Wrench To The Face: The New Arrow To The Knee?

And now, a review of a movie I saw all the way back in January, thus making it one of the earliest 2012 films I've seen. It's another that went straight to DVD here and the release was delayed, so it still counts. So, today, we're looking at the film simply titled Super.

Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson) is depressed after his wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler) leaves him for sleazeball Jacques (Kevin Bacon). After having a vision in which he believes God spoke to him through the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), telling him that he has been chosen for a special purpose, which Frank takes to mean that he should become a superhero. Armed with a pipe wrench, and with the help of overly keen comic nerd, Libby (Ellen Page), Frank emerges as the Crimson Bolt, ready to fight crime and rescue his wife.

I have to admit, when I first heard of this movie (going back a few years now, this HAS been a long wait), I was expecting something a little more lighthearted and wacky (I tend to expect that a lot. I have no idea where it comes from). What I got was something a lot darker, a lot riskier and gave me a bigger shock to my system.

And you know what? By the end, I was already convinced it would be on my end of year top five (and so far, it still is).

The first film you'll compare this to off-the-bat is Kick-Ass, which was in development at the same time. But whereas Kick-Ass was almost like one gigantic deconstruction or lampshade hanging on the whole “regular person dons a costume and fights crime with varying success” concept, Super plays it darker, going on the idea that any regular person just donning an outfit and playing superhero isn't entirely stable and that it almost always will end in pain or tragedy.

Rainn Wilson was a great choice as the hero of the picture. He portrays Frank with the right level of determined optimism and quiet vulnerability. Frank is just so oblivious to anything else but his goal and Rainn's face is almost always the utmost serious. The character is sympathetic, even though it's clear he's got issues. BIG issues.

Liv Tyler, admittedly, isn't too likeable (well, the character she plays anyway), but one of the themes of the movie is “things don't always tie up nicely like we want them to”, so the story with her character fits in with that theme. So to make her too much of a well rounded character would destroy that build-up. Looking at it on that level, Liv does a great job playing Sarah as a junkie who cares for nothing but her next fix (until the end, anyway, not that I want to spoil that. Other things, yes).

Kevin Bacon also plays someone who we're supposed to hate, and again, it works within the context of the movie. If done right, the archnemesis of a hero is usually someone who you can't help but not entirely hate, because they get great lines or moments or have back stories that we can't help but emphasise with. However, in keeping with the dark, subversive nature of the film, Jacques has no redeeming features. He is so one dimensionally evil, but it works. From the moment I first saw him, I thought “Look up the word 'slimy' in the dictionary and his picture is there”.

But if I have to name my fave performance, it's easily Ellen Page. And that's not because she's one of my fave actresses of all time, appearing in some of the greatest movies I've ever seen, but because she's enthusiastic and fun. She really gets into the hero gig, as Boltie, sidekick to the Crimson Bolt. And, as weird as this may seem, I actually thought it was cute the way she kept coming on to Frank and I actually kept thinking “For God's sake, man, stop trying to get your junkie wife back and enter a relationship with her!”

(For the next two paragraphs, there will be spoilers. Please be advised.)

There is, however, one thing in the film that leaves me a bit... uncomfortable.

At one point, Libby's lust is too much for her and she decides to have sex with Frank, saying that it's different when they're in costume, that they become different people. Frank has constantly turned her down, opting to stay faithful to his estranged wife.

And despite his protests, she forces herself on him. And he's not really sure how to react. He keeps saying no, which makes it rape, yet he doesn't try that hard to stop her and he doesn't seem too upset by it. OK, he goes to throw up after it but once he's finished, he gets another vision and that sets the final confrontation into motion.

Sooooo... we're just going to forget about it then? Frank, care to tell us how you feel about what just happened? No? Well, I have to ask, why was the scene included in the first place if nothing was going to come of it? And it can't be due to the movie's darker nature, because the scene isn't played for ultimate darkness. And when dealing with the ramifications of rape, it's not something you can shrug off.

That being said, however, the scene that emotionally resonates with me the most is the one before Frank finishes off Jacques for good. He and Libby are being shot at by Jacques' goons and before you know it, BOOM! Libby's lost a good chunk of her face.

And I sat there thinking “WHAT THE HELL?!” I had to rewind, because I was that shocked. But yes, quick-as-a-flash, you see her die. And it's just painful. It's actually one of the most painful character deaths I've ever witnessed.

(Spoilers end)

All in all, a funny and realistic look at what would happen if the average person decided to fight crime in a costume. The amount of comic book references sprinkled throughout was very pleasing to a comic book geek like me and the violence was shocking enough to not forget in a hurry (you don't want to be on the receiving end of a wrench, let's put it that way). If I had to compare this to Kick-Ass, this wins, though I still highly recommend Kick-Ass. Make it a double feature. 4.5/5 

(P.S Nathan Fillion may not be on screen for long but he's awesome. As if that was ever in doubt.)