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The Specials (2000)
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Overview
User Rating:
Tagline:
They're Not Incredible, They're Just Special morePlot:
The sixth or seventh best superhero team in the world pursue their rightful place in the harshly competitive world of toy tie-ins and fighting evil. full summary | add synopsisNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
James Gunn Doing The Superhero Thing Again? (From Cinema Blend. 22 March 2009, 3:16 PM, PDT)
Feature: Five Rules For Making an Indie Superhero Movie
(From IFC. 25 November 2008, 2:03 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A brilliant idea well-played moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jordan Ladd | ... | Nightbird | |
| Rob Lowe | ... | The Weevil | |
| Jamie Kennedy | ... | Amok | |
| Mike Schwartz | ... | U.S. Bill | |
| Thomas Haden Church | ... | The Strobe | |
| Paget Brewster | ... | Ms. Indestructible | |
| Kelly Coffield | ... | Power Chick | |
| Sean Gunn | ... | Alien Orphan | |
| Judy Greer | ... | Deadly Girl | |
| James Gunn | ... | Minute Man | |
| Jim Zulevic | ... | Mr. Smart | |
| Johnny Mountain | ... | News Anchor | |
| John Doe | ... | Eight | |
| Abdul Salaam El Razzac | ... | Eight | |
| Lauren Cohn | ... | Eight |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong language.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
82 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
DolbyFun Stuff
Trivia:
Both Judy Greer and Jamie Kennedy filmed this movie around their Three Kings (1999) schedule. moreQuotes:
[first lines]Nightbird: I've been a humongous fan of the Specials since I was knee-high to... something for sure. All my friends would make fun of me because the Specials were not a "cool" group like the Amazing Trio or the Crusaders. But, you know, screw that. I also liked Winger better than Bon Jovi. I still do. I don't care what the critics say.
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Soundtrack:
20th and Mission (La 20eme Et Mission) moreFAQ
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From the people who brought us "Free Enterprise", "The Specials" is clearly made by the same caliber of geek, but this time it dives into the fantasy. The conceit of this film is pure genius: make a superhero movie in which there are no battles, and nobody uses their powers; just focus on their personal lives and interpersonal conflicts, and play it mostly for laughs. I've seen several reviews here for whom that itself is the complaint. Let them go back to watching "Spawn". Those of you who are able to see the potential in the concept are in for a treat.
Going in, I'd only heard of Rob Lowe and Thomas Haden Church, both of whom are excellent. The surprise is that the rest of the cast keeps step all the way. They all understand the joke here, which is that they are not in on the joke. They're funny by way of taking it utterly seriously. This is not the "Airplane" of superhero movies. These people are completely serious about their past exploits and their powers, which we glimpse only briefly, and hear of in conversation.
The movie's length is perfect. It clocks in at under 80 minutes, disappearing long before the idea becomes tired or overused. I actually wanted to see more, which is far preferable to wishing it were over sooner. I could actually see a TV series based on this concept.
7 out of 10.