Review of Super (2010) by Albert A — 16 Jun 2013

It is near impossible not to compare James Gunn's "Super" to Matthew Vaughn's "Kick-Ass". Both stories revolve around an ordinary citizen who decide to fight crime through a realistic approach involving no real super powers. They are both dark, gritty, violent, and fueled through dark humor. Although I absolutely loved Vaughn's take on the popular Kick-Ass comic, Gunn's super violent take on a real life superhero reminds its viewers that as cool as Kick-Ass is, it was still sugarcoated for the popular masses. Super on the other hand goes balls to the walls nuts with gore, raunchy humor, and kick-ass action.

The story begins with Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson) as he takes viewers on a short trip through memory lane. His life has always been filled with humiliation and rejection, but reaches its breaking point when his recovering drug addict wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) decides to retract her life, and leave her husband for generic drug dealing mob boss Jacques (Kevin Bacon). After a vision sent down from God, Frank decides it is time to man up and suit up in order to save his wife from Jacques, and save those in dire need of a hero.

The plot itself sounds generic just like many of the superhero films that have flooded theater screens in the last 10 years. However, what sets Super apart from the rest is not only its indie charm, but also the "big budget" execution that takes viewers through a wild ride of hardcore violence, and raunchy laughs thanks to its great ensemble of performances. Ellen Page plays the kid sidekick who at first may come off as your typical wannabe superhero, but then transforms into maniacal killer whose bloodlust is as insane as her sexual desires. Ellen Page's signature quiet, quirky humor is present in the film, but quickly gets overshadowed by her shrill frantic persona that makes the character so like able. The chemistry between Wilson and Page feeds off each other great, and also smoothly aids one another's personality as they transition alongside the film's atmosphere. While Kevin Bacon's character might seem one-dimensional up to the very last second before credits roll, Liv Tyler's accompanying relationship with Bacon serves to soften-up his presence and express him as nothing more than "the bad guy" delivering a final product that ultimately works.

James Gunn's Super is most certainly not for everyone. When I state that the film is violent, please understand that it is ultra-violent. We are talking horror movie gore with faces being half-blown off, and dynamite exploding bodies. It's definitely a factor that will turn-off most viewers expecting an "Office" spin-off, or "Juno" hamburger phones. The film hits some uncomfortable notes with a "mushy" Ellen Page due to uncontrollable hormones, but in the end it all works. The raunchy darkness of this gritty reality is what makes Super quite possibly the most realistic superhero movie to date, and without spoiling too much - don't expect a rainbow and white-picket fence during this ending.