A unique, dark and enjoyable superhero film.  The film is well-written, well-acted, Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings absolutely shine in this film. “Defendor” is one of the better superhero films not based on a comic book. Definitely recommended!
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TITLE: Defendor
DURATION: 101Â minutes
DVD INFORMATION: English, Spanish Portuguese, Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital, Anamorphic Widescreen (2:35:1), Subtitles: English, English SDH, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai
RATED: R (For Drug Use and Language Throughout, Violence and Sexual Content)
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Released on April 13, 2010
Written and Directed by Peter Stebbings
Executive Producer: Tim Brown, Sean Buckley, John N. Kozman, Tim Merkel, Mark Slone
Producer: Nicholas Tabarrok
Associate Producer: Leah Jaunzems
Music by John Rowley
Cinematography by David Greene
Film Edited by Geoff Ashenhurst
Casting by Sara Kay, Nancy Klopper, Jenny Lewis
Production Design by Oleg M. Savytski
Art Direction by Anthony A. Ianni
Costume Design by Gersha Phillips
Starring:
Woody Harrelson as Arthur Poppington/Defendor
Elias Koteas as Chuck Dooney
Michael Kelly as Paul Carter
Sandra Oh as Dr. Ellen Park
Kat Dennings as Kat Debrofkowitz
Clark Johnson as Captain Fairbanks
Lisa Ray as Dominque Ball
Alan C. Peterson as Kristic
Kristin Booth as Wendy Carter
Charlotte Sullivan as Fay Poppington
Tony Nappo as Biker Cliff
David Gardner as Grandpa Henry
Arthur Poppington (2009 Golden Globe® Nominee Woody Harrelson- Best Supporting Actor, The Messenger) doesn’t need superpowers or fancy toys to fight crime. Armed only with a childlike sense of wonder and his quirky arsenal of cheap, homemade gadgets, he becomes DEFENDOR! He finds an unexpected partner when he rescues and falls for a local prostitute (Kat Dennings, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist). Can the two of them take down the city’s most fearsome crime boss without getting killed in the process?
In 2009, writer/director Peter Stebbings (“G-Spot, “Across the River to Motor City”, “Rabbit Fall”) known for his television work began writing a script on a superhero story. But instead of being the usual superhero story adaptation from a comic book series, Stebbings went deeper to explore a guy, who has mental issues but driven by personal situations that make him don a costume and become a superhero.
Next thing you know, the screenplay eventually grabs the interests of producers and also talent that the Canadian dark comedy/drama became a reality and four years after writing the script, “Defendor” was born and had its world premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in theaters in Feb. 2010 and now will be released on DVD.
“Defendor” revolves around a man named Arthur Poppington (played by Woody Harrelson, “Cheers”, “No Country For Old Men”, “Zombieland”). A man with a mental issue and driven to don a homemade superhero costume to take on criminals.
Inspired by the death of his mother due to drugs at a young age and raised by his grandfather and inspired by comic books, Arthur Pennington becomes the hero known as “Defendor”. A man who doesn’t have any special abilities nor is he a great fighter. His main weapons are marbles, a slingshot, wasps while using a VHS recorder on his back to record his exploits as a hero.
All Arthur wants is to find Captain Industry, a term his grandfather used to describe those who are responsible for supplying people with drugs.
While one day he was beaten up when trying to stop a bunch of thugs, he is rescued by a young prostitute/drug user named Kat Debrofkowitz (played by Kat Dennings, “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”, “The House Bunny”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”). A young woman who has nowhere to go and ends up taking residence at Arthur’s home and helping him with his search for Captain Industry, while she enjoys his time with him because he treats her as a friend.
For Arthur, despite the trouble he may get into because of his vigilantism, he finds friendship with his good friend Paul Carter (played by Michael Kelly, “Generation Kill”, “The Soranos”, “Did You Hear About the Morgans?”) who has invited him to the family and taken care of him by giving him a job and a place to stay.  He also finds friendship with psychiatrist, Dr. Ellen Park (played by Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Sideways”, “Blindness”) who feels sympathetic to Arthur and why he does the things that he does.
Meanwhile, a crooked cop named Chuck Dooney (played by Elias Koteas, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “Shutter Island”, “The Fourth Kind”) is working undercover but also supplying police intel to the drug kingpin Kristic (played by Alan C. Peterson). And each time Defendor and Dooney come near each other, Defendor ends up getting the best of him.
But as Arthur’s pursuit of Captain Industry brings him closer to following the illegal activities of Dooney and the kingpin, will Defendor have what it takes to take the drug kingpin, his men and his operation down?
VIDEO:
“Defendor” is presented in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen. For the post part, the picture quality for this DVD is very good.  Would have been great to see Sony Pictures Home Entertainment consider this title for Blu-ray release but overall, the DVD features pretty good lighting during the night sequences and good detail on the scars of “Defendor”.
For the most part, despite the film having a low budget, David Greene did a solid job in capturing the character of Arthur Poppington, a man with not much money and living at his friend’s workshop. Capturing the seedy hangouts of the underground and more.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Defendor” is presented in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital. The film is dialogue driven and although there are plenty of action sequences, this is a film that doesn’t sport explosions or anything significant in terms of immersive sound effects.
You will hear a good combination of music to the action sequences, Defendor using his slingshot weapon and the buzz of wasps and also the occasional gun shots. But most of the sound effects take place near the end of the film.
But overall, dialogue and music soundtrack is clear and understandable.
Subtitles are in English, English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean and Thai.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Defendor” comes with the following special features:
- Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by writer/director Peter Stebbings, producer Nicholas Tabarrok, Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings.
- Deleted Scenes – (2:35) A total of five deleted scenes: Paul gives package to Arthur, Kat washes Defendor Costume Reporter finding Dooney cuffed to hand rail, defense attorney hits on reporter, Arthur talks to reporter.
- Outtakes – (2:23) Featuring outtakes and the kind of fun the talent had during the shooting of the film.
- Origin Stories: The Genesis of Defendor – (10:14) Writer/Director Peter Stebbings talks about the making of “Defendor” and both he and producer Nicholas Tabarrok talk about the changes of the original script to the final cut of the film.
- Removing the Costume: Behind the Screenplay – (11:29) A featurette about what Stebbings wanted to accomplish and make different from the usual superhero films.
- Heroes and Villains: Meet the Players – (20:11) The cast talk about why they took the part and wanted to be on the film, producers and crew talk about hiring the cast and more.
- An Actor’s Director: Working with Peter Stebbings – (4:56) Cast talk about working with Peter Stebbings and their joy of working with him.
- Famous Last Words: Wrapping Defendor – (9:38) Writer/Director Peter Stebbings and producer Nicholas Tabarrok talk about the completion of “Defendor”.
“Defendor” was a delightful surprise. When you come across superhero films about normal people donning a uniform and not based on a popular comic book superhero, more than likely the film is probably going to suck. And the fact the main hero was played by Woody Harrelson was a bit confusing because I couldn’t picture it.
But after watching the film, not only do we get a well-written film by Peter Stebbings but Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings absolutely shine in this film.
Woody Harrelson plays the character of Arthur Poppington, an older man who suffers from mental issues and due to his mother being consumed by drugs, since he was younger, he has developed this hatred towards criminals and because his grandfather raised him with comic books, Arthur wants to be a superhero.
This is what is so unique about “Defendor” is that, this man is a normal man. No special powers, no major fighting skills but determined to fight against criminals and to get back at a person who may have killed his mother.
Kat Dennings has been one of my favorite actresses as she brings this depth to her character in a film and with “Defendor”, she really brings a depth into her character Kat, a drug abuser and girl living off the streets and pulling tricks. She’s never had any significant parental guidance, she is a victim of her father and people on the streets and when she meets Arthur, at first, she thinks of him as some type of kook but realizes his true intentions which are sincere, pure and that he actually cares for her.
Overall, Peter Stebbings manages to bring together dark comedy and drama to “Defendor” and what could have been a major mess of a film to join with other crappy superhero films, “Defendor” ends up separating from those and becoming an entertaining film that is one of the better non-comic book superhero films out there.
I absolutely enjoyed “Defendor” and if you are a fan of superhero films, this is definitely a film worth checking out!
Definitely recommended!