I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine about the evolution of superhero movies. Growing up in the 90s, I grew up on cartoon versions of Spider-Man and the X-Men alike. Finally, when they got their own live action movies in the early 2000s - it felt groundbreaking. The X-Men and Spider-Man trilogies alike paved the way for the emerging Marvel Comics takeover on the big screen. It’s also worth mentioning that by this time we had seen six Batman movies and five Superman movies, not to mention their television shows as well. Though, something was missing. These adaptations felt strangely safe. As if the filmmakers went out of their ways to forget the fantastical elements. For as much fantasy as we saw, there remained that level of grounded nature, as if there were shackles on the ground preventing the filmmakers from flying.

Then came the MCU, which taught us these heroes could be otherworldly and that there could be other genres that weren’t exclusive to comic book formats. The Winter Soldier is a great example of this. It is a political thriller that just happens to have superheroes at its forefront. Christopher Nolan equally helped shape the landscape of these movies by bringing us into the proper format for real world heroes through his interpretation of the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime, respectively. we’ve come a long way in such a short period of time. It’s hard to think about recent years at the movies without considering comic book or superhero movies.

Avengers: Endgame is the highest grossing movie of all time. Last year, Joker set records for being one of the most profitable films of all time, as did Deadpool just a few years before that. The boom of the comic book and superhero fandom hasn’t just welcomed in new versions of beloved heroes but equally allowed filmmakers to create their own characters. Adam Egypt Mortimer, the director behind last year’s Daniel Isn’t Real, returns to deliver his own take on the superhero genre with Archenemy. Archenemy depicts a fallen hero from another world (Joe Manganiello) who stumbles through our own world recounting his own demise for cheap whiskey. When he meets an inspiring reporter (Skylan Brooks) he begins to regain his faith in humanity, culminating in his battle with the city’s biggest drug empire.

Much like superheroes and their secret identity, this movie comes with a duality to its narrative. A portion of this movie is animated in the guise of a motion comic. As a comic nerd, the art is absolutely stunning. It strongly reminds me of the art of Mitch Gerads. Gerads is the man behind Mister Miracle for DC Comics and is currently working on Strange Adventures. Both titles I highly recommend but I digress. The art comes from Sunando, Kevin Finngan and Danny Perez. The art and visual aesthetic of the movie are equally stunning, resulting in some of the best parts of this movie. The comic book approach to the film introduces viewers to the origin of our hero, Max Fist. While it’s visually stunning, it unfortunately falls victim to superhero tropes. Rather than forging his own story, Fist fastens himself to a copycat foundation that’s a mix between Superman and Metro Man from Megamind, though there is some originality as we do venture deeper into the story that I ended up enjoying quite a lot. 

While a large portion of this is animated, the real world offers us dual storylines that don’t end up converging until our final third act. This is where Archenemy begins to establish itself more as an amalgamation of other notable properties rather than an actual movie. I appreciate that this movie is grounded in realism and science equally. The idea of having the big bad evil guy be a drug dealer feels tiresome for movies like this however. Throwing in Glenn Howerton, of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame, doesn’t help your case. Howerton never feels intimidating. If anything he feels out of time with his character design that would feel more at home with 2000’s Gone in 60 Seconds rather than the world of Archenemy.

Much like its subject, Archenemy feels like it’s stumbling around the streets pursuing purpose. The majority of the film we spend with these two opposite storylines. In one corner you have the aspiring reporter unraveling Max’s story. Which honestly is one of the strongest weapons within this film’s arsenal. Had the narrative steadied itself solely on this storyline it would have held my attention a lot better. Instead, we get a young female drug pusher (Zolee Griggs) who is attempting to rise up the ranks solely to put her brother through college. Admirable, I will say, but completely cliche. This element which manifests itself as the central problem demonstrates little to no imagination that Mortimer could have brought to this script. Especially after last year’s Daniel Isn’t Real. The performances are fine. There isn’t really one in particular that stands out among them.

Overall, Archenemy is a subpar attempt at superhero cinema. The performances are nothing truly special and the antagonists are mere reruns. Perhaps the most baffling of this film’s decisions are to use notable comedians in dramatic roles. It’s worked in the past for others but not here for Glen Howerton. The visual effects and comic artwork littered throughout remain the strongest weapons in this arsenal. Archenemy is its own worst enemy as it ties itself up in genre tropes and a mundane story line.

RORSCHACH RATING:

Mental Health Moment: Throughout the first two acts of the movie, Max finds himself searching for solace. His journey leads him through multiple bottles of whiskey in an attempt to find satisfaction. Perhaps, this journey mirrors your own. Years ago, I rarely used to drink or smoke. When I did I used both as vices. These vices were coping mechanisms to deal with my unhealthy anger and own negative mental health issues. It wasn't a healthy place for me to be at all. I'm not attempting to preach or share my own personal views. Rather emphasizing that there are healthier ways to find peace. Not only for your own mental health, but physical health as well. I equally want to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with drinking in modification. Just remember it's not a good means for escape, however. I would challenge anyone reading this and identifying with this, please consider our resources.   

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Archenemy is property of RLJE Films. We do not own nor claim any rights. Archenemy opens in theaters and is available on VOD and digital beginning December 11th, 2020.

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