My Super Ex-Girlfriend

(Movie Review)

This movie just came out last week on DVD in Japan. I rented it because it looked like a fun light hearted comedy that I wouldn't require any thinking. And that's pretty much what I got.

Anyone who's seen the previews should be familiar with the premise. Luke Wilson plays an ordinary guy who, through accidents of circumstances, eventually finds himself dating a super hero. And then breaking up with her. And it turns out she doesn't handle break ups well.

Although us comic book geek guys know that romances and subsequent break-ups are frequent story fodder and standard fare for comic books (which are pretty much soap operas for men), the idea of playing it for comedy is an original one.

Unfortunately it's just a one note gag. Once you get the joke about the obsessive ex-girlfriend with super powers, the film doesn't have a lot else to offer.

To his credit, the director seemed to have realized this in advance, and kept the timing pretty good. In this day and age of epic films that go on to long, this movie is trimmed down to a very watchable 90 minutes. Just when you're beginning to get bored with it, the film is over.

There are a number of very funny people employed on this film (Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson, Wanda Sykes) but none of them are given any good material to work with. (With the possible exception of Rainn Wilson, who does a pretty good job playing as the jerk best friend character).

I've been an Eddie Izzard fan every since college when a friend of mine came back from a semester abroad in England raving about this wonderful British comedian he discovered over there. Afterwards I looked up a lot of Eddie Izzard's stuff on the internet, and caught a few of his specials on cable, and generally enjoyed it. (And if you've never seen his stand up stuff, you should check some of it out. They have some posted off of TV links).

....I've since noticed Eddie Izzard has bit parts in a number of Hollywood movies, but he never really seems very funny in any of them. I guess no matter how good the comedian is, you're only really as funny as the material the writers give you.

Link of the Day
Canadian Police caught using Provocatuers at recent Quebec Demonstration

...Having attended a few of these big protests in my youth, I can attest that there is a certain amount of paranoia about under cover cops, so ordinarily I'm a bit wary of jumping to conclusions. But if you watch the video here, it looks pretty convincing. I can't think of any other explanation for these three anarchists willing wading into police lines to get themselves arrested.

After watching this video, I'm starting to see all the protests I went to before in a new light, and wondering how much of the anarchist violence I saw was actually police violence.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend: Movie Review (Scripted)