The Specials

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.

From the people who brought us "Free Enterprise", "The Specials" is clearly made by the same caliber of geek, but this time it dives into the fantasy. The conceit of this film is pure genius: make a superhero movie in which there are no battles, and nobody uses their powers; just focus on their personal lives and interpersonal conflicts, and play it mostly for laughs. I've seen several reviews here for whom that itself is the complaint. Let them go back to watching "Spawn". Those of you who are able to see the potential in the concept are in for a treat.

Going in, I'd only heard of Rob Lowe and Thomas Haden Church, both of whom are excellent. The surprise is that the rest of the cast keeps step all the way. They all understand the joke here, which is that they are not in on the joke. They're funny by way of taking it utterly seriously. This is not the "Airplane" of superhero movies. These people are completely serious about their past exploits and their powers, which we glimpse only briefly, and hear of in conversation.

The movie's length is perfect. It clocks in at under 80 minutes, disappearing long before the idea becomes tired or overused. I actually wanted to see more, which is far preferable to wishing it were over sooner. I could actually see a TV series based on this concept.

7 out of 10.

My husband and I stumbled upon this movie one Sunday afternoon on the WB. Being the comic book geeks that we are, we were shocked that we had never heard of this movie. For two hours we couldn't stop laughing. The humor was dead on. The action figure release party ( when they finally unveiled the products) had me near tears. When Deadly girl gets creeped out by Alien Orphan.. hilarious!!!! ( "He's smiling.".. "MAKE HIM STOP!")

If you are looking for a movie with great action scenes, lots o' sfx.. then this is NOT the movie for you. If you like witty, dry humor.. then I suggest you check this one out. Oh, and it's a must see for all you comic book geeks too.

I was hoping for something funny and maybe in a different direction than "Mystery Men" (which I liked). This wasn't it. Yes, there were witty moments and some of the acting was dead on character. But I never really cared enough about any of the characters. I think this is because the script never seemed to live up to its potential. And the directing never lived up to the script. The leisurely pacing would have better fit a TV movie. I'm glad I got this one free from library.

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.