Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven superhero film is wacky but violent, dark.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Super
What's the Story?
Frank (Rainn Wilson) can count on two fingers his happiest moments: the day he helped a cop capture a thief by pointing out which direction the thug went, and the day he married his lovely-but-broken wife, a former addict named Sarah (Liv Tyler). So when she leaves him for a drug dealer (a deliciously slimy Kevin Bacon), his entire world falls apart. The only way to put it together again, naturally (or should that be "unnaturally"?), is to don a makeshift red uniform, wield a jacked-up wrench as his weapon, and "fight crime" as the Crimson Bolt. Along the way, Frank picks up a frantic twentysomething comic-book-store clerk (Elliot Page) as his sidekick and makes plans to take Sarah back from the clutches of evil. But vanquishing drug dealers is one thing; winning his wife -- and his life -- back is another thing entirely.
Is It Any Good?
The first third of SUPER is promising, with enough subversion and outright wackiness to gratify viewers hoping for more than the usual superhero routine. Frank, played with surprising pathos by Wilson, is like no hero we've seen before, his choices both unpredictable and interesting. He's inspired to become the Crimson Bolt by two things: a psychedelic vision involving an eel-like creature, and a superhero series that appalls him with its insipid writing and bad acting. He wants to fight for good but sees nothing wrong with whacking two people who cut in line on the head until they bleed -- the same punishment he applies to drug dealers.
Then, two-thirds of the way through, the film takes a big turn, and suddenly everything and the kitchen sink is thrown into the mix. There's addiction-speak, cartoon whimsy, buddy comedy, sad sex, brutal (very brutal) violence -- and it doesn't all gel. Instead, it feels like the filmmakers loaded the car, gassed it up, drove full throttle, then jumped out at the last minute. The car bobs and weaves, pitches off the cliff, explodes, then suddenly softens. Say what? Exactly.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes someone a hero or a villain. Which category does Frank fall into? Why do you think he's compelled to fight crime -- and are his methods justifiable?
Is the violence gratuitous or necessary for the movie's tone and feel? How does it compare to that in other superhero movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 1, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : August 9, 2011
- Cast : Elliot Page , Liv Tyler , Rainn Wilson
- Director : James Gunn
- Inclusion Information : Non-Binary Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Transgender Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence, pervasive language, sexual content and drug use
- Last updated : September 3, 2022
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