Defendor
(2009/Sony DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C Film: C
Woody
Harrelson is one of the only actors willing to constantly take risks, whether
being an off-his-rocker would-be prophet in the highly commercial 2012 or the zombie hunter in the
interesting Zombieland. People not only love him for it, but at this
point, expect it, doing interesting things not enough actors these days
do. For Defendor, he plays a loner with personal issues that thinks he is a
superhero.
At first,
Writer/Director Peter Stebbings seems intent on making this a darkly amusing
comedy set in a real world where children grow up too fast, drug use, violence
and murder are too casual and little seems hopeful. Then, as told partly in flashback as Arthur
(Harrelson) is being interviewed by a court-appointed psychiatrist (the
underrated Sandra Oh), the safe distance that gives the audience derails the
pace and the film becomes more serious than it ought to, no matter the subject
matter and this results in it becoming every “realistic” work that looks down
on the idea of either a superhero or the genre.
I do not think that is the ultimate intent, but that is where this lands
up (predictably too) after its 101 minutes.
The
result will be a curio that has a chance to become a cult item, but not a great
film. Elias Koteas, Michael Kelly and
Kat Dennings also star.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image looks much better than such transfers we
have seen lately on DVD and one of the reasons apparently is that the film is
shot in real 35mm anamorphic Panavision.
Director of Photography David Greene pulls off some breakthrough work
here and keeps any styling flares to a minimum.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is also clearer and more active than most such
mixes of late, so the combination makes one realize this would make a fine
Blu-ray as well.
Extras
include a feature length audio commentary track by Harrelson, Dennings &
Stebbings, Deleted Scenes of interest, 5 featurettes and Outtakes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
