TIFF10 Review: Super

Super

If you have listened to my guest spot on the Super edition of The Dark of the Matinee’s TIFF podcast, Wicked Little Town, then you already know I am quite fond of James Gunn’s latest film. If you have not had a chance to check out the podcast yet then I highly recommend you give it a spin. The Mad Hatter was lucky enough to score a nice interview with James Gunn after our screening of his dark superhero inspired comedy.

Frank D’Arbo’s (Rainn Wilson) life has consisted of two perfect moments. The first was when he happened to help a cop nab a robber by pointing out which direction the crook ran. While the other moment of note was the day he married Sarah (Liv Tyler). Frank’s perfect world is destroyed when he comes home one day and discovers that is wife has left him to be with a local drug dealer, Jacques (Kevin Bacon). Depressed and seeking guidance Frank gets a sign from the above, in the form of folk Christian superhero The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Thus he is inspired to not only right the wrongs of the world but also save Sarah in the process. Disguised as The Crimson Bolt, Frank delivers his own unique brand of vigilante justice to everyone from drug dealers to theatre line cutters. Frank even gets a sidekick, Boltie (Ellen Page), in the process. While successful at the start, Frank soon realizes that the criminal mind in real-life is far more dangerous, and unpredictable, than it is in comic books.

Super often feels like the dark funnier cousin to the film Kick-Ass. Both films look at the challenges ordinary folks endure when trying to become real-life superheroes. While there will surely be debate over which of the two films works better, Super gets my vote. Kick-Ass tries hard not to be your standard superhero tale, but that is exactly what it becomes in the end. Unlike Kick-Ass, there are no jetpacks, outlandish machine guns etc. Super maintains a certain level of realism throughout the film. Sure there are some over-the-top moments, especially the scene where God touches Frank’s brain and inspires wisdom, yet when it comes to the action the film rarely strays from its goal. Super is all about detailing how the average Joe would handle superhero responsibilities in a world where bullets are real and wounds cannot magically heal by turning to the next panel.

For the first part of the film Frank’s main weapon is a simple wrench. When Frank finally upgrades to a gun, Gunn still keeps it all fairly realistic. Even The Crimson Bolt costume looks exactly the way you would expect it to look if it was made by someone with average tailoring skills. The majority of the costume is one sloppy patch job after another.

The fact that The Crimson Bolts outfit looks so put together last minute only enhances the extremely dark humour the film offers. Super wonderfully plays up many of the superhero conventions, including having a secret identity, finding a place to change in public, etc. for big laughs. Yet is should also be noted that Super offers an interesting commentary on the nature of superheroes. Gunn is making a statement that superheroes are nothing more than off-kilter individuals who take pride in beating up others.

This idea is perfectly captured in the character of Boltie. Boltie gets such a thrill out of inflicting punishment on people that she does not even care if the person actually deserves it. Ellen Page is hilarious as Boltie, she steals every scene that she is in while still bring weight to Frank’s plight. Page, Wilson and Bacon are the reason why I think Super will catch on with most viewers. Despite the brutal violence, the lead actors bring much levity to this dark comedy. Bacon is so good in his role, that I wished he was given even more screen time. The fact that the film gets extremely dark in the last half may not sit well with some, yet it is needed when looking at the film as a whole. If you are willing to stay with the film until the end you will be greatly rewarded, Super is a surprisingly smart and extremely funny dark comedy that will have you looking at the superhero genre in a whole new way.

Being Kicked in the Rear an Oddly Pleasant Feeling

Kick-Ass

About a week ago there was a story of a robbery that briefly dominated the various media outlets. A 79 year-old man was mugged by two young thugs on the local subway while the majority of the other passengers watched. Although one individual did bring the mugging to the attention of transit officials, much of the talk in the media focused on why no one else tried to help the man, or even call the cops. Depending on which side you listen to, either you believe there was nothing the passengers could do as it all happened so fast; or you believe that that the passengers only cared about their own safety. So the question then becomes: what would you do in that situation?

This is the exact question that Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) poses to the audience in the film Kick-Ass, though, cynically, he already knows what the answer will be. Dave, an avid comic book reader, questions why no one has ever attempted to be a real-life superhero. Dave knows that being a hero is not about having special abilities but rather the determination to want to help others. After being mugged on the way home Lizewski decides to create an alter-ego named Kick-Ass; and takes to the streets with his own brand of justice. Kick-Ass soon realizes that being a real-life superhero is far more dangerous than he ever imagined. Kick-Ass’ lack of experience shows when he comes across the efficient father and daughter superhero team of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chole Moretz). As Kick-Ass gains more publicity another hero, the mysterious Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), emerges into Kick-Ass’ life. Is the Red Mist friend or foe? Also what ties does Red Mist have to a local gangster, Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong)?

Based on the comic by Mark Millar, Kick-Ass is one of those films that I have hard time recommending to anyone outside of comic book lovers, hardcore cinephiles, or those with a high tolerance for onscreen violence. Even then I am pretty sure there will be people in those groups who will hate this film. Besides being excessively violent, the overall execution is uneven on every level. Similar to Millar’s last film adaptation, Wanted, the characters in Kick-Ass never plays by the rules that the picture establishes. For example, we are told Kick-Ass cannot feel physical pain, yet this only seems to apply in certain situations. He can withstand a vicious beating from a D’Amico’s men but gets easily knocked out by the wimpy Red Mist.

A lot of the inconsistencies in the film are a result of the sloppy script. Characters are constantly flipping personalities based on the given situation. On minute Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) would do anything to break off her friendship/relationship with a drug dealer, yet later she is crying because she never wanted that same drug dealer to get hurt. It is maddening moments like this that will make you question why you are even bothering to watch the film but stick with it. Despite its many flaws, Kick-Ass turns out to be a fun, albeit twisted, hodgepodge of a film.

The key to enjoying Kick-Ass is to look at it as outlandish pop culture fare. The film tries hard to break every taboo in the book but it never has the impact of say A Clockwork Orange. Partly because director Matthew Vaughn has so much fun running around with his middle fingers up in the air that he forgets what caused him to do so in the first place. Kick-Ass will not stand the test of time like other comic book flicks, but it does have enough moments to raise it far above the ranks of Tank Girl and Daredevil. The best moments come from the most controversial characters in the whole picture, Big Daddy and Hit Girl.

It becomes evident early on that the most interesting aspect of the plot is not Dave’s/Kick-Ass’ plight to be a hero; but rather the father/daughter duo looking for revenge. To be honest, the film probably would have been better without Kick-Ass or Red Mist at all. As they merely serve as buffers for the darker, and more disturbing, content in the film. Both Cage and Moretz are exceptionally good in this film. Nicolas Cage gives a hilarious Adam West’s 1960’s style performance as Big Daddy. In the scenes with Moretz he tows the fine line between loving father and raging sociopath. Chloe Moretz brings the perfect mix of sweet and vinegar needed for a character as complex as Hit Girl. Now it is hard to fully praise a story arc that has a forty year-old man mercilessly beating up an eleven year-old girl, yet without Big Daddy and Hit Girl the film falls on its face.

As I mentioned earlier, the film is very flawed but I still found myself enjoying the film more than I anticipated. Unlike Wanted, Kick-Ass actually made me interested in picking up the comics just to see the similarities and differences with the source material. Again, Kick-Ass is not a film that I would recommend to the masses but for those willing to take a fun, and very twisted ride, for a few hours then you may want to give the film a shot.