SUPERHELDE

With Ivan Botha, Neil Sharim, Andrew Thompson, Lelia Etsebeth, Ciske Kruger, Melt Sieberhagen, Dirk Stoltz

Written by Ivan Botha & Andrew Thompson
Directed by Stefan Nieuwoudt

The South African film industry (and the Afrikaans language component in particular) is slowly finding its voice. This voice however is not always a loud, clear, or focused one. Without large budgets big ideas need to be crammed into small stories (and don't always have the follow-through needed. In the case of this Afrikaans language comedy (translated as Superheroes), two young comic book store workers have to devise plans to save the shop from a ruthless developer who wants to tear it down. Digging into their inner superhero, they vow to save the day.
With expected geeking about from our heroes, the developer's moronic evil son steals the show.
It's the age old underdogs-fighting-the-corrupt-higher-powers tale, but unfortunately doesn't bring anything new to the genre, although it seems fresh within the Afrikaans language segment of new African movies.
Quite silly, a bit slapstick and largely juvenile, the movie does deliver some colloquial laughs which may not always translate.
(Not sure if there are rights issues or copyright infringement with the use of existing hero images like Spider-Man and The Hulk...)

2 / B
- Paul Blom

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
- A - B - C

A: Multiple Viewing Potential
B: Deserves Another Look
C: Once Should Suffice