ROTTEN TOMATOES: Trailer Bulletin: Superhero Movie

Trailer Bulletin: Superhero Movie

Can it be funnier than Ghost Rider?

by Jeff Giles | February 01, 2008

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Judging from Meet the Spartans' box-office receipts, you guys just can't get enough of spoof films -- so what time like the present to unveil the trailer for March's helpfully titled Superhero Movie?

Craig Mazin, whose screenwriting credits include Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4, directed Superhero Movie from a script he co-wrote with David Zucker, who co-directed Airplane! and The Naked Gun. The film's synopsis follows:

After being bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, high school loser Rick Riker develop superhuman abilities like incredible strength and armored skin. Rick decides to use his new powers for good and becomes a costumed crime fighter known as "The Dragonfly." However, standing in the way of his destiny is the villainous Lou Landers. After an experiment gone wrong, Lou develops the power to steal a person's life force and in a dastardly quest for immortality becomes the supervillain, "The Hourglass." With unimaginable strength, unbelievable speed and deeply uncomfortable tights, will the Dragonfly be able to stop the sands of The Hourglass and save the world? More importantly, will we stop laughing long enough to notice?

Our initial answer to that last question is "yes, probably," but you know what? As trailers for spoof films go, this one isn't so bad. Of course, you can never go too far wrong with a scene involving Leslie Nielsen and a nailgun, but still. Watch the clip below!

Related Items

Movie:	Airplane!
	The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
	Scary Movie 3
	Scary Movie 4
	Meet the Spartans
Celeb:	Leslie Nielsen
	David Zucker
	Craig Mazin

(1-20 of 53 posts) | Reply

JpPrewitt789 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 05:27 AM

Stop making them! JUST STOP MAKING THEM!

(Reply to this)

bigcheeeeze writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:10 AM

When stuff like this and meet the spartans come out, I think to myself: how can studios waste money putting out crap like this? Then I see the box office numbers and realize its because people are still stupid enough to pay 10 bucks a pop to see it.

(Reply to this)

Schumacherh8ter writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:22 AM

Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg aren't involved. That means that the film has the potential to be "ok".

(Reply to this)

theginsengtree writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:39 AM

All I know is three things:

1. Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg aren't involved.
2. The trailer contained no references to Paris Hilton or Britney Spears.
3. Leslie Nielsen is in it!

Which means two things:

1. It might be worth watching if a friend has it on, but probably nothing else.
2. It'll probably gross less than Meet the Spartans because America's got the whole "good film = deserving of your money" equation backwards.

(Reply to this)

rustdog writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:44 AM

I bet it's funnier than that X-men parody I mistakenly watched late one night. I think Jamie Kennedy was a Night Crawler like character, and Rob Lowe was in it. It's nice to see Zucker is still writing, the guy has to be in his 70's. He's written a lot of movies, but Kentucky Fried is still my favorite.

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Xavier Telouran writes:
on Feb 01 2008 07:31 AM

Leslie Nielson does not a good parody make. See 2001: A Space Travesty.

And cranking these out in the midst of the writing strike just leads me to believe that yes, these things are really being compiled without a coherent thought/plot/scheme/good idea.

(Reply to this)

John Z. Delorean writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:11 AM

Craptacular! How do people still eat up spoof movies? Ignorance truly is bliss.

(Reply to this)

PrecentorEpsilonXVI writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:17 AM

Well, at least it isn't a totally hackneyed pop culture spoof. Hopefully it will go for more of an Airplane-esque or Spaceballs-like parody.

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thereign writes:
on Feb 01 2008 09:09 AM

I can't believe it, but this trailer actually made me laugh. I can appreciate the fact that Zucker co-wrote it, which means it has some potential.

Also, unlike all the other stupid parody films, which tend to suck not only because they're badly written/directed/acted, but also because they're so unfocused by just grabbing at every pop culture reference possible...like most Zucker movies, this one seems intent on staying within ONE realm, deals with ONE storyline, and lets the laughs flow organically from that point.

So while I am leery of any more parody movies, I'm willing to put my faith in Zucker's part of the writing and give this one a try.

(Reply to this)

SAIKOSIS FILMS writes:
on Feb 01 2008 09:33 AM

I HATE these kinds of movies! It's just random jokes and stuff thrown together for about an hours worth of retardation! NO MORE "Scary Movie" type spoof movies! And seriously, WHO keeps seeing these in theaters that gives them such big box office numbers?

(Reply to this)

gunslingR writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:01 AM

the trailer's down. same thing happened on comingsoon.net yesterday. seems like external forces really don't want me to see anything related to this film. fine by me. that being said, leslie nielson is awesome. i met him last year and got to have a small conversation with him in an elevator about the difference between making a good movie and making an entertaining movie. he told me the biggest difference is the mood of the entire crew, actor's included. basically, if they WANT to make a good movie, it'll have some sort of redeeming feature.
the question is, what was the mood behind this one??

(Reply to this)

gunslingR writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:04 AM

the trailer's down. same thing happened on comingsoon.net yesterday. seems like external forces really don't want me to see anything related to this film. fine by me. that being said, leslie nielson is awesome. i met him last year and got to have a small conversation with him in an elevator about the difference between making a good movie and making an entertaining movie. he told me the biggest difference is the mood of the entire crew, actor's included. basically, if they WANT to make a good movie, it'll have some sort of redeeming feature.
the question is, what was the mood behind this one??

(Reply to this)

DaHypr1 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:39 AM

trailer is working again! and actually i laughed at this trailer (minus the breakdancing part). this actually kinda has the potential to be good, too. No Aaron Setlzer or Jason Friedberg? AND Leslie Nielsen? hmmmm..maybe....just maybe...

(Reply to this)

DaHypr1 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:43 AM

In reply to this comment (#1546141)
i just noticed that Data from star trek TNG is the scientist, too. hmmm

(Reply to this)

apostate writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:45 AM

There are downsides to a society with so much disposable income.

This is one of them.

(Reply to this)

MM54 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 10:57 AM

I HATE parody movies... and yet, this one doesn't look too bad. It looks more in the vein of "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun" then something like "Scary/Date/Epic/Not Another Teen Movie"... it looks like it might even have a narrative (get out! a spoof comedy with a narrative???). I'll keep an eye on it and look at the critical consensus when it comes out...

(Reply to this)

EmmG389 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 11:18 AM

Still lame but I'd definitely take a well made movie over the complete hack job that Epic Movie, Date Movie, and Meet the Spartan's trailers showed me, I didn't actually see these movies, thank god.

(Reply to this)

smi1ey writes:
on Feb 01 2008 11:32 AM

scary movie was funny. naked gun was funny. leslie nielsen is funny. the trailer made me laugh. who knows? maybe this could actually be a valid spoof?

(Reply to this)

bluedream24 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 12:03 PM

At least this movie will make us laugh, looks fun

(Reply to this)

bluedream24 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 12:05 PM

and drake bell is on it, and he's a good actor

(Reply to this)