SUPERVIZED (2019)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological, sociological*

Past a certain point in the lives of sentient human beings, age becomes strongly associated with being a time of suffering, regrets, and tragedy. And for those very reasons, old age is immensely funny, though different viewers will have different mileages in that regard.

Yet, though I've seen or read thousands of superhero narratives, I've never come across an overly laugh-worthy take on the trope of "old superheroes." It sounds like it ought to be a winning combination: icons of vitality and sexual attractiveness, being humbled by the ravages of Father Time. But most "old superheroes" I've seen have been lame and obvious when played for comedy-- not that the list of good superhero comedies, in any medium, is all that long either.

SUPERVIZED is the exception to that tendency. I won't say that every age-related joke lands, for exactly the mileage-reasons mentioned above. Yet I'm surprised that the story is so focused, because when I look at the credits of the three writers, nothing I've seen by any of them strikes me as noteworthy. As for director Steve Barron, who's not credited with scripting duties, his best-known comedy in the U.S. would be the dismal 1993 CONEHEADS, though he scored rather better with adventurous fare like 1990's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and 1998's MERLIN teleseries.

Like most superhero stories, this one's set in a modern urban world akin to the one occupied by the audience. We don't see much of that world, though, since extra sets cost money, and this project, shot in Ireland and the UK, ponied up for three actors who were, in their respective days, fairly well known for action-roles: Tom Berenger, Louis Gossett Jr, and (to a lesser extent) Beau Bridges. Most of the story takes place at Dunmanor, an Ireland-based "old folks' home" for former superheroes, where heroes in their "golden years" have to deal with infirmities physical and mental and with being forgotten by the public. 

The three major characters are Ray (Berenger, formerly "Maximum Justice"), Ted (Bridges, formerly "Shimmy," kid sidekick to Maximum Justice), and Pendle (Gossett, formerly "Total Thunder"). They and numerous other retired superheroes still remember their glory days fondly, but their powers don't always work as desired, and it's strongly implied that Dunmanor may be the government's means of keeping tabs on these hyper-powered individuals-- though the government is not expressly involved. All the authority devolves to the home's manager Alicia (Fiona Glascott). Alicia seems the epitome of the cheerleader for the superannuated, but eventually the audience learns that she holds a Damoclean sword over the heads of the occupants. If any of these ex-supers misuses powers, the administration can have those powers artificially removed.

Ray, however, sees some things going on at Dunmanor that don't track for him. All of his friends think he's merely paranoid, as does a late entry to the institution: Madera Moonlight (Fionnula Flanagan). An extra irritant to Ray is the presence of a former Russian super-villain, known only by the name of "Brian" (Elya Baskin), who received special treatment for having narced on a bunch of other super-villains. All these roadblocks aside, Ray can't let his conspiracy theories go, even though he puts his own super-powers in danger by his actions.

Is there a real conspiracy going on? If you think the answer is going to run counter to the film's continued refrain of "Sympathy for the Geezers," guess again. But the Big Reveal is just an excuse for a wealth of clever old-age jokes, many of which stem from the ultimate absurdity: getting old. What I particularly like is that SUPERVIZED never looks cheap. It looks inexpensive, but that's not the same. The various super-stunts are naturally more limited in scope than in a comparable superhero comedy like the 2006 ZOOM. But the stunts often capture, in comedic terms, the appeal of having super-powers like Total Thunder's super-speed or Moonlight's "power to warp reality." Ray is more or less the linchpin of the ensemble-- we become acquainted with Ted, Pendle and Moonlight through their interactions with Ray, because he's the representative "cranky old man" that the script wants you both to laugh at and laugh with. Nevertheless, it's a good ensemble, with Flanagan's white-haired warrior-woman standing out as one of the best comedic superheroines.

Up to this point, if I'd had to choose the best live-action superhero comedy, I might have gone with 1994's amiably goofy BLANKMAN. But sorry, Damon Wayans-- the Really Old Guard has taken away your pride of place.