In the outlandish dark comedy SUPER, James Gunn has created what is perhaps the definitive take on self-reflexive superheroes. When sad-sack loser Frank (Rainn Wilson) sees his ex-addict wife (Liv Tyler) willingly snatched by a seductive drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), he finds himself bereft and wholly unable to cope. But, inspired shortly after by fictional man-made superheroes of lore, he decides to fight back under the guise of a DIY crimefighter, the Crimson Bolt. With a hand-made suit, a wrench, and a crazed sidekick named Boltie (Ellen Page), the Crimson Bolt beats his way through the mean streets of crime in hopes of saving his wife.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the mysterious "Movie X" at the Kapow! Comic Con this past weekend in London. With the promise the it featured a character with a cape and weird name, speculation was rampant that they were talking about Thor from, er,
Thor or
X-Men: First Class' Magneto. It was when signs went up saying that it was a screening for over 18's only that it became clear it was more than likely neither of those, and when the lights did finally go out in the packed auditorium of more than 500 people, the few sighs that it was indeed
Super were soon drowned out by the sound of laughter.
Super is a very, very funny movie. I like comedies, but I'm not usually someone that sits down and laughs out loud for an entire hour and a half. Well, I sure did this time. The humour, even when it gets a little on the nasty side, is some of the best I've seen and this is for the most part due to the fantastic cast. Rainn Wilson as The Crimson Bolt delivers his lines in a far funnier style than most other actors would have, and I find it difficult to imagine anyone else pulling off the character so effectively. Ellen Page as Boltie and Kevin Bacon's villainous turn as Jacques are equally funny with the material they have to work with, while Liv Tyler feels somewhat pointless. That's nothing against her as an actress, but both her performace and character are somewhat dull when compared to the rest.
I know simply calling the three main cast members "funny" and leaving it at that feels somewhat a little vague, but there's a good reason for this. While James Gunn's script is undoubtedly both clever and humourous, the characters themselves are hard to care about. Frank (The Crimson Bolt) clearly has mental issues, Libby (Boltie) is a murderous sociopath and Jacques is your bog standard bad guy. While Frank's position is easy to symphathise with, he is not.
Super is an extreme, more adult version of
Kick-Ass without the heart. Big Daddy and Hit Girl are even more murderous than The Crimson Bolt and Boltie, but they're nowhere near as insane or unlikeable. I don't for a second think that everyone will feel like this, and it will very much vary from person to person, but I couldn't help but be left with something of a bad taste in my mouth after watching the movie.
James Gunn does a great job directing, but it's the script that causes the majority of problems. The frankly bizarre religious subtext may involve a hilarious cameo from Nathan Fillion, but it otherwise feels out of place and simply highlights just how mental a character Frank is. As is evident from the above synopsis, it's a fairly simply premise, and while there are a few neat twists and turns along the way, the movie rarely moves past being anything other than just a funny movie. There was one twist near the end that I don't think anyone will see coming and I'm sure it will split opinions. It certainly shows that Gunn pulled no punches with the movie. The ending is also far from upbeat, and again will more than likely contribute a great deal towards whether or noth you enjoy
Super.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie a great deal. It's downright hilarious and an enjoyable way of spending 90 minutes. However, there is an underlying nasty feel to things that stopped me from really liking it. The comparisons to
Kick-Ass are inevitable and despite the fact that it's a lower budget, hardcore version of that film, it's just nowhere near as good. It lacks the heart and personality, and despite the fantastic performances and great dialogue, the story and end result did not sit all that well with me. I would most definitely advise checking out
Super...just don't be surprised if you leave the cinema with no clear idea exactly what to make of it.