Super Capers (Super Capers: The Origins of Ed and the Missing Bullion) (2008)

Super Capers is a campy, fun spoof of superhero movies -- much as if Mystery Men or Zoom: Academy for Suoerheroes met up with Kick-Ass. You should watch Super Capers if you like corny movies like Mystery Men, The Big Hit, The Big Bus, and Big Trouble. Otherwise, skip it or you may just get peeved. Our story begins as Ed Gruberman (Justin Whalin), a would-be superhero who is looking for his secret powers, is following a mysterious woman down a dark alley. He two-by-fours a robber who accosts her, only to find out she is a self-styled superhero named Red (Christine Lakin). After Gruberman gets sued by the thief and his oozy lawyer (Tom Sizemore), Judge (Michael Rooker) commits him to a superhero halfway house headed by Sarge (Tommy Lister) and populated by alpha male Will Powers (Ryan McPartlin), Felicia Freeze (Danielle Harris), the metakinetic Brainard (Sam Lloyd), technical wizard Q (Oliver Muirhead), a pint-sized Schwarzeneggerian robot (Pancho Moler), and, for comic relief, Pufferboy (Ray Griggs), who inflates like a puffer fish every time he gets nervous. The plot gets more convoluted than you would expect (including some time travel) and the movie is full of fanboy references to Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, James Bond, and more. I had a good time laughing my way through this serving of silliness and I hope you do too. 4 stars. (6-8-11)