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Five Movies That Remind Us What’s Wrong with Superhero Parodies
By Great White Snark | July 25, 2007
Can you think of a successful movie that entertainingly lampooned the superhero genre? No, me neither. Let’s ridicule their continuing efforts, shall we?
John Hancock
The Problem
In this movie that’s being released next summer, Will Smith plays a down-and-out superhero with a PR problem. When Will Smith does effects-driven action-comedies, we get gems like Wild Wild West and Men in Black II. He’s about as formulaic as they come in Hollywood, so this one’s guaranteed to be a pooper.
Redeeming Quality
Smith will likely release a catchy rap single for the film’s soundtrack.
Ha, ha… just kidding. Whenever Will Smith writes a song for one of his movies, an innocent newborn baby cries over the state of America’s culture.
No, the good news is that in return for putting us through John Hancock, Will Smith is giving us I Am Legend.
Blankman
The Problem
Any Wayans brother in an entertainment context outside of In Living Color = unfunny affront to humanity. In fact, Blankman set the bar for many, many crap-ass Wayans-brothers “comedies” to follow.
Redeeming Quality
Damon Wayans’ faltering movie career led him back to the small screen, blessing the world with the wonder that is My Wife and Kids. This sitcom–along with other mindless mediocrity in ABC’s lineup, like According to Jim–allows millions of stressed-out, preoccupied Americans to reach a Zen-like “empty mind” vegetative state in front of their televisions.
Television… the opiate of the masses.
Mystery Men
The Problem
1) It’s absolutely exhausting to spend 122 minutes anxiously anticipating a laugh that never comes. Unfortunately, all this purported-comedy earns is a series of sympathy chuckles.
2) Plot devices be-damned… it’s a superhero movie! We want to see you use your clever powers! More dining cutlery being thrown with ninja-like precision! More angry, flying bowling ball of doom! More invisibility! More beserker rages! And, yes, even more devastating fart bombs!
Redeeming Quality
The cast. Oh, the cast. With a colorful crew that includes William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Pee-wee Herman, Greg Kinnear, Tom Waits, Eddie Izzard, Geoffrey Rush, and Hank Azaria… you’ll agreeably sit through those 122 minutes out of courtesy.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
The Problem
Ivan Reitman’s shelf-life as a producer/director of comedies ended with Six Days Seven Nights in 1998. 2001′s Evolution put the nail in the coffin.
The scene in My Super Ex-Girlfriend where G-Girl throws an angry shark through a window into Matt Saunders’ apartment was about as outrageously entertaining as flies getting killed by a bug zapper.
Redeeming Quality
Uma Thurman as a nymphomaniac dressed in various tight and skimpy costumes. That was enough for me to sit through this turd–twice–when it showed on HBO HD.
My Father the Hero
The Problem
Gerard Depardieu’s only apparent heroic superpower in this movie is that he is able to produce daughter Katherine Heigl from his oafish, French loins. Otherwise, the costumes were bad (a swimsuit thong on 16-year-old Heigl… just wrong… well, except in France) and there were no super-villains, unless you count the young buck, “Ben,” who is trying to infiltrate Katherine’s super-thong.
Redeeming Quality
This movie–in its creepy, French way–announced to the world: “World, you have something to look forward to in ten years, and her name is Katherine Heigl.”
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Topics: Movies | 12 Comments »
July 25th, 2007 at 8:49 am
I would throw The Incredibles into that mix, and I’ll be damned if you say one snarky thing about them. Violet Parr is a sweetheart.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Mystery Men is definitely a finalist for most disappointing movie of all time.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Sorry, no… The Incredibles doesn’t belong on this list. I have no ill to speak of that movie.
Nathan, you said it.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Ah, I just meant the incredibles as an example of a superhero parody that doesn’t suck balls.
Speaking of sucking balls, has Hank Azaria ever been good in anything other than the Simpsons?
July 25th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
The Birdcage. There’s nothing like a gay pratfall.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:45 am
I actually sort of like Mystery Men… the Mr. Furious stuff is great, pretty much everything else is crap in it though.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Please – before writing off any wayans production – go back and watch “I’m gonna git you sucka” . Yes, the last time I watched it I was 15 — but it was good.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Yeah, I liked that movie too.
When I was 15.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
“Mystery Men”, I only saw once and I never want to see it again, in fact I would probably live my life happier if I had never seen it.
But I’ve seen “Hancock” and I want to see it again, I think it is a great parody.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I believe I shall poke a little fun at your implication that I am Legend would make up for anything, let along Hancock. *snicker*
July 11th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
one movie you got to add is The Specials kind of a reality type movie and you never see any good special effects it is all about the super hero group getting a line of toys I couldn’t set through the whole move it was so lame.
December 13th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Guys, are you kidding? Mystery Men is in a league of its own. Unless of course I’m missing some other movies which attempted the same thing.
What I loved about Mystery Men was the notion of commercializing superheros as if they were race car drivers. Seriously, sponsorship by Coca Cola; that’s exactly where things would go if there were real-life superheros!!
For this reason, Mystery Men was genius!
btw: I don’t think that the makers of the Incredibles were trying to mock superheros. Wasn’t that a serious attempt at children’s superhero movie?