Super (2010)
Summary
Genre: Comedy, DramaGoodies:
+ A superhero film that feels realistic, challenging the current genre, + Ellen Page / The acting, + Black humor, + Creative and innovativeBaddies:
- Odd relationships between characters, - Can be rather depressing in partsAfter his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
This is the second Rainn Wilson film i’ve seen lately where he plays a very serious (and sad) man. Maybe he is trying to break out of the comedy genre. Although super, at it’s core could be defined as a comedy, it rubs viewers in the wrong way several times throughout the film that pushes it away from that genre. First of all, the sad plotline (guy loses wife and becomes severely depressed) nods to a non-traditional type of humor. The humor itself was not even in life with a black comedy, but rather a “sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying” or “nervous laughter” type of laugh. Although that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I really enjoyed it. Next, let’s move on to Ellen Page. Ellen page is a fantastic actress (we’ll just forget about The Tracy Fragments) that hits the home run in everything she does. In this film, she play a quirky (kind of her thing) comic book store worker looking for the next big thrill. For her, that is Wilson’s character. As he finds out he has become his own superhero (to try to get back his wife), she falls for him. The ensuing relationship is both uncomfortable and confusing. For some reason, this works for these characters. I think the acting is what makes the film really worthwhile.As the feel of the movie conjures a sort of awkwardness, only well-crafted actors could really pull it off. In some ways, the nuances of the films atmosphere created the entire film. There were a few moments where I literally said “WTF” (out loud, watching it alone in my room). The film keeps you on your toes and wondering what kind of madness this disheveled man will get himself into next. The film really does play out like a comic book, which, despite not really having a foot in that world (as I just don’t really care), give props for creative development. Super is the film that Kickass should have been. I hated Kickass as it tried to be overthetop in such a way that exploited violence poorly. I found that the age of the girl killing in that film really made me feel uncomfortable, the dialogue was really choppy, and Nicholas Cage sucks. Super gives a nod violence in such a way that is surprising. It comes out of nowhere, at times, not giving viewers a chance to really have time to digest it all. Overall, it’s hard to sum up a film like Super, but I believe it is well worth the watch. There are tons of films out there that don’t put half as much thought into creative a unique experience for viewers, so I say, go forth and see Super.
