Casey Chong presents a selection of superhero comedies to add to your watch list…
What do Guardians of the Galaxy, Shazam! and Kick-Ass have in common? They are among the more recognizable superhero comedies that made their mark on the big screen, but there are plenty more out there that deserve to be seen. Some of them may have slipped under the radar due to a lack of promotion, while others – even some high-profile mainstream projects – failed to meet box-office expectations when they first arrived in cinemas. With that in mind, here are the seven superhero comedies worth watching (or revisiting)…
Super (2010)
Four years before James Gunn landed the biggest gig of his career directing Guardians of the Galaxy, he’d already proved his worth tackling the superhero genre with Super. Far from what you find in his later mainstream efforts, Gunn’s Super introduces a different kind of superhero: not the traditional sense, but more of a reckless and inexperienced DIY-costumed vigilante, who fights (mostly petty) crime after getting some inspiration from a comic book store employee (Elliot Page’s Libby) and believing God has chosen him to do so. The hero-of-sorts in question is short-order cook Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson), whose life turns upside down after his recovering drug-addict wife (Liv Tyler) goes missing. Calling himself The Crimson Bolt, he doesn’t possess any superpower other than using a wrench as a weapon.
Gunn embraces his knowingly B-movie vibe into Super, mixing both mean-spirited and quirky humor with shockingly graphic violence. It’s hard not to root for Rainn Wilson’s Frank Darbo’s predicament, despite his morally questionable decision of fighting crime in a vigilante style. He pairs well with Elliot Page, a helpful comic book store employee who later becomes obsessed with joining him in the quest of fighting crime as his sidekick, nicknamed Boltie. Super also features Kevin Bacon at his typically oily antagonist turn as the drug dealer Jacques, along with a subversive gut-punch of an ending.
Hero at Large (1980)
The 1980s were a different time where superhero movies weren’t seen as a valuable commodity. The otherwise largely forgotten Hero at Large is one of the earlier superhero movies that tried to capitalize on the Superman boom at the time, bringing in then-popular TV star John Ritter of Three’s Company fame into the fold to lead the movie. Ritter’s character is not a superhero in the traditional sense, cut from the Marvel or DC cloth. Despite carrying the name Captain Avenger, he’s actually a struggling actor playing the fictional character. Outside the silly-looking bright costume, he’s a nobody, and his acting career barely takes flight. Heck, he can’t even afford to pay his long-overdue rent. Ritter has that everyman persona and earnest charm, making him the ideal person for such a role.
It’s hard not to feel relatable and sympathize with his predicament. and even when he unexpectedly stops an armed convenience store robbery, Hero at Large subverts the expectations by resisting Ritter’s Steve Nichols from embracing his superhero side for real. Sure, he does continue to fight crime every now and then, but director Martin Davidson isn’t interested in giving us a conventional origin story of a superhero movie. Instead, it’s more of a feel-good, yet grounded comedy-drama about an actor caught in the dilemma between giving what the public wants to see him in a superhero costume doing a selfless act, and looking for that elusive big break to jumpstart his career.
Orgazmo (1997)
1997 was the year when Matt Stone and Trey Parker introduced the world to their soon-to-be iconic animated series South Park, but it’s also the year they released their superhero sex comedy Orgazmod. Whereas South Park went on to become a pop-culture phenomenon, Orgazmo was largely forgotten with a flaccid box-office result of just over $602,000. Blame it on the NC-17 rating, which is notoriously known for its unfavorably box-office poison.
Parker himself leads the movie as Joe Young, a naïve Mormon missionary on a mission in Los Angeles, only to end up knocking on the door of a residence of an adult movie director, Maxxx Orbison (a perfectly sleazy Michael Dean Jacobs). Joe soon finds himself unwittingly becoming the titular superhero after Maxxx impresses with his martial arts skills and promises him a lucrative pay.
Parker’s straight-faced expression results in a few hilarious comedic moments once he dresses up as the character, whose Orgazmorator ray-gun can cause anyone to climax once being shot at. Parker, who also directed Orgazmo, delivers enough laughs that gleefully embrace its crude and juvenile side of humor. The movie also boasts a wonderfully goofy buddy-movie dynamic with Dian Bachar, who plays Joe’s co-star/sidekick, nicknamed Choda Boy. Not to mention Parker’s irreverent send-up on various pop cultures from Shaw Brothers-like animal-inspired martial arts (Choda Boy’s hamster-style kung fu) to Adam West’s campy 1960s Batman television era as seen in the team-up of Orgazmo and Choda Boy.
Mystery Men (1999)
Mystery Men was the only time Kinka Usher, who cut his teeth directing television commercials for major brands like Nissan and Mountain Dew, made a feature film. An ambitious effort that spoofed and satirized the superhero genre, the movie revolves around a group of low-level superheroes who fight crimes in Champion City – except their existences are frequently overshadowed by the more popular Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear). These superhero misfits are as odd as they get: Ben Stiller leads the team as Mr. Furious, whose so-called power comes from his rage build-up. Others, such as The Shoveler (William H. Macy), who uses a shovel as a weapon, while the turban-wearing Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) possesses a fork-throwing skill, and The Spleen (Paul Reubens) relies on his pinpoint flatulence to bring down the enemies.
Loosely based on Bob Burden’s “Flaming Carrot Comics”, Mystery Men benefits from the colorful cast who fully committed to their roles, while Usher does a good job exploring the underdog theme of the zeroes-to-heroes angle. But most of all, the movie embraces the absurdity of these amateur superheroes to mostly hilarious results. Too bad it didn’t strike a chord with the audiences at the time when Mystery Men was released during the dog days of summer in the U.S., but it has since become a cult favorite.
Defendor (2009)
Canadian writer-director Peter Stebbings incorporated the pitch-black comedy angle within his underlying theme of mental health, seen from the perspective of Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson), in Defendor. Arthur is a mentally challenged construction worker who moonlights as a titular vigilante superhero, all suited up with a heavy-duty helmet, protective gear and painted-on eye mask to fight crimes. His weapons of choice? His grandfather’s old trench club, throwing marbles on the ground and at times, a few squirts of lime juice.
The movie spends most of its time revolving around the Defendor’s quest to track down the elusive “Captain Industry”, who was responsible for causing the death of his mother. The movie’s otherwise depressing subject matter is largely offset by Woody Harrelson’s committed performance that it’s hard not to root for his journey. The movie is equally backed by solid supporting turns from Kat Dennings, who plays the young prostitute-turned-ally, and Elias Koteas as the corrupted police detective.
Mirageman (2007)
This little-seen import is Chile’s answer to Batman, albeit in a broad superhero action-comedy style. The story is a familiar one: Maco Gutierrez (Marko Zaror) is a troubled young man who made his living as a strip club bouncer. He is haunted by a tragic past, including his parents’ violent death, while his younger brother is the victim of a rape, and has since been institutionalized in a mental hospital.
What sets Mirageman apart from the more mainstream Batman movies is that writer-director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza doesn’t shy away from embracing the B-movie vibe while having fun poking at the superhero genre. At one point, while Maco is getting ready to save a victim in the back alley, he is having trouble trying to put on his superhero costume as fast as he can. But when it comes to the action scenes, Zaror’s martial arts skill is put to good use in a series of well-choreographed fights against the bad guys. His 6’ 2” height, coupled with his character’s laconic personality, makes him all the more imposing.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
My Super Ex-Girlfriend boasts a high-concept premise coming from the brainchild of screenwriter Don Payne, who is best known for writing The Simpsons series. And that is a story about an architect (Luke Wilson’s Matt Saunders) falling in love with a beautiful woman (Uma Thurman’s Jennifer Johnson). Except that he doesn’t realize Jennifer is the mysterious G-Girl, the superheroine who’s been saving the city from all kinds of threats.
Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman share great chemistry, but the real deal comes from the movie’s turning point when Matt finally had enough and chose to dump her. Big mistake, and what follows next is a series of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned as the pissed-off Jennifer/G-Girl begins to make his life a living hell. This includes a scene where she literally throws a shark into his apartment. Director Ivan Reitman does a good job of maintaining the cheeky tone of the premise that blends superhero and romantic-comedy tropes.
What are your favourite superhero comedy movies? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
