archenemy (2020) Review
I’m coining a new term: Corona Release. Corona Releases are films that in any other year would receive some form of traditional theatrical run but instead debut on VOD with little fanfare and the limited theatrical release associated with 2020. Fatman, Ava and Jiu Jutsu are examples of corona releases. Archenemy is the latest. It’s a film with an interesting but undercooked premise: an unkempt hobo is convinced that he’s from another dimension where he’s a superhero. He somehow got dropped off in our dimension and to the surprise of no one stepping over his drunk body, his powers don’t work on earth. I went into Archenemy primarily interested in seeing Joe Manganiello’s best Hancock impression and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the supporting cast. Zolee Grigg’s blue haired Indigo is the heart of the film and she and Skylan Brook’s Hamster do a great job of presenting believably sympathetic characters. The movie is interspersed frequently with crudely stylized comic book artwork in similar fashion to Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was less a creative decision and more a result of the film’s microscopic budget. The barebones story works fine and the acting is perfectly acceptable but Archenemy feels more like a 90-minute episode of an ambitious superhero television show rather than a movie you’d watch in theaters. I struggle to identify who the movie is for. It’s not a proper superhero film and the street-level elements don’t present anything original on which to base a recommendation. It’s a gritty reboot of Kick-Ass minus the humor, colorful presentation and fight choreography. Don’t go in looking for consistent action. You’ll be disappointed. Archenemy is far from must-see but there are worse ways to spend $5.99 on a rainy corona weekend.
Archenemy receives a score of 5.5/10 for general audiences with a half-point bump if you love all things superhero or superhero-adjacent.