To be honest, before I even stepped into the
cinema for this
one - I had already written the review in my head. And by gum - I was
pretty proud of it.
It was short, sharp and to the point:
"Enough Is Enough"
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 movies or 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 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" 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 at the cinemas (which is a shame, as this is much
better than the flicks that did well) in favour for DVD. But 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.
2.5 out
of 5
Superhero
Movie
Australian release: 10th April, 2008
Cast: Sara Paxton, Drake Bell, Jeffrey Tambor, Leslie Nielsen Director: Craig Mazin
Website:Superhero Movie.
