April 12, 2010 Defendor
Yes I’m back! And yes it was goooood! Friday night, Pizza, coke, and a lovely movie. It seriously cant get better!
I had wanted to see this movie primarily because (yes I admit, primarily because) it was touted as Woody Harrelson’s best role till date. Now for those who are still wondering who he is, Woody is credited with roles in known movies like Indecent Proposal, Natural Born Killers, Anger Management (remember the german trans-V hooker? 
), Seven Pounds, blah blah – smaller roles in big movies.
Long point cut short, he is cute, not hero material. Tom Cruise is still safe guys! But then he caught my attention with a lovely role in Zombieland. And Defendor indeed, is probably his best role till date.
Just like with Zombieland, Woody does great justice to the story and lives his character out to the hilt. He lives a twin life – as Arthur Poppington, Woody is a simpleton – an orphaned loner who has a menial job at a construction site. He lives out of an abandoned garage and believes in the goodness of humans. He hates crime. He hates drugs. And he remembers his mom when he looks at the moon.
Every night, Arthur turns into “Defendor” (not Defender – he takes great offense to the mis-pronounciation) and saves the city from local hoodlums. His arsenal includes bottles of wasps, marbles, clubs, etc.
On the whole, what looks like a sweet movie about a mentally affected individual has a lot more to deliver. The chemistry between Arthur and the young druggie who has a soft corner for him (Kat Dennings from Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) is fun, even though Kat Dennings has a voice that can be a serious put off.
Like the official synopsis reads, Defendor seems to be “A comedy centered around three characters: an everyday guy who comes to believe he’s a superhero, his psychiatrist, and the teenager he befriends.”
However, when I saw the movie, it made me realise the strange quirk of fate, of being normal.
Are we the ones who are really confused? Most movies on mental illnesses make me feel otherwise. Seems like, at times, when the world is not fair to you, it would be better off being in another world and smile, rather than be normal and unhappy, be unclear, be scared, be diplomatic, and nor care.
This movie is about a powerless superhero with a big heart. Perhaps one of the best movies of 2009, gone un-noticed due to lack of any big names. Do watch it! You will fall in love with The Defendor!
Rating : 9/10
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