My revisiting of the James Gunn back catalogue on Letterboxd continued with Super. Here's what I had to say about it:
Still as magnificent on second viewing. If SLITHER is the film that first marked out James Gunn as a writer/director to watch, SUPER stands as his masterpiece. But I still feel it's kinda promoted the wrong way. It's often presented as a low-budget KICK-ASS, when not only is it a better film, but it's actually quite a different beast. While KICK-ASS is about a normal kid who becomes a superhero, SUPER is about a disturbed individual having a spectacular nervous breakdown, which manifests itself in the form of him donning a homemade superhero costume and assaulting criminals. If anything, it's almost like a much better version of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: a man suffering from a severe mental disorder Isis fixated on winning back his wife, and he pairs up with a similarly afflicted woman to concoct a crazy plan to do just that, only for him to learn something surprising about himself and who his true love may be in the process.
The performances in this are uniformly excellent. Rainn Wilson has never been better than here as Frank Darbo, AKA "The Crimson Bolt", a role that a lesser actor could have portrayed as more broadly comedic and toothless. But Wilson brings a darker edge to the role, and underneath the undeniable laughs shows us someone who has a great sadness at his core that makes for some surprisingly moving moments, particularly at the end. Elsewhere in the cast, this could be my favourite ever Ellen Page role, as comic book shop clerk Libby, who idolises Frank and becomes the Crimson Bolt's manic sidekick. She has some of the funniest moments in the film, and for an actress who some dismiss as aloof and reserved due to some of her more well known parts, she cuts loose and is clearly having a blast. Liv Tyler has a smaller role as Frank's wayward wife, but brings nuance to the part, making her someone more complex than a prize that Frank simply has to "get back." Kevin Bacon is as fab as he usually is, playing a total sleazeball with relish. James Gunn regulars Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker return, respectively as a cop who I wanted to see more of, and as a henchman who seems to have this whole backstory of caring about Liv Tyler's Sarah and maybe not being an entirely bad guy that is never really acknowledged in the script and only brought to life by Rooker's performance. Just so much great acting in this film.
Funnily enough, the film never feels like it's parodying superheroes, even in the hilarious sequences featuring Nathan Fillion playing Christian-themed TV hero The Holy Avenger. Any of the bizarre antics The Crimson Bolt engages in are framed in a way that it informs Frank's character and says something about him rather than, "Boy, aren't superheroes goofy?" And so you get that Edgar Wright like quality I've mentioned before where, come the violent, aciton-packed third act, you actually find yourself really buying into and emotionally investing in this film as a superhero movie, in spite of a whole film's worth of showing us how utterly unqualified for the role Frank is. But you just can't help but be drawn in, so exhilerating is that final showdown.
A really excellent film, and one that doesn't really get enough credit. I'd call it one of the finest comedies of recent years, but to be honest I'm not sure it's even a comedy, so much as a drama with some hilarious moments. Brilliantly acted, masterfully written and directed by James Gunn, this is a movie I can see myself returning to again and again, and I can only see its stature growing with repeat viewings.
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