Like many people, my first real exposure to the work of writer/director James Gunn was Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Sure, he had other movies, many of which seem to have cult followings of their own, but putting a distinctive stamp onto a corner of the MCU, a cinematic universe that seems highly resistant to distinctive stamps, demonstrated some real talent with his off-kilter style and weird sense of humor.
As it is, Hulu had his 2010 superhero comedy Super available, and it was leaving the service soon, so it seemed like a great time to check it out.
Rainn Wilson stars as Frank, a simple-minded short order cook who has two perfect moments in his life. One was his wedding day to his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler), and the other was a day he pointed out to a cop where a fleeing criminal had run off to. Now, if you’re the kind of person who thinks Tyler is a bit out of Wilson’s league, the movie may agree with you as she soon leaves him for her drug dealer Jacques (a delightfully goofy turn by Kevin Bacon). Frank sees something isn’t right here, and flashbacks show his marriage was never on the sort of solid footing he honestly believed it was for a variety of reasons, but Frank, he has some problems in that he sometimes sees things that probably aren’t there. He’s soon inspired by a Christian-themed TV superhero, the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), to become a superhero himself. Calling himself the Crimson Bolt, he takes to clubbing those he sees as evildoers in the head with a pipe wrench.
And then a superhero enthusiast who gets a little too into the Crimson Bolt, Libby (Ellen Page), sets herself up as his sidekick Boltie as the pair work to rescue Sarah from Jacques. You know, if she actually wants to be saved.
So, this was a ton of fun. Gunn’s usual dark humor is well on display here. Frank is, clearly, a disturbed person, but he has a moral code that sometimes goes a little too far (like when he decides an act of public rudeness deserves a response from the Crimson Bolt), and yet, he still has a sweet side to him. Libby takes things too far, clearly, and Jacques is not a good guy, but Frank comes across as someone who processes a problem the only way he can and gradually comes to realize he probably made a huge mistake doing what he did.
And then the movie ends with a big superhero attack. Sort of. It makes total sense within the context of the movie. And it’s from Gunn, so naturally the cast includes some of his regulars like Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn as two of Bacon’s goons, and the aforementioned Fillion with a cameo from Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman. It’s a fun movie for people who like Gunn’s distinctive, quirky style, and my only real complaint was something kept going wrong with Hulu’s buffering, cutting the end of a couple scenes. And rewinding didn’t help. Bah!
Grade: B+
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