Defendor (2010)

Since this project keeps looking better by the day, it’d be a waste to let it get buried in the indie pile. Time to give it some actual spotlight...

It looks like Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass won't be the only flick this year about regular Joes playing superhero, and clearly, Zombieland isn't the only chance we'll get to see Woody Harrelson acting totally unhinged. This time, we've got a dark comedy from Defendor director and writer Peter Stebbings, where Woody plays an average guy who's convinced he's a caped crusader, wandering the streets armed with nothing but "weapons" like paperclips and staplers to fight crime.
Alongside Woody Harrelson, the cast features Kat Dennings, Elias Koteas, and Sandra Oh. The film is slated for a premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival, followed likely by a limited theatrical run.



IMDB

Official site

TRAILER
MOVIE CLIP

PLOT

movie trailer clip: reality intersects with delusion in the mind of Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson), a regular man who adopts a superhero persona known as Defendor, and combs the city streets at night in search of his arch-enemy, Captain Industry. In his attempts to combat crime and bring down Captain Industry, a drug and weapons dealer who he mistakenly blames for the death of his mother, Defendor ends up befriending a young prostitute, Katerina Debrofkowitz (Kat Dennings). Armed with unconventional weapons of Mass confusion, aided by his new friend, and putting his life on the line, Defendor proves that everyone is capable of making a difference.

IMAGES

Check out the latest updates... they just dropped a new trailer (which is freaking awesome, by the way! 🤣), plus a new poster that looks just like the old one, except they slapped some glowing critic reviews in the background...

TRAILER 2

"Only the delusional fight back" 🤣

Brilliant. Honestly, I feel like we could really use a production like this here in the States.

Finally, it’s here! 👋 👋 If anyone manages to catch it first, hit me up and let me know what you think! 😁

I won't spoil a single thing, but I will say that this stands out as one of the finest films I've experienced in recent years...

I’m sitting here trying my hardest to dig up even a single thing I didn't like about this movie, but honestly? I've come up empty. 🙂

If I had to make one observation, though... this isn't your typical superhero flick packed with non-stop explosions and mindless spectacle. That’s actually where its strength lies—the heavy lifting is done by the drama rather than the stunts.

Even the main theme feels incredibly deep. 👍

8 out of 10.

I just caught this one too, and man, what a powerhouse of a movie. Seriously great stuff. I honestly can't find a single thing to complain about—Woody Harrelson absolutely crushed it as 👍
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Just a heads-up for anyone going in expecting a non-stop laugh riot: this leans way more toward drama than comedy... 😉

It’s an outstanding film with a killer soundtrack, and honestly, I find myself liking Woody Harrelson more with every single project he touches. He absolutely nailed it here. My only gripe is how easily it gets slapped with a "comedy" label on sites like IMDb. While Defendor is definitely witty, calling it a pure comedy feels like a stretch. Just a heads-up so you aren't caught off guard, much like how 😁

Anthony Smith3 said:Woody Harrelson plays this regular guy who honestly believes he's some kind of superhero, just wandering through the streets armed with absolute nonsense like "slices of deli meat" and paperclips, all in his attempts to combat crime and bring down Captain Industry...

Man 🤣I really need to 🤣 🙏 make this my top priority to watch, I can't believe I missed out on this one earlier... 🙏

Heh, I didn't spot this thread earlier. I actually loved this one too—here’s a quick copy-paste of my last review:

This was one of those movies I was genuinely hyped for after seeing the trailer, and honestly? It didn't just meet my expectations; it completely subverted them in the best way possible. I went in expecting a straight-up comedy, but it turns out there's a lot more drama baked into Defendor than I anticipated. It makes for a much deeper, more layered film than I originally thought it would be.

So, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, the story follows a guy who's a bit mentally unstable and is basically trying to escape his own reality by masquerading as a superhero called Defendor. He's attempting to help a crumbling city while simultaneously seeking vengeance for his mother's death. Just a heads up, though—don't go looking for non-stop heroic action sequences. The real focus here is the psychological state of someone living like this.

Woody Harrelson is absolutely fantastic as Defendor. Honestly, it’s just great to see him winning again with these recent roles; he really is such a top-tier actor, even if this specific film doesn't get much mainstream hype. Then you have the talented Kat Dennings, who fits perfectly as a drug-addicted prostitute with a good heart, and Sandra Oh playing the psychiatrist.

All in all, it's a really solid film that manages to go way beyond what the trailer suggested. It carries even more weight knowing this was an indie American production made on a modest $4 million budget, marking the directorial debut of Peter Stebbings. Definitely worth your time, and I'd recommend it to anyone. From me, it earns a well-deserved 8/10. 👍

The score has this certain vibe that reminds me quite a bit of the music from Nolan's Batman.

Aside from that, the whole movie is a solid 10/10 for me...👍

Christian Taylor3 said:Defendor

It seems like everyone is absolutely losing their minds over this movie. People are just tossing out perfect 10s left and right, aren't they? I’m seeing all these claims that everything about the film is just flawless... 🤷 Wait, are we really seeing Forrest Gump in a superhero suit? 😕 Is this really the ultimate deconstruction of the superhero genre? 🙄 The way this movie plays around with comedy and drama doesn't actually result in a cohesive dramedy. Instead, it feels more like this strange "comedy-drama" hybrid that, honestly? It just doesn't work for me. What’s the verdict?Are we really going to keep arguing about this? Seriously?

Check the corresponding thread for more.

Crazy, right? Honestly, that was my very first thought too. I didn't say anything at the time because I was low-key wondering if I was just losing my mind—thinking maybe it was just me—but hey, turns out I’m not the only one feeling this way. 🙂

Honestly? Despite everything, I actually really enjoyed the film (as I mentioned above), and I don't have much to complain about...

This movie wasn't even intended to be a comedy in the first place. Sure, there are some mildly amusing moments scattered throughout, but let’s be honest—it feels like we've entered this strange new era where studios try to market non-comedies as if they were hilarious just to grab attention. You see it all the time now with titles like Everybody's Fine, Lazarescu, or Defendor.

I was browsing IMDb earlier, and frankly, the plot summary for this film is a mess. It reminds me of how they handled the tagline for Everybody's Fine, which basically promised a comedy that just wasn't there.

goldenhound32 said:Now I'm sitting here trying to think of even one single thing I didn't like about this movie, and honestly, I can't find any. 🙂 8 out of 10.

Me, on the other hand, am struggling to find just one thing I actually liked about the film, and I'm coming up empty. Okay, sure, the speculations are cool. 😁 But like I said, Forrest Gump dressed up as a superhero? 😕 Is this supposed to be the ultimate deconstruction of the superhero genre? 🙄 This weird attempt at playing with comedy and drama doesn't really land as a dramedy; instead, it feels like this awkward "wannabe comedy-drama" hybrid that just doesn't work for me. The movie loses a lot of steam because of how clumsy it is at balancing the imaginary versus the real (you know, the whole imaginary superhero vs. mentally unstable person dynamic). What was the point of all those scenes with Dr. Park? Our "hero" (or rather, our false protagonist) just keeps living inside that "top secret" delusion of his, and his transformation is basically non-existent—even after that great scene on the swing set, still nothing. Seriously! [Emphasizing] De-FEN-DOR! Arthur Poppington just stays exactly who he is.

Arthur Poppington: I'm gonna capture Captain Industry!

Captain Industry... man, what a powerhouse of a name. Seriously, the antagonist has never had a better title. I just wish the world of "real" villains functioned a bit more cohesively in terms of the actual plot and script. Right now, it functions like my dysfunctional grandpa during a fishing trip: if we aren't busy pulling him out of the lake, we're busy pulling him off the rocks. It's just constant chaos, and you're just sitting there waiting for the final showdown or the end to finally arrive.

Steven Torres41 said:Total madness, but that was my first thought too. I didn't say anything because I thought maybe it was just me, but apparently, I'm not alone. 🙂

There’s a massive question mark hanging over my initial association, unfortunately.

I’ve always felt that movies with a real message behind them are so incredibly welcome... I finally sat down and watched it yesterday. It’s a deeply serious piece of filmmaking... and honestly, just really sad 😢

Gave up after just thirty minutes—honestly, it was just aimless. 🤷 This is the first time in a long, long time that I’ve actually walked out, regardless of how bad a movie might be.

Woody is back in that lovable idiot role!😍

I had a feeling this would be a blast, but honestly, it’s even better than I anticipated. It might be a bit much how they explain every little detail twice, but hey, I guess they're accounting for the kids in the audience.

This is actually one of those rare times where I genuinely loved a role from Woody's. Sure, you can definitely see the influence of Kick-Ass here, but honestly? It’s a must-watch. I’m a huge fan of that whole concept where the "heroes" are just regular people trying their best.

👍