I saw Super, a film about an everyman (Rainn Wilson) that forms a superhero persona to win back his wife, at the Toronto International Film Festival and the response was huge from the midnight screening earlier that week. My press screening, however, was tame to say the least. It’s not exactly a film that appeals to a group of festival press. However, the more I sat on my review the more I found myself amused by certain elements of the film, so the “B” I gave it in my review came as a result of separating myself from the film for about a week and finally putting my thoughts down on the page.
And now, a clip from the film premiered at the Spike Scream Awards and after watching it I feel as if I want to back-track from my earlier opinion. This is primarily because the scene below is simply a money shot. There is no build-up to this moment here as much as it is a “here is what you’ve been waiting for” scene only you don’t have to wait for it so it arrives without any of your time spent waiting and experiencing the character’s frustration. Essentially, it isn’t all that funny because everything that leads to this moment makes it funnier, not necessarily the scene itself.
So, it makes me feel weird to tell you I got some enjoyment out of this movie and then turnaround and offer up a clip that’s entirely out of context. I feel as if you’ll watch it and say, “That’s not funny. What is he talking about?” And if you say that I won’t argue, it’s not all that funny as it is presented here, and I’d even go as far as to recommend you don’t watch it. However, I know that’s not much of a possibility so I am just giving you a fair bit of warning. If you do decide not to watch it, perhaps reading my review will momentarily satisfy your curiosity.
IFC will release Super in the Spring of 2011. The film is directed by James Gunn (Slither) and along with Wilson, it co-stars Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry and Kevin Bacon.
