The Specials (2000)

Rob Lowe as "The Weevil"
Thomas Haden Church as "The Strobe"
Jamie Kennedy as "Amok"
Paget Brewster as "Ms. Indestructible"
James Gunn as "Minuteman"
Judy Greer as "Deadly Girl"
Kelly Coffield as "Power Chick"
Sean Gunn as "Alien Orphan/Doug"
Jordan Ladd as "Nightbird"
John Doe, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Lauren Cohn, Tom Dorfmeister, Chuti Tiu, Johann Stauf, Brian Gunn, and Samantha Cannon as "Eight"

Written by James Gunn
Directed by Craig Mazin

About a year ago, I reviewed a little flick called Unbreakable and praised it heavily. I thoroughly enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's examination of the aging concept of superheroes in everyday life in an earnest, realistic light. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, we have this little gem about a more colorful set of heroes and what they do when they aren't fighting the forces of evil.

The Specials are the sixth or seventh greatest superhero team in the world. The team has been around for ten years, though lately, they've fallen into decline. Their leader, the Strobe (Church), has become obsessed with himself in recent years, causing many of his teammates to resent him, including his wife, Ms. Indestructible (Brewster). Backstabbing and infighting have become the norm, creating a less than welcoming atmosphere for new member Nightbird (Ladd). All this seems about to change, however, when Kosgro Toys announces a new action figure line based on the team. "Superheroes don't get Oscars," explains the Strobe. "We get action figures."

What seems like a renaissance for the team becomes a disaster at the official unveiling, when the toys...fall short of standards. Making things worse is a disturbing discovery that causes the Strobe to disband the Specials. The movie focuses on their efforts to cope with their breakup and re-evaluate themselves as heroes. For the most part, it succeeds on a level that most superhero films with twenty times its budget fail to approach.

Stan Lee made it clear during his time at Marvel during the '60s: the characters come first. James Gunn took that cue and wrote a script that, while bereft of combat or any displays of superpowers, shows us superheroes with quirks, dreams, and problems, as Stan might have portrayed The Avengers and Fantastic Four in the '90s (if he had Garth Ennis' propensity for profanity). As a result, most of the characters seem to ring true, if a tad cartoonish. In a way, they also seem like "What If...?" takes on familiar Marvel characters, much like Alan Moore's "Watchmen" series did with Charlton comics characters.

For instance, The Strobe and Ms. Indestructible are like Reed and Susan Richards, except that the Strobe, Ted Tilderbrook, has become incredibly self-righteous (or at least publicly so; he's pretty hypocritical on the whole) and egotistical. Emily Tilderbrook, Ms. Indestructible, has grown distant because of this, tired of her husband's attitude. Amok (Kennedy), the resident bad boy, could be anyone from Wolverine to Stan Lee's original Hawkeye. Like Hawkeye, he's a reformed villain. Like Wolverine, he doesn't care about his image, as long as he does his job. Minuteman (screenwriter Gunn), like Hank Pym, has an identity crisis to go with his shrinking powers. Tired of people mispronouncing his name (it's pronounced mi-NUTE) and insulting his costume, he tries to redesign his outfit and contemplates a name change.

Admittedly, it's a bit hard to come up with comparisons for the rest of the team, as my knowledge of Marvel comics isn't the most complete these days. They're all wonderful though, and it's hard to pick a favorite. I'll admit, however, that the bizarre Alien Orphan (Sean Gunn, James' brother) has claimed a place in my heart. Gunn enthusiastically mugs through the film, fully embracing the absurdity of his character and turning out some great scenes. He doesn't get many lines, but "thank you for the gelson" is going into my favorite quotes library.

Like that other superhero comedy, Mystery Men, The Specials has a great cast. Church seems to be channeling a bit of Shatner as the Strobe, however, there's so much more of him in the role that you may not notice. That isn't a problem or anything. He's perfect, as is most of the cast. Rob Lowe is equally excellent as the Weevil, the team's most media-friendly face. He strikes the perfect note of deep, hidden regret, even as he has to smile his way through a scene (take the Specials' origin scene for example, which he narrates). Paget Brewster makes a great straightwoman to Church, Kelly Coffield is endearingly hyper as Powerchick, Judy Greer is deliciously deadpan as Deadly Girl, Mike Schwartz gets U.S. Bill's childlike innocence across perfectly, and Jordan Ladd is suitably bright-eyed and hopeful as Nightbird. I wasn't as high on Mr. Smart though. It's nothing against Jim Zulevic, who is very funny. I just thought the character was kind of unnecessary.

I think my favorite scene in the film, however, is the exchange between Strobe and Eight, one consciousness sharing eight bodies. It's a bit of a turning point, and it's also a little eerie, what with eight people finishing each other's sentences. I was able to buy that these eight people were really one (or at least, the five that were there; three of them were on vacation). Right up my alley, I'd say.

Since buying the movie on Friday, I've watched it about five times, and I think I may be going for number six as soon as I finish this review. The Specials is the type of movie that fanboys (and girls) and non-fans alike should enjoy, a fresh send-up of superhero films with an emphasis on character that the genre has historically lacked. It's great not only as a parody of the genre, but as an excellent comedy in its own right. The Specials is a great idea, a hilarious film, and most importantly, a story with which everyone can identify. It's wrong that films like Batman & Robin can stink up theaters while The Specials has to fight for an audience on video, but at least it should find an audience that appreciates it.

8.12.02