Four of Them

(yes, this is to save time so I can get to geeking out over House of the Devil. Shut your faces)


-Mentally ill (ADD, OCD, paranoia, delusions, the usual) Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson, in what I think is his best role) goes all vigilante as Defendor (guys, seriously, its with an 'O', do not say otherwise), trying to bring the nefarious Captain Industry to justice. Helping him along is young prostitute Kat (Kat Dennings).

-Despite the marketing of another real-life surperhero comedy, this is actually a really sad look into mental illness and the crime world and whatnot. Arthur's antics aren't funny so much as sad. You can't bring yourself to laugh (smile, maybe, but not laugh), because he's so, unwaveringly nice. When he gets stripped of his ability to fight crime, you want to scream at the judge and co to just leave him alone, you heartless dicks, y'know?

-Besides Harrelson, Dennings is also pretty great as a spin on her usual snarky-teenaged type, a (I said this, pay attention) young, crack addicted prostitute in with the corrupt police officer Chuck Dooney (Elias Koteas) and the domination crime ring of the city, who grows to care for Arthur.

-How dare you, seemingly harmless movie, for actually making me think! You bastard!


-Another sad, lonely, vigilante character (but in a different way). This is a pattern.

-Visually inventive, well-drawn characters, funny and sweet, a bit too (ugh) fanciful, but way too agreeable to not like.

-End.