Super (2010)

Directed by: James Gunn | 96 minutes | action, comedy, drama | Actors: Rainn Wilson, Elliot Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Andre Royo, Sean Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, Don Mac, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, Gerardo Davila, Grant Goodman, Paul T. Taylor, Connor Day, James Gunn, Mikaela Hoover, Nick Holmes, Matt Moore, Rob Zombie, Steve Agee, Laurel Whitsett, James Lentzch, Nate Rubin, Lloyd Kaufman

Talk about bad luck! If you spend years trying to get a film about a superhero without special powers off the ground, the phenomenon ‘Kick-Ass’ appears in the cinema almost simultaneously. While that movie about a dopey superhero becomes a box-office success, the rest of the world sees your movie as an ordinary rip-off. Director James Gunn is the name of that unlucky one. It’s horribly unfair that his movie fell victim to unfortunate timing, because ‘Super’ is a… super movie!

Frank (Rainn ‘The Office US’ Wilson) is a misfit. He earns a living as a hamburger baker and mainly lives for his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler), an ex-addict who tries to stay off drugs. When Frank comes home one day and can’t find his wife anywhere, he decides to look for her. Sarah turns out to live with the shady dealer Jacques (Kevin Bacon). Consumed with anger, the hamburger baker decides to get his wife back and clear the world of injustice. Frank puts on a cool suit and is now superhero ‘The Crimson Bolt’. Armed with a baco (the tool, not the potion), he takes on lawbreakers. Comic book saleswoman Libby (Elliot Page) discovers Frank’s secret identity and assists him as sidekick Boltie.

‘Super’ is – just like ‘Kick-Ass’ – both a parody of and a tribute to superheroes. What actually makes Gunn’s film better than the ‘competitor’ is the character development. Wilson is great in the lead role and portrays Frank as a lost soul with his heart in the right place. That you don’t want to meet this man is another story. Blinded by the love for his wife and convinced by a vision in which God approves his mission, he goes all out. Jumping in a line in front of the cinema can just give you a slap with a baco, for example. Wilson knows how to give his dubious character a large dose of tragedy, so that you not only laugh at him but also cry with him. Frank is a lovable loser who – despite his psychopathic behavior – wishes you nothing but the best. If you can make such a dubious character sympathetic, you are a very good actor.

Page is hilarious as the completely derailed, slightly psychopathic Libby. The girl likes to use brute force and swears like a boat worker (yes, that sounds a lot like Hit-Girl from ‘Kick-Ass’). Yet she is endearing and charming. Bacon is also having a good time as a bad dealer. Tyler also puts on a strong role that you don’t expect from her. Nathan Fillion deserves a special mention, as his supporting role (he plays the Christian superhero ‘The Holy Avenger’ who appears in a number of TV spots) makes for some of the funniest scenes in the film.

‘Super’ is a bizarre mixture of comedy, tragedy and horror. There are some raunchy scenes in it. Not every bloody fragment convinces, because the budget was not very high. Gunn had ‘only’ two million dollars at his disposal. Yet ‘Super’ looks well cared for. Cartoon fragments are used (think of texts such as ‘Bam!’ suddenly appearing. An ode to the 1960s Batman television series with Adam West) and hip indie rock is played. The strength of this film is the enormous dose of love that has been incorporated into it. Both the cast and director obviously had fun making this production. That love radiates from it. At its core, ‘Super’ is a tragedy about a man who fights for the love of his life. The fact that this story is framed with funny and raunchy side tracks makes ‘Super’ so…super!