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Reviews
Superguy: Behind the Cape (2000)
The laughs never come
While an interesting idea (what would be the ramifications of having a real life superhero?), this fake documentary just doesn't come together well. It did little more than evoke a smirk for me, but based on the subject matter and some of the DVD case photos (Superguy smoking and drinking in a bar, in full costume no less), I expected to laugh.
I agree with some of the suggestions concerning how the media and general public would react, and I do think the ending makes sense. So it is admittedly a pretty realistic and thoughtful look at the phenomenon. Mark Teague works fairly well as the misunderstood superhero character, and the rest of the actors hold up their parts as well as could be expected (some believable, some overplayed). The special effects are quite low budget, and the flying scenes are considerably worse than the original 1970's Superman. Which could have been a source of humor, perhaps if they'd made the flying effects ridiculously bad. I think the problem is the filmmakers were trying to be serious when they should have been going for laughs, and vice versa.
My biggest complaint, though, is that many of the sequences and subjects go on far too long (OK, OK, we get the point), and the laughs just never quite materialize. As a 20-30 minute short, it could have been much better, but at 74 minutes its ideas are pushed to the breaking point.
So, while not without some redeeming qualities, I cannot recommend Superguy overall. 5 out of 10.