Film: Super

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Comedy
Source: USA (2010)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: B-

Well this is an odd little take on the superhero film that is inconsistent, but better than I expected. And also really, really violent.

Taking the "If Superheros Really Existed They Would Be Psychopaths" idea up one level, the film finds loser Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson) abandoned by his off-the-wagon addict wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler). Mired in depression, Darbo finds himself literally touched by God one night in what seems to be a fevered hallucination in which he is told that "Some of God's Children are Chosen." Seeing this as a sign, Darbo begins to fight crime as The Crimson Bolt, eventually taking on a sidekick (in the hilariously energetic Ellen Page) and escalating his war on crime from intimidation to violence to outright murder.

Wilson is strong here. His Darbo is at times frightening, at times pathetic, as he rings genuine pathos from a role that could be just mean-spirited or boorish. That Frank might be insane is strongly implied, but so is his sincerity, and his desire for justice is ultimately not just about justice for him, but justice for anyone who is victimized by the takers of the world. The film's epilogue sheds a new light on the events of the film, and even my wife--who was really turned off by the level of violence in the film--found herself sympathizing with the movie's ultimate message. Indeed, some of God's children are chosen, but often not the ones we think are, and almost never in the way we expect.

For a film with such a heart, however, the violence does get excessive. I realize that's the point--we have to question whether Darbo can be supported in any way, even as Kevin Bacon's villain is even worse--but man it was squeamish. Director James Gunn got his start in horror, and he uses those practical effects extensively, but at times it goes a little too far. Sometimes a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down, and I wonder if the film might have found a wider audience if he'd toned things down just a little. 

Either way, it's a sharp film, and a more thoughtful take on the "real superheroes" genre than something like Kick-Ass. I liked it quite a bit. It's just not for the squeamish.

Alternate Film Title: Shut Up, Crime!