Kick-Ass, Super, and Defendor. All three films center around the idea of an ordinary person transforming themselves into a superhero with no real powers whatsoever. If you've seen the Kick-Ass trailer, you'll know that Defendor has a completely different tone even though they fall under the same genre. Kick-Ass has more characters, more action, and a bigger budget. Defendor was made for only $4 million. I was unable to catch it at TIFF but the majority of reviews were very positive. Check out the official trailer for Defendor below! Bruised and beaten, arm in a sling, neck in a brace, Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson) sits in front of court-appointed psychologist Ellen Park (Sandra Oh). After making her swear to secrecy, Poppington begins to tell the story of his secret life as “Defendor” – yes, that’s an “OR” – spelling is not one of his super powers. By day, Poppington directs traffic around road construction sites, but at night he dons a pair of black tights, a black jersey with a crude “D” duct-taped to his chest, and trawls the streets as his alter ago. As Defendor, Poppington engages in what he believes is a super heroic fight against crime in an attempt to fulfill his unrealized dream of capturing his archrival, Captain Industry – a gun trafficking crime lord who Poppington mistakenly believes is responsible for the death of his mother.

Defendor’s problems with the law begin with his intervention in a trick gone bad. When coming to the aid of Katerina Debrofkowitz (Kat Dennings), an underage prostitute, Defendor tangles with her pimp, Chuck Dooney (Elias Koteas) – a crooked undercover cop. By doing so, Defendor bumbles his way into a criminal underworld, and the stage is set for a showdown with Captain Industry.

Defendor is the ultimate underdog story about the unlikeliest of super heroes. While he may be deficient in super powers, he has a surplus of heart and sometimes that’s all you need to make a difference