Who Wants to Be A Superhero? (2 DVD Set)
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Actor: Jarrett Crippen, John Stork, Melody Mooney, Richard Malmos, Stan LeeProducer: Carrie Brown
Producer: Jeanna Smith
Producer: Laura Flanagan
Producer: Rick Telles
Producer: Robert Kosberg
Writer: Scott Satin
DVD: Region Code 0
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 288 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-21
Studio: Sci Fi Channel
DVD Reviews of Who Wants to Be A Superhero? (2 DVD Set)
DVD Review: "Be a winner, not a wiener"
Summary: 4 Stars
This may have been the most fun cheesy reality show yet. Really, all one needed was an original superhero concept and a costume and one could try out. On April 4, 2006, about 120 contestants physically auditioned for Stan Lee at the Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, CA during a torrential rain storm, vying to be in the final 11-man lineup for the Sci-Fi Channel's WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? Thousands more had submitted tape auditions. This was a six episode series, hosted and judged by Marvel comic book legend Stan Lee, who is quoted as saying: "We're not going to ask anybody to fly or leap tall buildings with a single bound. We can't test that. But what we can test is this: Every superhero has certain qualities and characteristics on the inside, characteristics like courage, character, honesty, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion, resourcefulness. We can test that stuff." The winner will be immortalized with his or her own comic book and his/her character will appear in an original Sci-Fi Channel movie. Dubious contenders were weeded out (although several "superheroes" who ended up on screen also were kinda dubious) and so, we'll never know how the green-faced Slimeball, the disgruntled Server (a waiter in his regular gig), the Ice B*tch, the Hula Hoop Girl, or Man-Fey(!?) would've fared.
Instead, the final eleven were comprised of party girl Creature (Tonya Kay, 25-year-old automobile mechanic), the very hot Cell Phone Girl (Chelsea Weld, 22-year-old interior designer), the ornery and hygeine-challenged Iron Enforcer (Steel Chambers, 35-year-old bodyguard), sexy Lemuria (Tonatzin Mondragon, 30-year-old sculptor, catchphrase "Hello, Sunshine"), the nurturing Fat Momma (Nell Wilson, 42-year-old online sales specialist, catchphrase "saving the world, one doughnut at a time"), the very competitive Monkey Woman (Mary Votava, 28-year-old investor), the very funny, very cool Major Victory (Chris Watters, 38-year-old DJ and ex-stripper, catchphrase "Be a winner, not a wiener"), the eager Feedback (Matthew Atheron, 34-year-old software engineer), the duplicitous Levity (Tobias Trost, 32-year-old toy designer), Nitro G (Darren Passarello, 19-year-old student and filmmaker), and Ty'Veculus (E. Quincy Sloan, 34-year-old fireman captain).
For six episodes, these eleven contestants lived in a warehouse fronting as their "superhero lair" and competed in various competitions which, on the surface, challenged their superhero skills but, in actuality, tested their inner qualities. One such challenge involved the superheroes being placed in a public venue, clad in their civilian clothing, and having to change into their costumes without being seen and then racing to a meeting point. Whosoever passed the finish line the fastest, ostensibly, wins the challenge. But the real test lied in the lost little girl ensconced in their path, who was crying out for help. The contestants who stopped and helped the little girl were the ones who passed the challenge. This was actually what hooked me onto this show, when it became a must-see series for me. You never quite knew what Stan Lee was looking for in every challenge. To keep things even more off kilter, several challenges did play fair and were nothing more than what they were on the surface. My favorite one had to be when the superheroes had to navigate an old woman's backyard despite the assault of two vicious guard dogs. I couldn't believe the tenacity of one of the superheroes (it took that one @20 minutes under the aggresive ministrations of the hellhounds).
This was a quirky, fast-moving show, as two contestants are elimated every episode, and Stan Lee is ever judging the players, even in their daily interactions in their "down time" (where contestants would ordinarily be exempt), and the viewer (and the players) are never quite sure what would constitute an elimination. An event such as a costume makeover would normally be a cause for celebration, but no. Stan Lee is always observing your reactions. Even something as mundane as a chore to go to the local deli to fetch snacks could (and did) constitute an elimination process. So, yeah, there was an aura of unpredictability which clung to this show and kept me guessing at times. Yes, there were moments when it was VERY cheesy and, contrary to what I just said, VERY obvious and you could see the wheels of the players' minds spinning as they opt for the obvious choices and say the PC things, as when Stan Lee asked every contestant to declare which other superhero should be eliminated and for what grounds. Also, the 180 degree turn of one contestant, who then became the series' nemesis, while a good idea (I was all for it), wasn't executed well and seemed contrived, to boot. The producers also might've tried a bit too hard to add a touch of poignancy to the show, although I felt Stan Lee was sincere in those moments when even he got teary-eyed and choked up. I thought it believable that he would get emotionally attached to these costumed folks, who, without a doubt, held him in high esteem. Several of the contestants, for their own part, clearly invested a lot of emotion and dedication and their tears and shows of sincerity were not unwarranted.
To be honest, I didn't agree with the choosing of the winner, who I felt was too smarmy and too prone to playing the emotional strings. In fact, I didn't like the two finalists. I was rooting for the bronze winner, and I guess Stan Lee liked him too, quite a bit, as he did give him a good, tearful moment to go out on.
While I don't think Stan the Man will ever trump the Donald's catchphrase "You're fired!," he's got a good thing going with his own proclamation of doom: "Turn in your costume." The six episodes aired from July 27 to August 31, 2006 and proved to be enough of a ratings bonanza. According to Daily Variety, the Sci-Fi Channel has greenlighted season 2 of WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO?, expanding it to a 10-episode sophomore show. Can't wait. Maybe, then, we'll get to see Slimeball, the Server, or Ice B*tch. I don't think I'll ever want to see Man-Fey.
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