This Superhero Stays Grounded

"Super"

Superman can fly, The Hulk has super strength, Spiderman can web sling his way across a city skyline, and The Crimson Bolt aka Frank D'Arbo (Rainn Wilson) can bash people's heads in with a pipe wrench.  That's right, the hero of director James Gunn's latest flick Super uses a pipe wrench to thwart his villainous foes.  Their criminal deeds include dealing drugs, molesting children, mugging, and butting in line.

Inspiration comes to Frank after catching bits and pieces of show off the AJN (All Jesus Network) from an actor playing a character called The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion.)  He also has a vision of being touched by the hand (or finger in this case) of God.  Frank then receives his calling to become a super hero. His mission is to save Sarah (Liv Tyler) his recovering addict of a wife, who has fallen under the seduction of the drug dealing lowlife Jacques (Kevin Bacon.)  With the help of his side kick Boltie aka Libby (Ellen Page,) a foul mouthed 22 year old comic book store employee, together they dash off to save the day under their motto, "Shut up crime!"

        This film does have some humorous and also considerably bloody sequences that retain a certain comic book panel quality about them. This is due in part to some stylistic gore effects used throughout the film.  It's Super's characters that aren't as engaging as they could be.  

Unfortunately, despite decent performances from Wilson and Page, Super's protagonists lack the real one two punch that dynamic duos should have.  At first we are on Frank's side and want him to succeed but slowly we lose interest in him.  His character never seems to achieve superhero status.  All the religious implications that seem to drive Frank to something that he ultimately does not want to be are in retrospect too silly and out of place in the story.

Libby is a real fire cracker when we first encounter her.  Page brings a level of energy to Super's first and second acts.  By the time the third rolls around though her character is now a nuisance and Libby's intentions towards Frank become crass and uneven to the plot.  In fact the whole third act comes off as quite rushed with the characters scrambling around in the blood splattered finale as if making up for time that was used in some unnecessary scenes from the previous two acts.

There are moments when Gunn knows what a superhero should look like.  Those scenes are few and far between even with the film's brisk 96 minute run time.  Super wants to deliver on a number of levels the characteristics of a superhero flick. But ultimately the film never really accomplishes the goals it sets for itself.  A good effort by its cast and crew that just doesn’t shatter through brick walls, stop speeding locomotives, or zip around skyscrapers.