I wanted to like this film. It has masked superheroes fighting injustices on the streets of Mexico City. It has a good soundtrack, and a neat comic book-like vibe that is carried throughout the film. But the film suffers from one impossible problem: we never get to see the men behind the masks. Only their characters. And for those who like comic books, you know that what makes a hero great is their weakness, their human side. You need to know Bruce Wayne to care about Batman. Sure Batman does some important stuff; but what makes his story compelling is the identity and life he has when he's not Batman. While it's understandable that these masked heroes didn't want their identities revealed, it makes for a far less dynamic film. Super Amigos never gets beyond the points it makes about social injustice, and the need for the heroes. While it is still a film worth watching, it's not the film you'll want it to be.
3 Reviews
Intriguing Subject, Good Construction, One-dimensional Characters
dangerundone31 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
re Super Amigos
lee-98912 June 2008
The best film I saw last year, and I'm a retired film critic. Very inspiring documentary of social action in Mexico City by way of four separate but parallel stories. By the way, the aesthetic rules of fiction do not apply directly to documentary: not finding out the actual names of the heroes did not matter since we were given enough background, as, for example, in their homes, that their lives were self-evident, especially for the guy against killing bulls and Super Bario. Alas, this film cannot be rented locally (in VAncouver) or purchased on Amazom.com. That says a whole lot about how little an increasingly monopolized film industry, including distribution, values social protest docs.
Fantastic documentary not to be missed!
DaKwittik4 March 2010
Sometimes it takes a different perspective to see a previously unrevealed beautiful truth; this film showed me one - that someone who is willing to put conscience above personal fame brings glory not just to himself but to the world we all share. This film is creatively done and wonderful; I found it inspiring to see several people that found a sense of purpose try to make the world a better place, and in the process showing the audience that there IS such a thing as a super-hero, and that the real thing is infinitely more moving (at least for this grown-up) than another fantasy character battling artificial evil. These guys are the real deal, and they understand that it's more important to do good than to be known for it. This world needs more like them, and more films like this.
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