David Zucker should really think about not including the word “movie” in the title of his next spoof film, because even though he’s partly responsible for the series that breathed new life into the genre, it’s just getting too difficult to separate the bad (“Scary Movie”) from the ugly (anything by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer). “Superhero Movie” is a spoof film done right – using the plotline of a single movie in order to create a coherent narrative – unlike the Friedberg/Seltzer method of pop culture overload. In this case, it’s the original “Spider-Man,” but instead of a radioactive spider, high school nerd Rick Riker (Drake Bell) is bitten by a genetically enhanced dragonfly. It doesn’t take long for him to recognize his newly gained superpowers, and before you know it, he’s posing as the green tights-wearing superhero Dragonfly. But when a supervillain known as Hourglass (Christopher McDonald) attempts to drain the life out of New York City so that he may become immortal, Dragonfly’s skills are put to the test as he must protect the woman (Sara Paxton) he loves. On par with the last two “Scary Movies,” “Superhero Movie” isn’t great, but it’s the funniest spoof released in years. Big props to writer/director Craig Malin for not only spoofing the Mecca of superhero movies (San Diego Comic-Con), but also including a song titled “Douchebag of the Year.” The additional superhero bits involving the X-Men and Fantastic Four (supposedly shot after initial production) are completely unnecessary, and the laughs decrease with each passing minute, but it’s exactly what fans of the genre have been waiting for.
