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Special
By S. Jhoanna Robledo,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Eccentric, depressing thriller won't grab teens' attention.
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What's the Story?
Les Franken (Michael Rappaport) is a parking meter cop who's lonely and depressed -- and sick of it, so he signs up as a test subject for a drug that will hopefully cure him of his ills. But he soon discovers that he can levitate and, later, fly like the superheroes in the comic books he loves. And there's more: He can also phase through walls and hear people's thoughts. In no time, he's fashioning a costume and coming to people's rescue. Has he really developed superpowers as a side effect of the medication, or is he going crazy? And, if so, is he trouble now that the drug's viability may be in jeopardy because of him?
Is It Any Good?
SPECIAL isn't at all special. Ambitious, yes. Its attempt to link mental illness and medication to superheroes is an interesting intellectual exercise. Lyrical even, at least visually in some parts. But the film moves along at snail's pace, interspersed with frankly creepy moments.
Though Rappaport gives Les a good go, his earnestness and efforts don't save the film (he deserves a better movie). Had Special focused on its central idea, it would have been far more successful. But it veers into pseudo-thriller territory -- corporate misdeeds gone way awry -- and loses what little steam it manages to gather in the early stages. Special is, in fact, a mess.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about mental illnesses and how drugs are used to treat them. What is the movie trying to say about the situation? Is Les crazy, or did the drugs make him act crazy? What is the movie saying about loneliness? Is Les a sympathetic character or a creepy one? What would it feel like to be in his shoes?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 21, 2008
- On DVD or streaming: March 31, 2009
- Cast: Josh Peck , Michael Rapaport , Paul Blackthorne
- Directors: Hal Haberman , Jeremy Passmore
- Studio: Magnolia Pictures
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 82 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language, some violence and brief drug use
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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