Superheroes have changed over the years, and I have expressed my opinions on this particular topic, at no small length, previously. I grew up surrounded by my father’s Bronze and Silver Age comics, so while my knowledge of the genre has evolved, my inclination towards superheroes is still rooted in the idea of heroism as opposed to the grim, modern take on comics.
Superheroes should make you inspired and hopeful, and I consider it naive to have any other opinion on the matter. I remember feeling revulsed when I watched the Superman v Batman trailer owing to its bleakness and colorlessness. Heroes are supposed to offer hope, and I simply do not understand how it would be possible to consider a film with superpowers, yet devoid of a hero, worth watching.
The Posthuman Project, a movie directed by Kyle Roberts, tells the story of five teenagers on the verge of graduating. They plan to hang out one last time before they split and climb Mount Dominic. In that, they attempt to ‘conquer the mountain’ but instead get blasted with zero energy that imbues them with superpowers.
This movie is an indie film, but you wouldn’t know it from watching it. The wonderful use of bright colors coupled with ‘how on earth did they afford all of that’ special effects make the movie much more enjoyable. The wonderful cinematography and breathtaking special effects keep blowing my mind.
The actors did a great job, including Kyle Whalen as Denny, the main character that has a gift of healing, Lindsay Sawyer as Gwen, a girl who has the ability to shoot out fire from her hands, and Josh Bonzie as Adam, a jock who can teleport. I do not wish to undermine the acting abilities of Collin Place as Denny’s younger brother Archie or Alexandra Harris as Lisa, his ex-girlfriend, but these three specifically caught my attention. Denny and Archie’s mother is out of the picture, and their father has been absent for several months. Denny is very calm and for the most part, composed, while Archie’s tantrums, anger, and frustrations create a balance against his position of hopelessness.
What caught my attention was the unquestionable affection and concern the teenagers possess for one another. It seemed to come across as genuine and realistic as if they were a bunch of teenagers in high school wishing to embark on knowing what life outside high school has to offer. They are always there for each other, ready to support each other without consideration in crucial circumstances this is even before acquiring superpowers. The phrase “Do you bleed? You will” echoes loudly in today’s society, so it somehow balances out in a world full of superhero stories.
That does not mean it is a flawless film. Jason Leyva, in the roles of Denny and Archie’s Uncle William, is, or rather was, a problem, and a very enormous one. Even though the kids acted and performed quite well, Leyva seems as if he was told to act as if he was to outdo everyone. It is tonally jarring you have Heroes on the one and Batman Forever on the other. Honestly, the performance that Leyva gives causes me to cringe, which I don’t understand why.
The Posthuman Project was originally conceived as a twelve-part web series, and this informs my next critique: the editing is dreadful. I feel somewhat vindicated that I am not the only one who noticed this. The comic burlesque “chapter titles” as well as the breaks in between the sections of the film are very tidy, yet they disrupt the flow of the narrative. The pacing of the film is also something that remains troubling. Approximately 70% of the film is devoted to the cool teen drama while the remaining portion is fully dedicated to super-powered action, and the relative speed of the last portion makes it seem like it was slapped together. It may very well be that there were financial constraints, but the stunning special effects that are supplied throughout the latter portion of the movie left me wanting more. One of my favorite moments was when Adam hands off a teleportation-style butt-whooping to Williams’ henchman, Finch. The effect was flawless, as was the accompanying shader effect. These energy-filled moments throughout the film were far too few in number and it left me wondering the terrible question posed in the previous paragraph: “That’s all we get?” It’s certainly poignant after the thrilling climax of the film where you feel as though a further ten or fifteen minutes would have greatly aided in the improvement of the movie.
The role of Lisa is a character that is given undue consideration. Except for when she is a motive at the beginning of the movie and their endless into an extremely confusing final frame, her efforts seem to emerge from thin air towards the end. To some extent, she only seems to exist to serve as a stimulus to Denny, and it wouldn’t terribly add to the film to even consider her from the scene, along with a core focus on Denny’s bond with his sibling. Superhero films tend to lack family attention, yet portray love interests devoid of personal power, which is a supremely drowning theme.
Some dialogue delivery was deeply phony such as ‘You’re! Not! Dad!’, ‘What kind of things can go wrong!?’. Be twixt, the remaining dialogue was quite witty. Archie, trying to fit Lisa’s bag in the jeep while Denny mocked him was too priceless Denny and Lisa’s banter and the “cross my heart and hope to fly” statement were not that bad, just too heavy on her incredible superpower mascaraade. SEVERAL parts in the earlier half tend to border abounding emphasis. I wouldn’t have minded far less of this “hey, we’re graduating soon, we are going to start rock climbing” talk.
My attention was suddenly drawn away from the story because of a flashback in the middle of a scene that felt completely out of context. It is partially the result of the film’s pacing, which I consider the largest flaw in the film. It isn’t until forty-five minutes into the film that we see superpowers for the first time, and even then they are not properly taken advantage of. As I mentioned, I firmly believe that had the producers of the film put in an additional ten to fifteen minutes in the back half, they could have included more of the amazing SFX and each of the teens would have something more to do or in Lisa’s case, anything besides laying there.
Despite all these criticisms, I could not ignore the fact that I liked the film. I could feel the amount of heart put into The Posthuman Project something I would have loved to watch again. This is a movie you can watch at any age and not feel ashamed to do so. Throughout my life, I have felt like I have been starving for the heart and hope that’s inherently present in this movie. I can’t be the only one; if we look at the fan consultation, and fan both, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Ms. Marvel, and the TV version of The Flash, it’s clear that there are millions of supporters for an alternative to SUPERGRIMBATDARK. This audience will find the movie to their liking, no wonder it is highly recommended. After the credits, there’s a hint of a sequel, and admittedly, I would like to find out the future of Denny and his friends. Whatever path chooses them, there is one thing that I can guarantee.
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