DEFENDOR

Starring:
Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Michael Kelly, Sandra Oh, Alan C. Peterson and Kat Dennings

Writer/Director:
Peter Stebblings

Running Time:
101 mins

Out to buy on DVD 06/09/10

"Who writes your dialogue? Superman?"

After growing up in foster homes since the death of his mother, Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) is an everyday guy who sees the world in an almost childlike, naïve way. The one thing he has never gotten over is the death of his mother, only knowing that the man responsible for his death is known as the Captain of Industry after overhearing this as a boy. A construction worker by day but by night Arthur dons a costume of his own design to fight wrongdoers of his city and save the innocent from their grasp as Defendor.

The superhero movie has become box office gold over the last decade with comic book heroes aplenty taking the fight to the evil of the world but what happens when an ordinary man decides to do just that?

When you think of a superhero, you imagine a man or a woman in a tight fitting costume, fighting crime and saving the world from over the top, almost pantomime villains, far removed from what actually happens in the real world. The thought of people with unbelievable there to save us from those who would want to harm, kill or enslave us would make many people sleep easier at night but even though the police and armed forces of the world do their best to keep us save, everyone would love to see a real life Superman, Batman, Spider-Man or Wonder Woman exist to make use feel really save. That is not the case however but what is stopping ordinary people donning a costume and taking the fight to the criminals?

The real world is not a wonderful place, as we all know. There are criminal elements that show the worst of human kind and make people’s lives a living hell in the pursuit of money and power. While governments come together to tackle to the problem of international terrorism, crime syndicates and gangs continue to run the streets and this ‘Urban Terrorism’ does seem have the same level of importance, making you wonder why more people have become vigilantes and taken the law into their own hands. Writer/director Peter Stebblings tries to approach this with ‘Defendor’ and shows how someone taking on, in this case, a Serbian crime lord and uniting a city behind him.

The character of Arthur Poppington is played as a man with a simple outlook on life. He knows right and wrong but is a light naïve in the ways of the world. Knowing his mother’s drug overdose was caused by someone known as the Captain of Industry, in his mind he has a duty to find this man and stop him from harming anyone else. Donning a suit of his own design, a utility suit filled with homemade gadgets that will help him fight crime. This is a role made for Woody Harrelson, an actor who has played the hero many times before but has the ability to make Arthur a sympathetic character and one you want to succeed. Kat Dennings is a young prostitute who befriends Arthur after he saves her from an overly aggressive john, and the young actress continues to show why she is considered an excellent prospect. Sandra Oh plays Dr. Ellen Park, the woman who is trying to uncover Arthur’s motivations. Elias Koteas is making a career for himself as the bad guy and as crooked undercover cop Chuck Dooney, he makes a good nemesis for Defendor.

As a low budget feature tackling a superhero story set squarely in the real world, ‘Defendor’ might not be the new ‘Kick-Ass’ but it is entertaining all the same. Well written and well played, the film is not one that will change your life or become a superhero movie classic but it is a good story, well told.

Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Commentary
Featurettes

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2010