Faster Than A Speeding Bully.
90 Mins. Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner, Becky Wahlstrom & Gregory Alan Williams. Director: David Yarovesky.
You're not in Kansas anymore Clark! Is it a bully? Is it a demon? 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' and soon to be 'Suicide Squad' too director James Gunn poses the ultimate question with his executive production. What if Superman was an absolute prick? Someone call Ben Affleck's Batman (sorry R Patz), and don't tell him his mother's name. Because this kid needs to be stopped. Pass me the Kryptonite please. We have to destroy him like some critics are this movie. Still they say the horror genre is redeemed and the superhero one needs a refresh. So how about a dark, graphic comic crossover? What a novel idea, co-wrote by James' cousin Mark Gunn and brother Brian (like the Wayans, there's more of them). This low budget, small superhero scale secret dropped to earth like an alien ship sent on it's way by Marlon Brando or Russell Crowe to Costner farm some crop circles (if you build a superhero origin story with a twist, they will come), directed by David Yarovesky with yardstick career debuting new heights is something else. 'Brightburn' incendiary ignites a new glow to burn the blockbuster Summer season of supers with two piercingly familiar red eyes. The freaks and geeks will love this. The nerd purists will cry comic-book guy inaccurate foul. But didn't DC once produce a 'Milk Wars' comic that saw Batman as a priest, Wonder Woman wield a hoover of truth and Superman as yes well a milkman? So this Sony production, not associated with Detective Comics is a milk run affiliated only in horror homage with a terrifying twist. What if Ben Affleck was right? So before whoever the Stan Lee version of DC gets the lawyers together like Mr. Burns in 'The Simpsons', let's give this comic-book flipping, fan fiction game changer a chance. It may not be super, but with relished references man this kid of steel can still fly.
We're a long way from Smallville kid. But 'Brightburn' is still in Kansas, Dorothy. This is just a whole new multi-verse for the Gunn family tree shooting for their own own 'Glass' breaking version of M. Night Shyamalan's 'Unbreakable' and 'Split'. "Some of us don't die with bullets. Some of us can still bend steel." This dawn of injustice begins in a farmhouse where a young married couple are trying for a baby, even though the infertility exposition books on their shelf read different. Then the bedrock of their new family is interrupted by a loud bang in their backyard (did you feel that too?), where what looks like a meteorite turns their crops to Thanos dust. Sure this all sounds familiar in its set-up and you know where this is going. A stork couldn't deliver it better. But this is no bird, or plane (trust me). Born in air quotes on a farm in Kansas this little boy from outer space is fostered by these new parents who decide to call him of all names, Brandon (is that a 'Superman Returns' Easter Egg riff like the red bed sheets being carried wearily over this kids shoulders in the middle of a sleep walking night? Or a Routh routing rip?). He seems pretty normal, just a little shy and maladjusted. You know, the norm. But when he creepily walks down the stairs and stares like something between the halfway farmhouse of Haley Joel Osment in 'The Sixth Sense' and that demon child like kid from 'Looper' (honestly Joseph Gordon Levitt I would have sent that kid back with the shotgun right away), it's time to take away the comic-book and crayons. Especially when he starts graffiti writing his own symbol everywhere like he conjured it up from a horror movie. Honestly films about freaky porcelain dolls aren't as creepy as this child. And then when he starts f###### with forks. Flinging lawn mowers like mowing the lawn is such a chore. Doing that handshake trick kids do when they jiggle around the bones in your fingers to breaking bad effect. 'Say Anything' showing up at the house of the girl he likes like John Cusack never got a restraining order (Deadpool did it better too...just saying). Terrorising waitresses like asking for more hot water at closing time (if you've ever waited on, you know the pain) and dropping more trucks than Toyota, then like a scene stealing, 'Breaking Bad' Matt Jones for the film's funniest and most formidable moment says as his headlights catch this kid hovering on the highway, "NO"! Nope.
No more heroes. But born from 'Burn' child star Jackson A. Dunn has a future as bright as his made for movie stardom moniker. So long as he isn't creepily typecast as the weird kid. I could see this boy doing comedy...or do I just have a dark sense of humour here? There's a fine line. But this kid nails every nuance like he's in on the joke and it's not on him like the bullied about to get their comeuppance think. But it's 'Hunger Games' showrunner, 'Charlie's Angels' director and Bosley and 'Power Ranger's big bad Elizabeth Banks who is the star of this show. Giving everything to this like any mother refusing to believe her son is evil even when he gives a family friend a steering wheel for braces would. Pitch perfect, Elizabeth has deserved to bank a leading role like this every since she had to go on that date with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker in 'Spider-Man 3'. Now. Dig. On. This. Ranger reuniting with Banks, 'Logan Lucky' and 'Fanboys' star David Denman is the perfect farmhand father figure for our young Krypton like kid and hallmark husband. Whilst their are strong supporting performances from "lovable narcissist" Meredith Hagner and 'Star Trek: Enterprise' actress Becky Wahlstrom. Both airing more than concerns about this red hooded and caped, rouge, rogue crusader whose balaclava like disguise is strung up like a slipknot (nope...not weird at all). But who better than the Sherrif of this Kansas town in the week of Woody than the legendary Gregory Alan Williams? Yep, that's the guy that used to guard the coast on that California cool beach bike on 'Baywatch'. And do you remember when this LAPD cop used to moonlight on the dangerous downtown streets of Los Angeles with David Hasselhoff for the even more legendary 'Baywatch Nights' (never forget like the Hoff's crazy shift work pattern)? Some people really do stand in the darkness. And just like that sea cops reboots this different take is a bold as it is bright. Sure in the avenging age of the leaving 'Avatar' blue, 'Endgame' this will never be the most marvelled. But at least it burns brighter than the 'X-Men' super swan song of 'Dark Phoenix'. 'Brightburn' is an incredible, inspired idea and clever concept. But one executed in some ways as poorly as that guy in 'The Green Mile' who didn't wet the sponge (there's even burning right down to the skull). 'Brightburn' flickers and then flames out, instead of exploding our minds like the epic character creation it is the brainchild of. It may not be completely bulletproof or invulnerable to shots, but 'Brightburn' could still take the world with a sequel, spin-off or trilogy. Still, chest puffed out riding a mini-tractor, it's going to take more than the social media remixed video skit of Billie Eilish's biggest hit of the year playing over the credits to save this 'Bad Guy'...DUH! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Man Of Steel', 'Super', 'Split'.
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