Superhero Movie (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
O Good
O OK
X Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / April 22, 2008

The only reason I gave “Superhero Movie” a rating as high as “mediocrity” was to reward it for not being as unbearable as “Meet the Spartans,” the worst movie of the year thus far. It’s a bizarre discomfort to feel embarrassed for a movie’s filmmakers while shrouded in anonymity in a dark theater.

Even though “Superhero Movie” is a slight improvement from the last installment, we still have more of the same idiocy: Typically, in order to spoof a certain genre, the “insert adjective here” Movie movies select a prominent example for the story’s premise (in this case it was “Spider-Man”) and blends jokes based on other examples of the same genre, as well as several pop-culture references, which are nothing more than product placement masquerading as a jokey commentary on our society.

Just to name a few, “Superhero Movie” nods at Craig’s List, Enron, MySpace, Facebook, Google, YouTube and Britney Spears — always Britney Spears.

In Empire City lives Rick Riker (Drake Bell), a loser who is bitten by a genetically enhanced, super-dragonfly. Much like Spider-Man, this experience gives Riker special powers, similar to those belonging to the biting insect, so he becomes “Dragonfly” and begins comedic attempts (note I didn’t write “humorous”) to fight crime. His arch-nemesis is called the “Hourglass.” And so on and so forth.

The only reason to subject yourself to the mediocrity of “Superhero Movie” is to watch and be amazed by Miles Fisher’s uncanny impersonation of Tom Cruise. Eat your heart out, Frank Caliendo.

Besides its irreverence and tastelessness, a good reason to avoid “Superhero Movie,” should you need one, is its ruthless ridiculing of the genius scientist, Stephen Hawking. It’s awfully brazen for a movie with absolutely no intelligence whatsoever to take swipes at one of the most brilliant men alive today.

Directed by Craig Mazin
Drake Bell / Sara Paxton / Christopher McDonald
Comedy 85 min.
MPAA: PG-13 (for crude and sexual content, comic violence, drug references and language)

U.S. Release Date: March 28, 2008
Copyright 2008: 268