnation in a superhero genre whatsoever. Based on Mark Millar's violent tale Kick-Ass is directed by Matthew Vaughn, the filmmaker who happens to have a real knack for both action movies (Layer Cake) and teen fantasies (Stardust). It's more than evident in Kick-Ass and although the film has some problems with selecting the proper tone: it verges between campy comedy, dramatic piece and action spectacle, this is a gripping ride from start to finish.

Vaughn's direction is nothing less than clever and kinetic. By employing video game techniques inspired by Shoot 'Em Up and Crank movies, Vaughn really excels at showing highly-stylized bloody violence on screen. As for the script, the main concept of an ordinary teenager who chooses to become a superhero is downright effective evoking loads of laughs and our sympathy. Aaron Johnson's cool, unrestrained performance also helps a great deal.

The film revitalizes the genre by undermining its rules. The characters involved have no special powers, most of them, no necessary backstory and no turning point that resulted in them becoming superheroes, much like in Watchmen. Despite this, the movie establishes its own pantheon of heroes and the director knows that there's nothing more fascinating than the battle between good and evil shown in a vivid, exciting fashion.

What's controversial about the film is the extensive use of pitch-black humor including the character of 11-year-old Mindy McReady aka Hit-Girl who has been trained from the early years to become a killing machine by her loving father aka Big Daddy. The whole subplot may be immoral for some who don't understand this kind of cinema, yet it's surprisingly plausible due to a tongue-in-cheek writing and acting talents of Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage who are as subversive in their respective parts as you can get. Last but not least, the artist formerly known as McLovin' channels a wannabe villain named Red Mist. You may be actually surprised by how smart he is in his plotting.

Overall, Kick-Ass is a refreshingly funny and wickedly entertaining spectacle that warrants the whole franchise of masked teenagers to come. 9/10 (A-)

It took Michael Caine almost 40 years to come back as an avenger. Get Carter from 1971 was a gripping thriller that benefited from Caine's vivid performance a great deal, Harry Brown does exactly the same. Caine plays his character like he was a retired Jack Carter providing welcome pathos along with charisma and dry wit. There is more to like about Harry Brown aside from Caine's tour-de-force performance though. Daniel Barber's crime thriller is focused, raw and character-driven. The cinematography happens to be stylish and the climax abounding with nail-biting suspense is the movie's high point. Even if Harry Brown doesn't entirely avoid clichés as well as revenge movie trappings, it feels very much in line with more distinguishable films of its kind.