Defendor - A Good Defence

Alliance Atlantis Rated: Category: action Available: - add to my watch list - tell a friend Actor and first time director Peter Stebbings has hit on something with Defendor. Sure there have been a lot of projects lately focusing on "superheroes in the real world" but they tend to still be about what it would be like if the fantastic were real. Here is the story of someone real trying to be the kind of hero he read about in comic books. The film, which is less spoof than it is being marketed as, shows how brutal and clumsy it would really be to run around in a supersuit prowling the street looking to fight crime in the real world. This perspective is very fresh. But this isn't really about being a "superhero." Well, there is a bit of that. What does it mean to be a hero? What inspired ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Defendor does touch on those things. The danger of vigilantism. These themes are interesting and surprisingly touching at the end. But Stebbings' triumph is what else the film manages to do. Defendor is really a drama about a damaged man and his unique method of coping. The film finds inspiration, much like its protagonist, in hope, in the belief of good triumphing over evil. Defendor shows what a dark place the world can be and how this man's faith give him a way to survive. It is much darker than it appears. Woody Harrelson gives a very thorough and layered performance making Arthur a quite developed character. He doesn't play Arhtur for laughs and instead allows the humour to emerge more naturally from the human being he creates. The film allows him the time to paint this character and he revels in it. One of the biggest reasons the film works as honestly as it does is this central performance. Villains are important in any hero's tale and Elias Koteas' complicated and restrained heavy is a key ingredient to making the story work so well. Also strong is the usually flat Kat Dennings. Her character could have easily been a cliche but she rounds her out quite nicely. A smart and moving script, a clever approach and great performances make Defendor quite a strong film. Review By: Collin Smith