Defendor - 2010

Director: Peter Stebbings

Writer: Peter Stebbings

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Kat Dennings

"You were just an ordinary guy, doing something remarkable." Arthur Poppington (Harrelson) is a not-entirely-mentally-sound construction worker who, by night, takes on the role of Defendor (think Bruce Wayne, but without the billionaire status, great fighting ability, and around 40 years old) to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of "Captain Industry." On one of his nightly outings, he saves a young prostitute (Dennings) with her own set of demons to face, and she attempts to help him in his quest.

Woody Harrelson hit it big last year (Zombieland, The Messenger, 2012), and this is yet another triumph to add to the list. It has an overall similar concept as Kick-Ass (a regular person fighting crime in costume), but grounds the subject more in reality with a lack of advanced weaponry and training, although he does use a slight Bale-Batman voice while in costume, as well as a certain interrogation technique made famous by Rorschach in Watchmen. If you want a film with wild, over-the-top everything, see Kick-Ass, but if you'd like a bit stronger message and perhaps a deeper emotional reaction, Defendor is the film for you.