UnHung Hero

It's a subject that certainly does deserve to be explored - but it certainly could have been done so much better. The final half hour of this documentary contains moments so emotional and insightful that it almost makes Moote's obnoxious behaviour and narration during the first hour worth sitting through.

Unfortunately, its interesting points are so few and far between that the whole show becomes an insipid and occasionally stomach-turning pity party for Moote. Nonetheless, the documentary does exactly what any film studying this subject matter ought to do: expose its protagonist as a cripplingly insecure person in need of psychological - not physical - help.

I had the pleasure of seeing the world premiere of Unhung Hero at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. Unhung Hero provides a really humorous look at professional comedian Patrick Moote's struggle to deal with the angst of having a small penis. His neurosis and insecurity translates into a very humorous, entertaining and simultaneously provocative documentary. He raises many issues such as whether the proliferation of pornography has led to the exaggeration of expectations and increased our sexual insecurities. He takes on a humorous worldwide journey asking whether his penis is too small and what he should do about it. In the process he explores many bizarre techniques for increasing penis size. While the film is humorous, he uses a comedian's insight to explore humanity's obsession with the size of genitalia. In so doing, he literally probes many hard questions about our attitudes towards sexuality. Unfortunately, the film's subject might make it difficult for it to gain the mainstream audience that it deserves. Anyway, Unhung Hero is recommended to anyone who is willing to think about our sexual mores with an open mind and a sense of humor.

I think this guy saw his way to fame and fortune and set out on a strange path right from the start. I don't believe that the proposal was real, I think it was set up to go wrong in order to get a viral video. I don't know if the idea for this documentary was planned right from the start or it came later.

Basically, Patrick comes across as completely insincere at all times, if he is an actor I don't think he is a great one, he looks like he's pretending in the proposal video and there is never a point in this film when I believe him or his 'struggle'.

Not a great film, I got bored very quickly and doesn't tell us anything new.

Assuming this is an actual account of the experiences of the central character, it is more pathetic than amusing.

On the one hand Patrick seems rather brave to choose to propose marriage in a stadium full of people, but rather childish to think that such an act was in any way cool and equally childish to have so poorly understood his relationship with the woman … who promptly refused him. If she at least cared for him a little she might have said she wasn't ready to marry, but to say it was because his penis was too small was clearly aimed at making him more miserable. What kind of relationship had this been? Why was she still in it if she was so eager to bail and cause some pain while doing so?

In the same way, his willingness to announce to everyone, from his mother to his friends to a classroom full of strangers in Korea to an assortment of "professionals" who deal with male genitalia that his penis is small suggests a somewhat brave, self-confident person, but that is obviously not who he really is.

That he as an individual is obsessed with this issue after being publicly humiliated might be somewhat understandable, but what I found surprising is that coping with this real or imagined problem has created a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide and that some men are willing to do bizarre things like lift 300 pound weights tied to their genitals or allow mutilations by injections or surgery in a totally vain attempt to find a solution.

But again Patrick seems to make himself seem more silly than determined. Even his mother tells him he is a quitter, which is borne out by behavior on this sojourn. He is bouncing around the world looking for an answer, but when he is set to bravely undergo some dubious injections he runs away at the last moment and when about to undergo plastic surgery, the sight of someone else under the knife sends him running off to vomit from fear or revulsion. And when he decides to head back home he first withdraws into a petulant silence and then has a hissy fit of self- loathing when it finally dawns on him how ridiculous it all is.

He should have probably listened to some good advice he received while on his quest for a magic solution. One gay guy (Savage?) said he had no problem with a partner's relatively small penis, but could not endure the partner's constant obsessive moaning about it. He and an Asian women both said there was a lot more to loving someone than this one, probably exaggerated, characteristic flaw. In a way Patrick did seem to finally absorb this wisdom and start to develop a relationship with a woman he met along the way. She too seemed unconcerned by his supposed inadequacy, but she also appeared to be a little wary that Patrick wouldn't stop obsessing about it.

Overall the "documentary" had less to do with the "size matters" issue, although it was amazing how many people were bothered by it, and more to do with a sadly immature person whose underdeveloped sense of self was a bigger problem than his possibly underdeveloped genitals.

It all might appeal to prurient teenagers or someone studying personality disorders, but there's not much for anyone else in this "documentary."

"UnHung Hero" charts a humiliated man's fact-finding journey as he consults porn stars, doctors and anthropologists to learn whether the size of one's manhood matters.

I must say the sexologist is highly entertaining, explaining why he does not let people urinate in his establishment. He seems very laid back, very knowledgeable, but still is basically the keeper of a brothel. Not sure how you get to be the person who runs a house where people sit around and play with themselves.

Seeing Jonah Falcon was cool, as he is a very strange guy. I love that the world's largest man is not remotely a good-looking fellow. Not grungy like Ron Jeremy, either, but just dorky and undesirable.