As comic book movies have shown, it takes a special kind of person to put on tights and a cape in the name of truth and justice. As Rainn Wilson's deranged anti-hero demonstrates in the dark and gory indie comedy Super, sometimes all you need is a wrench and a snappy catchphrase. ("Shut up, crime!") Real world superheroes are all the rage these days, thanks to movies like Kick-Ass and the recent documentary Superheroes, about ordinary folks who don costumes in order to keep their neighborhoods safe. Perhaps they were inspired by these everyday heroes from the big screen? With Super just released on DVD and Blu-ray, it's time to pay tribute to some ordinary heroes who are more Travis Bickle than Bruce Wayne.
Rainn Wilson, Super
Frank (Rainn Wilson) dons the persona of The Crimson Bolt for reasons similar to those of the Blues Brothers: He's on a mission from God. Depressed after his wife leaves him, Frank gets the idea to become a wrench-wielding vigilante after being visited by corny hero Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) in a hallucination. (This is after tentacles rip open his brain. It's a weird movie.) But Frank doesn't just reserve his wrench beatings for criminal scum -- he also puts the beat down on social rule-breakers who cut in front of him in line at the movies. (Basically, he's like a superhero version of Larry David.) Frank eventually rescues his drug-addled ex-wife from Kevin Bacon's sleazy strip-club proprietor, but not before racking up a body count worthy of The Punisher.
Rainn Wilson, SuperFrank (Rainn Wilson) dons the persona of The Crimson Bolt for reasons similar to those of the Blues Brothers: He's on a mission from God. Depressed after his wife leaves him, Frank gets the idea to become a wrench-wielding vigilante after being visited by corny hero Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) in a hallucination. (This is after tentacles rip open his brain. It's a weird movie.) But Frank doesn't just reserve his wrench beatings for criminal scum -- he also puts the beat down on social rule-breakers who cut in front of him in line at the movies. (Basically, he's like a superhero version of Larry David.) Frank eventually rescues his drug-addled ex-wife from Kevin Bacon's sleazy strip-club proprietor, but not before racking up a body count worthy of The Punisher.
Woody Harrelson, DefendorPublic Works employee by day, costumed superhero by night, Defendor stalks the streets in his quest to defeat his arch-nemesis, Captain Industry. The only problem? Nobody believes his arch-nemesis exists. Playing a mentally ill man with heroic delusions, Woody Harrelson wears a WWII helmet and utilizes a wide variety of offbeat weapons. (With a name like Defendor, you'd expect him to have a better arsenal than a jar of angry wasps and a handful of marbles.) Like The Crimson Bolt, Defendor finds a kindred spirit in a troubled young woman, played by Thor's Kat Dennings. He's also the only superhero who sees a shrink. If Bruce Wayne had a few sessions on the couch, would he have felt the need to dress up as a bat?
Michael Rapaport, Special Ever wonder if the medication you're taking is giving you weird super powers? Comic book geek Les (Rapaport) thinks he's a superhero after volunteering to be a human guinea pig for an experimental drug. Instead of the usual dry mouth, Les finds that he can levitate and hear the thoughts of others. So of course he puts on a costume and uses his powers of telepathy to clean up the streets. (This mostly consists of tackling muggers and purse snatchers.) Are Les' powers all in his head, or is he actually a drug-boosted superhero like Captain America? And why does his costume make him look like he's ready to hit the ski slopes?
Nicolas Cage, Kick-Ass A twisted cross between Batman and The Punisher, Big Daddy is a disgraced cop who devotes himself to taking down crime boss Frank D'Amico following the death of his wife. As if dressing up in a faux-Batman costume wasn't crazy enough, he's trained his young daughter, Mindy, to be a pint-size killing machine. As part of her schooling, Big Daddy shoots her at point-blank range. (They go out for hot fudge sundaes afterward.) All of his training pays off, as Mindy becomes the limb-slashing vigilante Hit Girl. Cage brings his usual oft-kilter line readings to the role of Big Daddy, creating one of the most memorably bizarre movie dads in recent memory.
Ellen Page, SuperAs Boltie, sidekick to Rainn Wilson's Crimson Bolt, Ellen Page proves to be even crazier than her mentor. Page's comic book store clerk becomes seriously unhinged once in costume, nearly killing a guy for possibly keying her friend's car and, uh, "teaming up" with Frank against his will (it's not cheating if they're in costume) in a twisted take on the traditional hero-sidekick roles. Like Hit Girl, she curses a blue streak while taking out bad guys. While she may not have Hit Girl's fighting training, she does have sweet Wolverine claws.
John Ritter, Hero at LargeBefore Kick-Ass, there was John Ritter's hapless hero in this early '80s Disney comedy. Ritter plays Steve Nichols, a struggling actor who dresses up as the popular superhero Captain Avenger at promotional appearances. But after stopping a robbery in costume, Nichols decides to actually be Captain Avenger in order to help the innocent. Pretty soon he's knocking out bad guys and rescuing a kid from a burning building. The late Ritter brings his usual charm to the role of a quirky guy who inspires the city with his good deeds. (Look for Super bad guy Kevin Bacon in an early role as a snotty teenager who heckles Ritter at a movie theater.)
Ben Stiller, Mystery MenWhile most of the loser heroes in the Mystery Men could be defined as nutzoid, Stiller's Mr. Furious is the loosest cannon on a team of loose cannons. Mr. Furious' so-called powers revolve entirely around him getting super strong whenever he gets angry. (Rumor has it he once moved a bus with minimal help from the driver.) Unfortunately, since his powers rarely manifest, he's basically just an angry dude. He's basically The Hulk, but without all the pants ripping.
