Review of Defendor (2009) by Rhys G — 07 Aug 2010
Characterization makes this movie work in what would otherwise be a sullen and low-key take on a fantasy genre. Harrelson makes Arthur Poppington - the intellectually disabled alter ego of urban crime fighter Defendor - relatable.
We see what he wants to accomplish, and we admire his drive and resourcefulness (Screw the batrope, the man comes to a fight with a jarful of wasps), even when we know that his quest is misguided, his archenemy Captain Industry a figment of his imagination.
If the film has a weak point, it's in trying to mesh its superhero deconstruction with a straight take on urban crime that looks like so many other movies. As the bad guys go, only Elias Koteas rises above the material as a reprehensibly incompetent corrupt policeman.
This review of Defendor (2009) was written by Rhys G on 07 Aug 2010.
Defendor has generally received positive reviews.
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