Review of Defendor (2009) by Tomislav A — 13 Dec 2010

Is it a superhero movie? I wouldn't quite say so. Is it an action movie? Probably not. Drama? Maybe that's the closest genre definition but it's not entirely drama either. It has quite a few comedic moments but at the same time it is overwhelmingly depressing. The movie itself is led by a superb title role of Woody Harrelson, and by another memorable performance, that of pretty Kat Dennings. Before going into the movie I knew very little of it and I will try to give away just as much so hopefully, you all will find this a worthwhile experience.

So, it goes like this. Arthur is a bit slow-in-the-head regular worker that comes to believe he's a superhero. He calls himself Defendor and he wants to fight crime on the streets of his town. Naturally, things don't go so smoothly if you have an IQ of 80 and you look up to some unknown comic book hero. This is where I stop because I don't want to ruin the experience you may be seeing.

I can't praise this movie too much because it is obviously made with a small budget and with aspects that some people will find annoying. Superhero theme has really been done so many times that there is little to be found that is untouched by now. I personally love the genre and don't mind seeing million more superhero movies as long as they are fun and well done. Defendor is a small movie that certanly can't compete with the likes of some major hits like Iron Man, Batman or even Kickass, but Defendor is more of a human drama than a superhero movie. It is maybe the most realistic superhero movie I've seen. There are no powers of any kind involved just a one small mind trying to escape his everyday misery. And you know what, I love this movie just because of how timid it is! It takes up on a genre that is led by super expensive box office hits and surpasses many of them. At least in my world. I never really cared much for Woody Harrelson, but he won me over with this role and he may be the sole factor of why I'm recommending this movie to you, but he isn't. There's more to it, trust me.