SUPER

US, 2010, 96 minutes, Colour.
Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker.
Directed by James Gunn.

Super is an oddball film. It probably sounds better on paper than it is in reality. James Gunn comes from a mixed background of pop music, writing for the small-budget horror company Troma, and the horror thriller Slither.

Rainn Wilson (from the American version of The Office) is a short-order cook, very timid, loving his wife Sarah who has been alcoholic and addict who comes under the spell of the drug dealer Jacques. When Sarah leaves Frank, he is distraught. He watches Christian television – with the bizarre presentation of a Jesus figure, the Holy Avenger, by Nathan Fillion. Frank is devout, is persuaded that he should become a superhero and rescue his wife. He befriends the clerk in a store, Libby, played by Ellen Page (Juno, Inception). Frank dons threadbare costume to become The Crimson Bolt, Libby is as eccentric and wants to be his assistant. She provides her uniform.

As they go out, they find that they actually harm people realistically, Libby going over the top with getting vengeance on an associate, Adrian. The trouble is that Jacques, played by Kevin Bacon, and his allies (including Michael Rooker) have real guns and are working on real drug deals.

This leads to a lot of violence, presented in a mocking fashion (even with cartoon-strip words). However, they also inflict real injuries. This means that the detective whom Frank had initially consulted is after them because they are vigilantes – but is killed by Jacques and his associates mistaking him for Frank.

The film builds up to something of a frantic climax with the death of Jacques and his associates.

Sarah stays with Frank for some time but then moves out, leaving Frank to his room with drawings of the best experiences of his life, mainly those to do with his activities as The Crimson Bolt. The cast overacts for the style of the film but, while it could become something of a cult film, it is too silly for most audiences, playing something like a B-Budget? scratch concert.