Defendor

Tagline: An unexpected hero will rise.

So I had actually wanted to see this movie when I first heard about it several months ago and was extremely disappointed when Sony Pictures pulled out of the theatrical release and decided to release this movie straight to DVD. This was actor Peter Stebbings first screenplay and directorial debut and worked really hard with the producer to finance the movie although he had a hard time selling the idea to any studios because it did not ‘fit into any specific genre’. Thanks to the independent avenues, the film was finally shot in 2009.







The movie stars Woody Harrelson as a modern day simpleton who takes on the persona of Defendor by wearing a black outfit with a duct-taped ‘D’ and shoe polished eye mask who fights crime at night in pursuit of a Captain Industry whom he believes killed his mother many years ago. He uses different gadgets when fighting crime, such as marbles, angry wasps, and slingshots among other things, claiming that ‘guns are for cowards’. He also gets agitated when people mispronounce his alias and quickly corrects them saying it’s ‘De-fen-d-OR’! The story is told in retrospect as he is being evaluated by a court psychologist (Sandra Oh) during a trial he is undergoing for aggravated assault. He also befriends an underage prostitute/drug user (Kat Jennings) and goes up against a corrupt cop (Elias Koteas).






The plot actually does transcend different genres as it is appropriately rated R with several sex acts, violent actions, and foul language. However it is also semi-satirical yet but also with a dash of comedy and a dose of drama. In most instances a movie which tries to be so many things would have a hard time pulling it off, but I would argue that Defendor actually is able to do this. The plot is interesting and well written with witty dialogue. It’s not sugar coated but it’s optimistic while having a real feel at the same time. It’s not a straight comedy although it does have many comedic moments as well as personal dramatic moments.






The movie was obviously shot with a smaller budget than other films with casts like this but it doesn’t distract from the movie. The editing was a little amateur however you can tell that the wipe transitions were included in order to give the comic book feel to the movie. The sound mixing was also good considering the budget and they did a good job with the rights to very few songs in the movie. The editing was also adequate as it switched back and forth through the past and present and kept coherence. I would have liked to see some riskier editing in a movie like this but overall the cinematography of the movie was adequate.






The movie was really carried by Woody Harrelson. I honestly don’t think there is another actor out there who could pull of Defendor’s charm, honesty, comedic timing, and naivety all at the same time like Woody did. He really got into character with this role and was believable on screen. Ellen Page was actually once slated to star and I wish that had worked out as I think she would have done a better job than Kat Jennings. She just wasn’t that believable as a drug addicted prostitute and plays all of the characters that I’ve seen her do, with the same flat nonchalance which I didn’t think fit this character. I thought Sandra Oh did great and this role was well suited for her, somewhat of a more compassionate Greys Anatomy character. I hope she continues to take on more movie roles in the future.






While this movie does take on different genres, I think it really does pull it off and I can’t wait to see Kick-Ass (which is getting a major theater release ) and compare the two. I can see why the studios would be hesitant to give it a major release however I think it would have done well with at least a limited release for a quirky independent comedy/drama/satire/comic movie with a mainstream cast. I don’t think it was groundbreaking or awe-inspiring but it was a fun, sometimes heartwarming, little indie gem that was entertaining to watch. I would recommend this to Woody Harrelson fans or anyone who would like to see a comic/superhero movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. “Who writes your dialogue, Superman?” -- Defendor