Overrated

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Melvin (Stephen Dorff) has "no manners and no grace" as his ex-wife (Keena Ferguson) bars him from seeing their son Rex (Jonathan Billions) who must travel through drug infested areas to go to school. Melvin likes to party with recreational drugs and with the young ladies. He is educated and and considers himself, "talented and astute, but lazy." His best friend Lucille (Eddie Griffin) is in a wheel chair. They live in an impoverish section of New Orleans. Lucille harps on Melvin for being an underachiever as you see Melvin has major telekinetic powers and chooses to use it for street magic, rob robbers, and impress women.As expected, Melvin has an epiphany and decides he wants to do good so maybe he could see his son.The theme of the film is about a wasted gift. The acting wasn't that great and the epiphany came late. The ending was anti-climatic. The film exhibited some good writing, it just didn't present itself in an entertaining fashion.Guide: F-bomb, brief nudity

If you're looking for something in the lines of the Avengers universe you'll most likely be disappointed.Even though Stephen Dorff's character technically has some superpowers of sorts (levitation through mind-control) he doesn't really use it all that much most of the time.He prefers getting drunk and high over chasing bad guys and that's the main focus of the movie, even though sure there is a little action in it but not close enough to warrant this movie having action as the main genre listed (or listed at all).No it's more a mockumentary drama-comedy about a 'loser' douche-bag who just happen to have some supernatural powers (don't expect a new 'Chronicle' either though when I tell you that, again the lead is more impressed with the power of weed and alcohol than his levitation powers) They definitely had the potential to do more with the script but it was watchable at least.Eddie Griffin plays his best friend and he's in it for most of the scenes so if you like him it will be an extra treat.

Adding a bit of diversity to the Superhero movie genre is American Hero.Stephen Dorff is cast perfectly as a mundane style superhero. A man blessed with gifts that make him special, but too nihilistic to use his powers for anything pass doing some simple parlor tricks to get money for drugs booze and girls, but like a page out of a Marvel comic, a near death experience clears his head, allowing him to become focus on the responsibility of becoming the man his son needs him to be.Two things that make this movie impressive:One was the outstanding performance by Eddie Griffith as a war hero who lives life in a wheelchair. The way his life parallels that of Stephen Dorff's character, a man who has everything but does nothing, was emotionally captivating in a film you would not expect this in. It was so real and natural, it was hard to believe Griffith can walk. It may seem too high praise to say it's Oscar worthy, but it was, and it's too bad they don't even consider giving out the trophy on a flick like this. Second was the back drop of the big easy. New Orleans set the tone perfectly for American Hero, because it's one of those places in America that really could use a man with gifts like the main character and he's barely touching the surface of his potential.The one thing that keeps American Hero from being amazing is the documentary style it's formatted in. It's not that I'm sick and tired of the format (but I am), the gimmick feels like just that, a gimmick and it takes away from the story because it's very inconsistent. I guess it was done to make us feel like we are part of the story by making us feel we are shooting the American Hero's life but Dorff's performance was too close to what the average person would do if they had superpowers that we did not need that extra push. It's one of those things that just tells you the time and the place this movie was made, like bell bottoms or baggy paints, and stops it from becoming timeless.With that said, I do feel that American Hero has potential to be the type of film nerds will be talking about in the aftermath of the Superhero genre with the praise of a hidden gem among them.

One of the most interesting indi films and quite difficult to explain but will give it a try. Melvin (stephen dorff) is a beer loving drug taking party goer but with the advantage of having super powers after a court case bans him from seeing his son melvin and his best friend lucille (eddie griffin) attempt to change their ways so melvin can get his son back. The comedy is dark and random but the way this film is shot is brilliant as its in the style of a documentary. Stephen dorff has kept himself busy over the years and not done anything outstanding since Blade 1998, American hero will put him back in Hollywood's window as it shows just how good of a actor he is.