SUPER (2011)

Written & Directed By: James Gunn
Cinematography By: Steve Gainer
Editor: Cara Silverman

CAST: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon, Andre Royo, Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Steve Agee, Gegg Henry, Zach Gilford, Lloyd Kaufman, William Katt


This film is better then recent films thathave tried to tackle the same material of satarizing the suoperhero film genre. KICK-ASS so far has been the only successful one and that was due to it being based on a previous graphic novel. This film immediately has a midnight feel to it. The humor is off color and demented, Which to me makes it extra enjoyable. That extra note of wrongness makes the film feel alive especially with the possibilites of where it could go. it is a film that tries to seem normal and hide it's heart of darkness but slowly lets it freak flag fly as it goes more and more off the track.

The film is written and directed by James Gunn Who had previously directed SLITHER and written the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD and a writer on many TROMA movies. I am a fan of his work thus far. though at some points the film does remind you of a TROMA film, but in a good way. It even has a cameo bu troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman.

I really enjoyed this film,though it does have it's fair share of problems. The fact thatitis low budget actually helps the film as it stays mostly small scale helping the film to have a more intimate feeling then having the hero trying to save a whole town. The violence is shocking but not a lot of digital effects so that the effects while at times gross are more unsettling. Yes i won't lie the film is violent but not for gore sake but in a that is probably how it would happen way. Luckily the film while shocking isn't shocking just to be shocking. it goes with the story.
Though i will admit it remids me of the films i would watch of USA's UP ALL NIGHT a show devoted to b-movies and straight to home video titles.

I like the fact of how it makes fun of religion and some of it's followers but also supports them and the theory. giving a fair handed view of the subject.

Rainn Wilson is perfect in the lead role of a religious everyman who once he loses his wife to a drug dealer get's divine intervention to become a hero. He has the right mix of normalness and crazy to pull the role off without going overboard. He deserves more lead roles and here he has found the perfect venue to bring out his talents.

Ellen Page though walks away with the film in a supporting role though she steals each scene she is in that after awhile whenever she is gone from the screen you find yourself missing her. She is his eventual sidekick who might be a sociopath as she takes a little too much glee in the violence and attacking people.

The rest of the cast is ecclectic and really don't have to do any of the power lifting as they are more in the background so they can pretty much play the roles as caricatures. that is where i guess the problems start to me. The sidekicks seem to have a inner life that we only occasionally explore. when it comes to the villains and even Liv Tyler's character Wilson's ex-addict wife who is seduced and taken by Bacon. we never really learn too much about them or see them too much. it's like they were big cameo roles then anything else.

The problems i have with the film are that it feels like the film is going one way and it takes many turns away from what you expect but it never feels like it is covering new ground. there are surprises along the way. yet the film never seems to inroduce anything to move you in any way.

I can truly say the ending is shocking and i never saw it coming, but it did make the film feel a little more personal to me. I can even say the ending made me identify witht he film overall then anything else that really came before it. I just wish the rest of the film was like it. Bythe time it comes it was too late. while the film is enjoyable it kept me at a distance for most of it. when it finally was ready to open up and embrace it was too late.

I think the film will find it's proper audience and gain popularity on DVD.
It is a satisfing Rental

GRADE: B-