Super

Synopsis: After his wife (Liv Tyler) falls under the influence of a drug dealer (Kevin Bacon), an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt (Rainne Wilson), a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.


Going into this movie I knew very little of it, it seems to have completely flown under the radar here in the UK. The only thing I had really been told was "It's Kick-Ass lite", how wrong they were.

First off I love Kick-Ass but this is a completely different beast. Kick-Ass is more of an out-and-out comedy with over-the-top ulltra violence thrown into the mix. Super is very bleak in tone & examines the mindset of a loser having the only good thing in his life taken away from him.

Early on the film establishes that Frank (Wilson) suffers from hallucinations, that may be due to his fragile state of mind or may be God leading him. It is through these visions the Crimson Bolt is born. Research is taken out at his local comic book store where he meets his will be sidekick Boltie (Ellen Page) and together with good intentions they take to the street to fight crime however several ignorant people seem to get in the way and face the wrath of the Crimson Bolt (watch out queue jumpers).

The comedy in the film often falls flat with few exceptions as the jokes are often mis-timed. In addition to this the story is weak in places and leaves a lot to be desired. However the film is at its best when the unrelenting brutality kicks off. With each blow of the Crimson Bolts monkey wrench i winced as if I was in pain. The violence it is extremely gritty and gory but extremely well done. The action sequences are some of the more impressive I have seen in a while and far surpassed the last film I watched: Transformers: Dark of The Moon. If you have a low threshold for blood or blunt trauma you may find yourself looking away.

The true star of the show is Ellen Page who lights up proceedings whenever she is on screen & is genuinely likeable. She is sweet and naive but with a very dark sinister side that only makes her character more enjoyable. Rainne Wilson does a superb job at portraying his characters loneliness as he mourns his wife leaving him & Kevin Bacon seems to be the go to bad guy of the moment, he nails the scumbag drug dealer role. His character is nothing new but is solidly created. Liv Tyler has less to do and as a result her character feels rather hollow.

Summary: Not the greatest film of the year but certainly not the worst, well worth the admission. The story may be flakey in parts but its at its visceral best when skulls are cracking and blood is spurting! 6/10