Boy Wonder (2010)

Directed by: Michael Morrissey | 93 minutes | action, crime, drama, thriller | Actors: Caleb Steinmeyer, Zulay Henao, Bill Sage, James Russo, Tracy Middendorf, Alex Manette, John Sharian, Suzanne Didonna, Nicole Patrick, James Chen, Roberta Wallach, Kether Donohue, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Chuck Cooper, James Devoti, Chris Bert Jeremy Bobb, Rebecca Kush, Dawn Ressy, Jake Randazzo, Tom Brangle, Monte Bezell, Kiai Kim, Marty Garcia

A superhero movie without superpowers and action: is that what? That question can be answered with a cautious ‘yes’. ‘Boy Wonder’ paints a picture of a world in which a ‘superhero’ tries to survive. Well, that term is perhaps just a bit too heavy. The main character in ‘Boy Wonder’ is not a superhero in the traditional sense of the word.

‘Boy Wonder’ revolves around Sean (Caleb Steinmeyer). The teenager witnessed the murder of his mother in his early childhood and since then his life has been dominated by revenge. During the day he dutifully goes to school, but at night he roams the streets in search of his mother’s murderer. Sean has no special powers or superhuman abilities. He practices martial arts and attacks his enemies with his fists and feet. Sean tackles pimps, criminals and molesters. There is a reason why he keeps risking his life for others. Ambitious policewoman Teresa Ames (Zulay Henao) thinks the silent student is hiding something and sets out to investigate.

Director Michael Morrissey questions the concept of ‘superhero’. When is someone a hero? Is brute force justified and who determines the line between good and evil? In ‘Boy Wonder’ Sean is portrayed as a hero, but is he? The boy uses (brutal) violence, chooses the people he wants to ‘save’ himself and he is mentally unstable because he cannot cope with a traumatic event. He also has a distorted view of humanity. Comic book fans will recognize elements from ‘Batman’ from the above text. That is also the intention, because ‘Boy Wonder’ is not entirely coincidentally the nickname of Batman’s sidekick Robin alias Dick Grayson. Like Grayson, Sean leads a double life. What both men have in common is that their nocturnal alter ego shows their true nature: that of the angel of vengeance.

Unlike Robin, Sean doesn’t deal with super villains. Instead of taking on diabolical clowns and penguin men, Sean takes on pimps and dealers. Morrissey outlines a sort of ‘what if scenario’: what would happen if ‘superheroes’ really existed? The police are happy about it, because dangerous criminals are eliminated. But is this the right way? Is it justified to take to the streets on your own and beat people to a pulp? It quickly becomes apparent that Sean is not the most reliable person as his past slowly unfolds. ‘Boy Wonder’ is an interesting film, especially for people who are interested in the phenomenon of ‘superhero’.

Caleb Steinmeyer is perfectly cast. His brooding playing is very enjoyable. Sean is not a tough character, on the contrary. Steinmeyer portrays him as an introverted boy with a lot of pent-up anger. Zulay Henao also impresses. Her extroverted portrayal of Ames contrasts with Steinmeyer’s subdued playing. The interaction between the two produces fascinating scenes.

‘Boy Wonder’ is generally a strong film. The acting is good, the sparse action scenes look realistic and brutal and the soundtrack with music by Björk is also strong. Unfortunately, ‘Boy Wonder’ is not entirely convincing. The movie is just a little too long. Sometimes the film collapses. In addition, the flashbacks that provide more clarity about Sean’s past are rather confusedly edited. When such a retrospective appears out of nowhere, it is at the expense of the film’s flow. For a low budget film, however, ‘Boy Wonder’ is surprisingly well made. From a story point of view, there is certainly something wrong with this film, but it still manages to stand head and shoulders above countless Hollywood productions. Nice calling card, this Morrissey debut.