REVIEW: Super

Having seen both Slither and Guardians of the Galaxy, I can safely say that James Gunn is one of my favorite directors. After having watched his 2010 film, Super, my opinion of him has only improved. Like some of the other films I've reviewed, Super is an independent flick that I really feel deserves more recognition than it gets. At first glance, some might write this movie off as a rip-off of Kick-Ass, another R-rated film released in 2010 about an average guy who decides to become a superhero. To do so would be both a mistake and an insult to both films.

The star here is Rainn Wilson as Frank Darbo, an unstable guy who, after losing his wife (Liv Tyler) to a charismatic drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), decides to don a mask and tights, becoming the superhero vigilante, The Crimson Bolt. As the plot goes on, he finds companionship in Libby, a young clerk at a comic shop who later becomes his kid sidekick, Boltie (Ellen Page, giving an utterly stellar performance). Despite its superhero trappings, know that this is not a film in the same vein as Gunn's other comic book adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy; this is one of the absolute darkest comedies I have ever seen. Super is not a movie about a lovable goofball who capers around in tights to help the innocent. In reality, this is a film about the kind of damaged, insane person who would actually put on a costume and venture out into the night, brutally beating criminals with a pipe wrench in the name of justice. Anyone who's seen Slither knows that James Gunn has a knack for cinematic gore and violence; granted, the level of bloodshed in Super doesn't come anywhere close to the amount in Slither, but what is present is definitely effective.

Rounding out the supporting cast is Gregg Henry, playing a police detective who crosses paths with Frank a few times; truthfully, I feel as though this character wasn't even utilized to a fraction of his potential. One would expect him to have a major effect on the plot; in all actuality, he might as well have not even appeared at all for all he contributes (to be fair, what little there is of him is quite good, which makes me sad that there isn't more). There's also Kevin Bacon's gang of hired goons, played by Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, and Stephen Blackeheart. Each of them play their roles well, though I feel as though they could have used a little more characterization beyond "hired goon". Linda Cardellini also appears as a pet store employee; like the rest of the supporting cast, she doesn't appear nearly as frequently as I would have liked. The only minor character who I feel got just the right amount of screentime was Nathan Fillion's Holy Avenger, a Christian superhero on public access television who inspires Frank to become a costumed crimefighter. His appearances, while scarce, are all utterly hilarious.

With all that said, this is really a story about Frank coping with his personal demons. It's not an ensemble piece; true, most of the cast receives little characterization, but this allows us to spend more time with Rainn Wilson, which pays off in the long run. The film hinges on the audience's emotional connection to Frank, so this is an area in which it definitely succeeds. There is a particular scene early on where we see Frank desperately praying after his first failed attempt to reclaim his wife; Wilson's performance is both pathetic and relatable in the most horribly sad kind of way. As entertaining as the entire cast manages to be (particularly Kevin Bacon, who makes for a brilliantly smug illegitimate businessman), it is the duo of Crimson Bolt and Boltie who truly make this film shine. Ellen Page's Libby is truthfully my favorite performance I've seen out of her; without spoiling anything, she takes the role to some truthfully unexpected places.

This being a James Gunn movie, the soundtrack is of course utterly stellar. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing opening title sequence; the cast is introduced in animated form, made to look as if it was drawn in colored pencils and set to Calling All Destroyers by Tsar. It was honestly so good that I didn't want it to end (and I proceeded to watch the sequence an additional two times whilst writing this review). Between this and Guardians, it's clear that James Gunn has a divine gift for opening sequences. Despite the indie budget, the film manages to look pretty spectacular for the most part; all of the blood and gore and explosions look great, though there is a bit of somewhat dodgy CGI during a dream sequence (but again, considering the film's budget, it's understandable).

As much as I enjoyed it, I openly admit that Super is not for everyone. It's a tremendously dark picture that goes to some truly bleak, uncomfortable places. However, I also think that it's a thoroughly hilarious pitch-black comedy with some truly stellar writing, direction, and performances behind it. It's like a cup of fine, black coffee; if you can tolerate how dark and bitter it is, then there's really something fantastic to appreciate there. If any of this sounds like your type of flick, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice not to check this out.