There are two ways to view this movie, those being through the critical eye and the general audience's. From the media critic's perspective the movie was an unstructured, plot hole riddled, and generally nonsensical experience. The setup was poor and confusing, the main character has few redeeming qualities, and character arcs are rare and abrupt. If you're looking for a tight and well-written plot here, turn back now. However, if you're looking for a superhero action flick with a sprinkle of emotions and a dash of comedy, the movie will deliver. Not in any way that's particularly exciting or memorable, but in a way reminiscent of a hastily made kids cartoons. You'll watch, be entertained while doing so, and probably forget everything about the experience a few moments later. With this in mind, I'll split this review into two parts: the purely entertainment aspect, for those in a hurry, and the critical review aspect, where I'll do my best to rip this movie a new one. Okay, let's begin.

First of all, it's a superhero movie, so there's going to be action. Don't expect any exciting hand to hand combat though, this is the sort of action where a guy waves his hand around and the enemy topples like bowling pins. Main character too powerful? Just add more henchman! Are they getting hurt? Are they dying? Doesn't matter! They're henchmen, which as we all know are not actually people. It may sound like I'm phrasing this negatively, but I actually mean everything. Having an overpowered, otherwise unskilled protagonist is fun in it's own way. Perhaps the fights are messy and filled with our hero waving his hands around like an orchestra conductor, but it allows for comedy to be injected and gives room for proper shock value. Shock value is one of the few redeeming aspects of the movie, besides the comedy, and that's because most characters actually react how you'd expect they would in a real world scenario. They are startled, disbelieving, and afraid. It may seem basic but many many modern superhero movies screw this up.

That brings us to the comedy. It's there, but it's mostly just the lead actor carrying all of it. A complete lack of witty jokes and dialogue is made up for by an exaggerated yet not outlandish performance, which manages to bring a light tone where the movie really needs it (this movie could not pull off a dark tone, not with it's screenplay). In other words, you're never going to laugh out loud (bummer, but it's not a comedy movie) but the comic relief will step in occasionally to lighten the mood.

As a wrap of for the first part I'll mention some other things I did like (or didn't dislike). Firstly, the CGI is decent (except for some parts towards the end), so that's good. The music is forgettable, but it's there. The main character's daughter (who we're introduced to first) is extremely kind, caring, motivated, and a good leader, so there is tension when she's in danger or facing a threat. It's not boring, because the plot moves quickly enough to avoid pointless or predictable discussions. There may be pretty much no character development, but that also means you don't have to sit through any hyperemotional drama, if you're the type that avoids that kind of thing. Finally, and probably the greatest defense of this movie... is that it's free. Freeing. There are no rules. There are so many plot holes that you stop caring about them entirely. Who cares if we switch between throwing bombs at our enemies to saving them from falling off a building? Things just happen and it's fun. Disbelief has been suspended as far as it will go, and frankly it's liberating. And so, I'll reiterate. If you're into superhero movies, yes watch it, and be entertained. Just don't look for realism, a message, or anything profound.

Okay, let's get nasty. Um... I didn't like the main character! His backstory is that he abandoned his daughter, which pretty much gives me no reason to empathize with him or root for him when he's trying to reconnect with his daughter. She's right to be mad at him! Pretty much the only reason any sort of progress can be made in their relationship is because he gains powers, because before he reveals this he acts immaturely, greedily, and harshly. What makes it worse is the inconsistency. Instead having a flawed character who gradually learns and changes, we have one who frequently switches between a caring father and a stingy slob who only cares about himself. His journey into power is fun and funny, and so we'll follow him, but it's hard to care when he fails or he's shut down by those he's wronged because it's essentially, irreversibly, and perpetually his fault.

There are no character arcs throughout the entire movie. Okay, well maybe there's one, but it's cliché and obvious and happens when no one's looking (I still won't spoil it though). Instead of character arcs, we get confusion. Things are foreshadowed that never come to fruition, and things are set up that never pay off. Characters seem to play musical chairs with personalities every time the scene changes, and character motivations are called into question without ever being resolved. Oftentimes the problem is that you're looking for nuance and complexity where there simply isn't any. Characters and their behaviors serve only to further the plot while constructing some semblance of change in the protagonist, a change which is unmotivated and not believable in any way.

Yikes, there are a lot of things that don't make sense or aren't realistic in this story. I can't list most of them for fear of spoilers, but suffice it to say that a lot of it comes down to the law only stepping in when we need a villain and miraculously vanishing once a single fight is won. These nonsensical details permeate the entire movie, until you get bored of keeping track of them and decide to stop thinking entirely. Once you stop thinking, you can enjoy the intensity or emotional connection as if it actually exists.

My conclusion of this analysis is that we have a poorly written movie which was made well. The people who worked on it cared while the writers didn't. The result is an entertaining and technically acceptable movie which lacks any creative vision or memorable aspects. Once again, I'd recommend a watch for those interested in superhero movies if you have extra time and want to have fun, but in any other situation you can stay away.