Superheroes

A journey inside the world of real life caped crusaders. From all over America, these self-proclaimed crime fighters, don masks, homemade costumes and elaborate utility belts in an attempt to bring justice to evildoers everywhere.

Many of these folks are interesting -- some being sad, some really making a difference. The group that actively films drug sellers in their neighborhood probably has the best chance of really changing the world.

The strangest is probably Master Legend, who tells us that "when a man works up a whopping thirst" it is Busch that quenches it, "not some Kool-Aid." He claims he was raised by the KKK and forced to fight and has some sort of psychic ability. He likes to tout his battle with a crack smoking child molester...

One police officer asks: Is "bait patrol" entrapment? An excellent question. A crime is a crime, but is it right to coax someone into a crime? Is it right to dress up and hope that someone attacks you for "looking gay" while at the same time acknowledging you look "ridiculous"?

So I watched HBO's 2011 documentary called superheroes. So was it good, I say up up and away (is that what superman used to say?) or in other words good. This documentary exposed me to a phenomena that I did not know existed, where people take the liking of superheroes way to far. Well that's not entirely true I saw a Mexican documentary a few years back, about Mexican wrestlers who were just people with a cause and a mask to draw attention to themselves called "super amigos", that was also very interesting and good. Basically this documentary is about a bunch of vigilantes most of whom are either out of shape, old, or drunks. There was a team out of New York which was actually composed of some very organized highly trained bad asses. But for the most part these are people with a super hero fetish who are just trying to do some good. My favorite line from the doc was when a super hero was describing his day it went as follows. "he's a regular guy who gets up,.... says goodbye to his girlfriend....., and goes out on the streets in costume." Then the documentarian asks "So you have a girlfriend?", and the super hero replies, "No ... I was just speaking metaphorically." I think that one line says it all, these guys are pretty freaking out there. However, they do good, they seem to help homeless people and shine a light on a common problem in this world, which is that most people turn a blind eye to injustice in this world including cops. So is this movie for everyone, well maybe some comic book geeks may be offended, but it has a good mix of entertainment value and educational value as well (it is a documentary after all). So mostpeople should find something to like about this flick I know I did. if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/

Just recently watched this HBO documentary titled properly "Superheroes" and oh boy it's neat and interesting to see just how far our love of comic books and superheroes has come. You guessed it real life ordinary people have resorted to dressing up as actual crime fighters and help the less blessed often giving food and shelters to the homeless at night. Really great access to this uncommon and feel good underworld as director Michael Barnett takes his projector all across America from coast to coast New York to California for a look at a group of unsung heroes who fight crime their own way it's really a good hearted style of vigilantism! True these fighters are not actual super people with powers like those in the comics, still they have enough determination and will to be a service to society. And true they are not law enforcement certified, yet they do a lot of good deeds and services that law enforcement does not as the film points in Orlando, Florida the police are wrongfully throwing the homeless in jail and always looking for petty little things to arrest people, yet these people of masks and caped crusaders and homemade costumes help those in need as many American cities are tired with police corruption. So we all need a new line of "Superheroes"! Overall nice little showcase by Michael Barnett I know it's unrealistic and far out still a select group of dreamers and hopeful people of good hearts rule the night in a city near you. Vigilantism needs to rock on!

It's funny, weird and at times kind of sad. A lot of these so-called real-life superheroes don't seem to have a firm grasp on reality. One claims to draw inspiration from Batman who didn't have actual powers. Never mind that Batman is not actually real.

I'm not entirely sure what I was supposed to take away from this documentary. Most of the people are well-meaning but many seem mentally ill and may be driven by delusion rather than the greater good. Worth checking out if you can manage to eye-roll your way through some of the interviews.

This fascinating HBO documentary follows several real life people as they dress up in superhero costumes and patrol their neighborhoods. Despite sharing this peculiar hobby, all of the people featured seemed to have different reasons for doing it. Some are misfits while some are clearly attention seekers. Others are out for vigilante justice. Some want to raise crime-prevention awareness in their communities. And some are tough to categorize, like the lovable Master Legend, who at first glance appears to be a troubled alcoholic but eventually reveals himself to be a compassionate do-gooder who passes out food and water to the homeless. He also provides much of the unintentional comedy of the movie.

And this is a funny film. Some of the lines are so perfectly ridiculous or well-timed that it has led some viewers to suspect it's a scripted performance, but assuredly these are real people. And while they may dress oddly, the filmmakers never stoop to mockery for cheap laughs. The entertainment lies in just letting these superheroes be themselves. If you are a fan of the documentary "American Movie" then you are sure to enjoy the same type of genuine human comedy in this film.

The one thing that these superheroes do share in common, though, is that most of them are struggling to overcome hard circumstances. Many had heartbreaking stories of childhood abuse. Zany as their costumes may appear, ultimately these people are victims looking to make sense of a world that hurt them and trying to make it a better place.

This is an excellent and thought-provoking documentary. I highly recommend it.

Master Legend rocks!