Theatrical Review: DEFENDOR
Rating: 8/10
Writer: Peter Stebbings
Director: Peter Stebbings
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings, Elias Koteas, Michael Kelly, Sandra Oh
Studio: Darius Films
Look! It’s a mentally unbalanced man trying to the save day! This is not the most innovative phrase to announce the entrance of a superhero, but it does let you know what you are going to get if Defendor comes to save you, a want-to-be superhero with some clear issues.
Defendor is obviously the main character of DEFENDOR an effective superhero movie; the film examines a sweet but not-too-sharp man, who decides to become a superhero, and he is surprisingly good at it. Defendor is the creation of Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson), a nice guy who never quite matured, although maturation might not have been possible to the level of most people, as it seems Arthur has always been a little slower than others (we see flashbacks of him as a kid at various times in the film that makes this conclusion likely).
At the beginning of the film we see that Arthur has already created Defendor and has also been arrested for his actions under the guise. We get a cut of Arthur being psychology evaluated by Dr. Park (Sandra Oh) with the events that came prior to the court ordered interview. Having the main character getting mentally evaluated is a smart technique. With it, writer and director Peter Stebbings creates a great opportunity for the audience to study and get to know the man. It’s very clever and endearing, and it certainly does go a long way in explaining Arthur to the audience.
The film has well-developed interconnecting layers, which makes DEFENDOR work as a character film on the deeper side of things, and also as the story of an unlikely superhero. Revelations of Arthur’s history not only cause you to understand and feel sympathy for him, but also explain certain aspects of Defendor. For example, Arthur believes there is a villain named “Captain Industry” lurking out on the streets, and when Captain Industry becomes tangible, we’re given the subtext of his creation through Arthur’s mind, truly creating a superhero movie must have– the villain.
The film unfolds, and at times, feels like a superhero movie that takes the real world into account. Defendor’s adventures are accompanied by music that would work well in any standard comic book movie, and cinematography that wouldn’t be out of place in one of those films as well. However, what actually happens when Defendor acts as a superhero is what you would expect to happen if the events took place in reality. Creating a final product that comes off like a superhero film (to an extent) but never loses its believability or the focus on Arthur’s character.
As Arthur is the center of the film, the strength of the Harrelson’s performance greatly determines how much the film grabs you emotionally. Yes, the screenplay and direction is tight and intelligent, but we must have a character that we can sympathize with and buy as a genuine person in order for the film to truly work. Well, Woody succeeds wonderfully in the role, making our sympathy and concern for Arthur incredibly strong. Woody Harrelson’s performance makes sure Peter Stebbings’ sharp work and time invested in DEFENDOR is not wasted.
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