Super (2011)

My expectations completely failed me here.  I thought this would be a comedy with a dark edge.  I didn't care for Kick-Ass, but I loved the idea of it and I was simply hoping that this would improve on the "regular dude decides to be a superhero" premise.  I guess it did that sure enough, but it was really so much more.

I liked this story so much that reading the comments on IMDb from people who didn't like it actually upset me -- as though I had a personal stake in the film.  Something about it just spoke to me in an almost religious way. I kind of GOT it and appreciated its commitment to its own bizarre truth.  It wore its heart on its sleeve and made me hurt and hope more than it tried to force laughs out of me.  There were moments of jarring brutality that actually elevated it to a point of consequence.  And the coda, where our superhero finally understands his role in the plan, was just beautiful.  Spiritual.  I'm not kidding (though I think, based on the aforementioned comments, very few are on board with me).

Well, at the very least, everyone should be able to agree that this is a daring, original offering.  And that's not nothin'.

A-