Super is a funny movie. In both senses, HAHA and weird. On the surface it's yet another attempt at deconstructing the super hero genre by focusing on a do gooder with no real powers or training etc taking the law into his own hands by becoming a costumed vigilante. So yeah, kinda like Kick-Ass. The comparisons are inevitable and while they are warranted to some degree, Super goes to MUCH darker places.
This time our "hero" is Frank(Rainn Wilson). A loser, an idiot, a nutcase. When his wife(Liv Tyler) is stolen away by Kevin Bacon's drug dealer Jaques(Frank spells it "Jock", funnier than it sounds), Frank's already fragile mind completely abandons him and inspired by a ridiculous commercial for a holy roller superhero(Nathan Fillion, hilarious)he decides to suit up as The Crimson Bolt to battle evil. Joining him in his crusade is Libby(Ellen Page), an even more unstable comic store worker who becomes obsessed with The Crimson Bolt and insists on joining him as his "kid" sidekick Boltie. The duo begin by actually doing some good(depending on your stance on vigilantism of course!) but quickly lose the run of themselves when Boltie proves to be genuinely psychotic.
If you have seen any of the trailers for this then you know how it goes. Hitting cinema queue cutters with a wrench, smashing glass in the face of a guy that (maybe) keyed a car. But as extreme as all of that is, it's still pretty funny! Director James Gunn(Slither) just about balances the comedy with the carnage. Up to a point. You see, with this type of movie there are only ever going to be a finite number of ways that it can play out. We get all of the standard comic book conversations, costume fittings, first mission etc etc. And maybe it was the realization that things were heading to a conclusion that we could see coming a mile away that promoted Gunn to simply up the violence quota in the hope that we wouldn't notice. Whatever his reasons, the final part of Super is a grim watch. And the always shaky balance in tone shifts drastically until it's no longer a comedy, black or otherwise that we are watching.
It's still damn entertaining mind you, due in no small part to the performances. Wilson is great as Frank. He makes him relatable and even sympathetic(early on anyway) while still conveying the viciousness that takes over when he dons his costume. Kevin Bacon is also on form as the object of Crimson Bolt's vengeance. But it's Ellen page who steals the show as Boltie. Her scenes are most definitely the funniest too.
I recommend Super, I'm just not sure it will be to everyone's tastes. Gunn throws a lot of stuff at the wall and much of it sticks, but the result is pretty messed up. It's hilarious in parts, and disturbing in others. I enjoyed it warts and all, I'm just not certain how many others will. One thing I will say, it has balls and that alone is such a rare quality in mainstream movies that I urge you to check it out, even if it's to come back here and tell me how much you hated it!
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.