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So
it's with great displeasure that I can't submit that review. It pains
me - not simply because now I have to add three or four more
paragraphs, but because I have to admit that I am now within the
percentage of folk that enjoys the odd brainless spoof movie.
That's not to say Superhero Movie
is great... or even good for that matter... but, I'm more than happy to
admit that it's miles ahead of the slew of other
pop-culture-reference-driven spoof movies (Epic Movie, Date Movie, Meet The Spartans) that have slowly riddled away the brain cells and pocket money of hard-working movie audiences worldwide.
The title says it all - we know exactly what she should be in for here. But unlike the series' previous installments, Superhero
doesn't simply rely on referencing famous movies or well known characters - there are
some actual jokes here. Better yet - there is even a well conceived
plot and storyline on offer as well.
Using Spider-Man
as a blue print the flick (to be honest, the writers have pretty much
clicked "Ctrl + C" on the Spidey script and just inserted a few gags
where necessary) follows high school loser Rick Riker who, after being
bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, develops superhuman
abilities.
Rick soon decides to don a costume and fight crime as
"The Dragonfly". However, standing in the way of his destiny is the
villainous Lou Landers (a rich scientist who develops the power to
steal a person's life force and in a dastardly quest for immortality
becoming the super villain, "The Hourglass").
While it certainly
isn't winning any awards, this is quite possibly the closest the spoof
masters have come to a consistently funny and well rounded flick since Naked Gun delivered all those years ago. The real key seems to be that Superhero Movie
doesn't exactly play like a normal spoof movie (the weakest points of
the movie are the moments it starts to veer towards random-joke Epic Movie territory) - but moreso a superhero flick that isn't taking itself to seriously.
The inclusion of veteran Leslie Neilson works a treat as the man knows how to deliver laughs, while 30 Rock's
Tracy Morgan saves the unnecessary "Professor Xavier's School
for Non-Asian Gifted Students" sequence as a black Professor X (who seems
to be riding a new form of transportation every time the camera angle
changes).
Sometimes you need to embrace the stupidity of it all
- that's what these movies thrive on. Because, 95% of the time, the
worst gags are the best gags.
Easy
enough to avoid (which is a shame, as this is much
better than the similar flicks that did well at the Box Office) although worth renting on DVD. However, it is well worth
including in the mix five years down the track when you've gathered up
a few mates on a lazy Friday night, a few beers and copies of Flying High 1 & 2, Naked Gun, Mafia! and Hot Shots.
DVD EXTRAS
Several extras have been included on here, and they ain't half bad.
There is an alternate ending, as well as a bunch of deleted scenes
(essentially skits or gags that didn't quite fit into the flow of the
flick - very hit and miss!) as well as a short doco on "The Art of
Spoofing".
It's interesting enough - but surely the brains
behind this current generation of Spoof movies aren't in the position
to give any advice on how to "Spoof" well.
Fun stuff, if not slightly disposable entertainment.
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 65%
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