Review of Defendor (2009) by Mark L — 18 Jun 2010

Imagine Rain Man if Dustin Hoffman's character didn't have Tom Cruise and decided to be a superhero.

It's an original, compelling drama first and foremost. Harrleson is damn near perfect in the role of mild-mannered Arthur Poppington by day, and Defendor (with an "or", don't forget) by night.

Sure, it's got moments of dark humor, but the movie plays everything very straight for the most part. Defendor's goal is to take down the nefarious Captain Industry in an attempt to save the city. Without spoiling much, let's just say Poppington isn't completely there in the head, and the script and direction takes the movie into remarkably poignant and depressing areas. The less you know about the movie going in, the better. All you need to know is that Defendor is instantly compelling from the first scene and the 90 minute running time just blows on by.

Sure, it's a deconstruction of heroism in a time when we need heroes. It's a story of a guy with no powers being that hero. It seems like it isn't a new idea, but the story of Poppington himself as well as the various subplots breath fresh air into what could easily be considered an already stale genre.

With that said, Defendor is a love-letter to these superhero movies. Defendor's arsenal of weaponry is extremely subtle yet effective, and Defendor is definitely capable of beating down a few thugs. There's some great homages to modern-day Batman, too.

The story takes you into a place where you never expected to go. It's dark, depressing, and uplifting at the same time. This is a fantastic, fun movie from start to finish and I highly recommend you find this little indie gem.