The Untypical Superhero: Super (2010)

Typical superheroes have great looks, a tragic past, incredible strength, and flamboyant weapons. However, not all superheroes are the stereotypical crime fighters that are pictured. The film Super (2010), directed by James Gunn, illustrates this notion in various ways exemplifying how an atypical man can find the power within and become the enticing, crime fighting hero that saves humanity.

Rainn Wilson is known for acting abnormal characters and is highly identifiable by his awkward personalities. Like previous characters: Dwight Schrute from The Office or more recently Det. Lt. Everett Backstrom from Backstrom, Wilson portrays the nervous quality in his character Frank Darbo who later becomes The Crimson Bolt. After his wife Sarah, a recovering drug addict, is victimized by a drug dealer, Darbo takes it upon himself to become her savior after researching non-super powered heroes. Despite his discoveries on common heroes, Frank lacks many usual superhero qualities that add to the unconventional, yet unique, hero he becomes.
 

The Crimson Bolt is clumsy, out of shape, and, generally, not very good at being a superhero. He is not only clumsy in the field when he falls over fences or runs away sheepishly, but also uncoordinated in his day-to-day life. He is a cook at a diner, communicates awkwardly with his coworkers, could be considered weird by the way he gawked at Sarah while working, and has a childlike demeanor. Recent films portray superheroes with exquisite looks, wealth, extraordinary weapons, and capes. In my opinion, Rainn Wilson doesn’t exactly have the greatest looks, but his character doesn’t have any of the characteristics I mentioned. As previously stated, he is out of shape, makes food for a living, and has a childish mentality with the visions that he sees when he has hit rock bottom in the film. The Crimson Bolt is a somewhat overweight man who uses a wrench as a weapon, and runs anytime his victims confront him. He eventually grows and instead of just focusing on saving his wife he branches out and fights other miscellaneous crime. Unlike heroes portrayed in other films like The Dark Knight (2008), Daredevil (2003), Captain America (2011), the hero in this film is nowhere close to those heroes by means that Darbo doesn’t have the good looks, the wealth, or stealthy weapons.

The distraught Darbo seeks out unlawful acts to help build his self-esteem that flew out the window when his wife left. He begins off searching for crimes by waiting behind a dumpster but slowly begins to fight crimes, even one that involved a man trying to molest a child. Most superheroes don’t need the extra boost to fight crime; it just comes naturally to save the lives of the innocent. Darbo, on the other hand, needs the extra boost that is given by his sidekick, Boltie, who is actually Libby, a cashier at the comic book store Frank frequents. Some heroes need a sidekick for the extra help when defeating evil but in this case Libby helps inspire The Crimson Bolt to push himself, not be bashful when confronting evil, and to increase the dignity and pride he is missing. Like typical superheroes, Darbo doesn’t want the extra help but agrees because he enjoys the praise he is getting from Boltie. Everyone likes encouragement, especially someone who is normally an underdog.

Overall Super is a very good film that portrays one of the most unlikely people pushing himself to new limits. A man seeking to find justice for what he lost. Yes, Frank is not an optimal choice for a superhero, but it goes to show that any regular Joe can have what it takes. This movie is different than other superhero films because it doesn’t have the classic tragic events, muscular, handsome man who is flawless. Instead, it shows has a shy, heartbroken, weird guy and uses those qualities to defeat the stereotype of what it “truly” means to be a hero. Unfortunately, he didn’t get Sarah back but he did save her, and after hitting rock bottom he grew as a person and a hero.

  

Written by: Miranda Ray