SUPER MAYHEM
SUPER (R) Could 2011's best film come from
a Troma grad whose only other directorial
credit is the fun, gross-out B-movie homage.
Slither (starring the oh so wonderful Nathan
Fillion, who has a small, albeit hilarious part
in Super)? Three-and-a-half months in, the
answer is, "Yup." James Gunn, who learned
moviemaking at the feet of Lloyd Kaufman,
takes the genius idea of Kick-Ass the comic,
not Kick-Ass the movie, and tells the credible
story of a regular, probably schizophrenic, guy,
Frank D'Arbo (Rainn
Wilson), who becomes a
real-life superhero, who,
the film posits, might
be at best, a ruthless
psychopath, and at
worst, a serial killer.
Slither may be a more
polished looking movie,
but Super shows Gunn's
giowth as a writer and
moviemaker. He reins in
some of his wilder incli
nations without soften
ing the movie's oddball,
cultish appeal.
Short-order cook
Frank is married to a beautiful recovering drug
addict, Sarah (Liv Tyler), who is lured back
into addiction by Jacques (Kevin Bacon), a
smalltime hood who has kingpin-ish dreams, I
guess. Jacques isn't fleshed out, beyond what
Bacon brings to a role that other professionals
would deem slumming. Calling himself Crimson
Bolt, Frank cranks out a homemade costume
and, red wrench in hand, awaits crime behind
dumpsters in the middle of the sunny after
noon. Joined by a 22-year-old sidekick, Libby
(Ellen Page), AKA Boltie, who is slightly loo
nier than Frank, our "hero" sets out to rescue
Sarah from Jacques' evil clutches.
Anyone familiar with Gunn's previous work
knows to expect the unexpected, something a
bit discomforting. He never outgrew his Troma
roots, and that is a good thing. Too many
movies seek to please a
mass audience, thereby
pleasing no one. Gunn
may only seek approval
from a small, loyal, dis
turbing fan base (myself
included), but he
deserves the accolades
he receives. His adult
Kick-Ass captures Mark
Millar's nihilistic comic
better than Matthew
Vaughn's super-heroic
adaptation.
I wrote this review
with two goals in mind:
inform the moviegoing
public about the awesomeness of Super and
warn said public that it's not for all tastes.
If you think Super is the right movie for you,
catch it through IFC In Theaters via Charter
On Demand. Coming soon to Cine...
Drew Wheeler
Rainn Wilson
The Conspirator A FLICKSKINNY ^
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