SUPER – The Review

St. Louis native James Gunn delivers a powerful, dark,witty film that, although not suitable for everyone, is more than suitable for this girl!

Frank (Rainn Wilson) is not your average guy. He is the type of underdog that life seems to like to mess with just a bit. When his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) relapses from her sober state, she ends up leaving Frank for a slimy, asshole of a drug dealer named Jacques played by Kevin Bacon,(Hey, there may be nice drug dealers out there somewhere!) Frank is desperate to win her back. Through research, watching The Holy Avenger, and an unsuspecting comic book store clerk, Frank turns himself into The Crimson Bolt, a super hero without any powers. With the help of his new sidekick Libby/Boltie (Ellen Page) he shows crime who is boss while trying to win his wife back.

I was actually surprised, in a good way, by this film! The trailer lead me to believe that it was a dark comedy, but there is so much more to it. Don’t get me wrong, the dark comedy part is there… but it’s also sad at times, gory, brutal, and even disturbing (again, in a good way). I can honestly say that I have never seen a film quite like it. Because of the superhero concept and the costumes, I have heard people say that it is like Kick-Ass, but let me assure you, this is a much different type of film. Heck, this film is going to downright gross some people out because it is filled with bloody fun! I mean, Gunn has done this kind of thing before, so if you are expecting sunshine and rainbows you might want to skip it… or don’t so I can laugh when you get grossed out!

The idea of a normal man being so desperate to get his wife back, or to be such an outsider that he doesn’t mind putting himself in harms way is something that has been done before. Gunn, however, tells this tale in a way that we have never seen before. The combination of black comedy and utter despair are brilliantly combined, leaving the audience, or at least me, feeling both relief, and still a saddness when all is said and done. This film doesn’t just give everyone the storybook, fairytale ending that most films do, and it is refreshing!!!

Rainn Wilson is incredible in this film. His performance was powerful, dark, and at times, funny. It’s nice to see a different side to him. It’s also refreshing to see Ellen Page play a character that is younger, darker, and slightly more immature than the “wiser-than-her-years” characters that she seems to always be cast in. There is something slightly disturbing about her in this film… but she still has a likability to her, so it’s a win win! Kevin Bacon, well, he’s Kevin Bacon! He plays an asshole well, and he was perfect for the character of Jacques.

For how small the budget was, and for how little the cast made in order to film this (they basically worked for scale), this film is incredible. There are so many different ways that I could describe this to you but I would honestly rather have you go see it!

OVERALL RATING: 4.75 out of 5 stars