Archenemy Movie Review & Comments

[Casimir Harlow]

Adam Egypt Mortimer's Joe Manganiello-starring indie superhero flick Archenemy boasts some superb ideas and a few innovative ways of sidestepping its budgetary limitations.
Read the review.

Write your own review for Archenemy

 

[encaser]

Sounds like a need to watch after Joe's great outing with Mel-boy.
But your warnings of misfire limit experience, Cas.

Have you seen Only the Animals? You should give it a whirl.

 

[Casimir Harlow]

Sounds like a need to watch after Joe's great outing with Mel-boy.
But your warnings of misfire limit experience, Cas.

Have you seen Only the Animals? You should give it a whirl.

Yes, I mean those familiar with SpectreVision might see Archenemy with more forgiving eyes, particularly if you can tie up the almost non-existent dots between this and Daniel Isn't Real, but it doesn't feel at all marketed right, which is why I can see it falling over as just another bit of no-budget DTV trash. Be interested, as always, to see what you think.

As for Only the Animals, no, but it's on my list now!

 

[Evinger]

Thanks for the Review as always, Cas. The Trailer intrigues me, but your Review makes me feel like the full experience would be less so. Still, I'll keep an eye open for it.

 

[bruce-leroy]

I’ve been aware of this movie for a while and really enjoyed it. I’d edge it towards 7/10 as I like anything that offers an alternative take on the now well worn superhero genre, e.g. films like Unbreakable, Chronicle and Brightburn. Manganiello is very good, and suitably gruff, in a rare outing in a leading role.

 

[Casimir Harlow]

I’ve been aware of this movie for a while and really enjoyed it. I’d edge it towards 7/10 as I like anything that offers an alternative take on the now well worn superhero genre, e.g. films like Unbreakable, Chronicle and Brightburn. Manganiello is very good, and suitably gruff, in a rare outing in a leading role.

Yeah I toyed with a higher score, but figured it would be better to moderate expectations and have people be pleasantly surprised. There's definitely a good film in there, but any time Joe is off screen the film drops significantly in quality.

 

[encaser]

This is quite good but as you say, Cas, it's uneven at times and suffers without its star.
There's a few nice lines like, Hamster, don't engage the troll! amongst the not so good, which can linger like a bad smell - as can some scenes. But it's clearly Manganiello that's the obvious draw here and he manages well with what he has to work with. He's a kind of Punisher come any mix of fallen superhero; that has taken to drink to not so much forget but sedate the ever present feeling of failure. You can't help but not see the lingering Icaria Mill Supply sign in one rooftop shot and I took that as reference to Icarus (and/or the people of Icaria), with Joe portraying the literal fallen man from the skies but one who is still intent on betterment of the people. And again, it's the mash up of the people being tired of their unwanted saviour, who just won't lie down his cape.
The two young actors are unfortunately at odds too but in acting ability. One scene can have them delivering a line well enough and looking comfortable, whilst another makes it all look like community college. At times, I wondered if the director was going to whisper a line to save them, move things on or, shout Cut...Let's go again. I had this sense too, when the more experienced actors were with them and appeared to be willing them on in some direction.
The toon element works well enough for this; it's not exactly to the levels of the excellent Tron series, but given it's overall budget, anything more would've no doubt been well out of place.
A tighter rein on the younger actors, trimming of scenes and a story with more black humour and less obvious pitfalls could've seen this fair much better. Not much to ask.
I have to mention Paul Scheer's literal 'genius' tattooed bit part though, in that it's an oddity in and of itself but worked so well. If only AEM could've penned more scenes like that and had actors that actually knew how to, well, act, this wouldn't of fell like a certain reaching and naïve son quite so much.

 

[bruce-leroy]

Yes, definitely overtones of The Punisher -

Spoiler

particularly in his later costume makeover.

Spoiler

I kind of worked out that Max’s archenemy would actually turn out to be his ex girlfriend or wife. It felt like it was heading that way. I like how Mike sees himself as an idealistic hero whereas the truth might be - if Cleo is to be believed - that he’s a bit of an unstable hothead that’s been corrupted by his powers. So from Cleo’s side, she needed to stop him or he would have eventually destroyed Chromium himself. I like the grey areas.

.

 

[encaser]

Yes, definitely overtones of The Punisher -

Spoiler

particularly in his later costume makeover.

Spoiler

I kind of worked out that Max’s archenemy would actually turn out to be his ex girlfriend or wife. It felt like it was heading that way. I like how Mike sees himself as an idealistic hero whereas the truth might be - if Cleo is to be believed - that he’s a bit of an unstable hothead that’s been corrupted by his powers. So from Cleo’s side, she needed to stop him or he would have eventually destroyed Chromium himself. I like the grey areas.

.

Yeah, AEM kind of twisted himself into a knot by the end.

Spoiler

In that it turned out to be the typical tale of power ultimately corrupting and he had no real satisfying out. At first it appeared as if Max's powers were rejuvenating in Cleo's presence and he'd be free to leave, but no. Then it's Cleo revealing she wanted their humanity forced back to pre industrialisation without technology or, insight into the fact that it'd all likely happen again. And so what's the end, Indigo's reign. Well, who was Indigo but a drug dealing criminal always looking for the short cut. Max's final line of, You'll be OK had me laughing, really? Though, if AEM had a sequel in mind with, let's face it, a fairly woke pair, then he's kinda set. If Indigo can share those powers, well, that could be fun, I guess...[spolier]