I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick (2013) User Reviews

Completely original take on the superhero genre.

[tomrizzuto · 8/10 · 4 August 2015]

Any fan of the superhero genre should see this movie. In a world were major studios are spending millions to choke you into submission with special effects and overdone reboots, this film proves that you can tell an original story about superheroes and still make it about the characters first.

I saw this movie at a festival in New York. I actually went to see another film but decided to stay because of the interesting title. I was immediately drawn in by the combination of animation and live action. By choosing to animate the majority of the action scenes, this film avoids taking itself too seriously, and lets the audience focus more on the relationships between the characters.

While the technical aspects of the filmmaking are impressive, the performances of the actors cannot be ignored. The whole cast is extremely likable and the chemistry between the two male leads is great. You really believe that these two guys grew up fighting crime together.

Overall, this movie succeeds in telling a story that is as original as it is heartfelt.

Fun and relatable

[brandonrizzutodiga · 7/10 · 7 August 2015]

I was always a huge Batman fan, but (especially when I was a kid) I was always much more interested in Robin than I was Batman. Which was the point of teenage sidekicks I think-- for kids to see themselves in the comic fighting along side the larger than life superhero.

I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick is an original look at what happens when the teenage sidekick, Kid Dynamic, grows up and is wondering what he's supposed to do with his life. A feeling that, now that I'm older and just out of college, makes Kid Dynamic just as relatable now as Robin was to me years ago. Kid Dynamic's (or Larry's) journey is a great balance of jokes and real heart. Same goes for the hilarious scenes with Frog King and his personal struggles. It's good to see that even crime fighters can be delightfully screwed up.

The animated back stories are a nice touch to building this world where superheros can believable exist, but the acting and writing really sell it. The film is well written and relatable enough that it doesn't need crazy special effects and huge fight scenes to be believable. Overall, a fun movie that looks at superhero's actual character instead of their powers.

Cute, charming, and clever

[laughlin-254 · 8/10 · 3 March 2015]

I kept thinking throughout that "this is an extremely clever way to make a low budget, independent film about super heroes." Instead of the Batman/Superman/Ironman method with big stars and huge special effects, the film chose to focus on the sidekicks (non-stars) in the super hero world, so it helped that the actors were all non-stars themselves. And the fact that several were ex-super heroes meant that you could do most scenes without costumes and elaborate effects. And the few times that flashbacks were needed to explain previous super hero exploits, those were handled capably with animation. A very clever "hack." So, overall, I thought it was a very smart "moneyball" approach to making a film. Plus I liked the emotional core of the film -- the somewhat Oedipal struggle between KD, Dynamic Man, and Electra Girl. Which all got neatly resolved at the end. Who knew that super heroes just wanted to stay home and bake pies?

Superhero Character Study

[hollywoodthegame · 10/10 · 28 July 2015]

I had the pleasure of seeing "I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick" at a festival screening and I really enjoyed it. The indie is a character study set in a world of superheroes.

Larry used to be the sidekick for this world's Superman, but after a bad falling out with his mentor, he left the world of superhero-ing behind. Now he struggles to get through basic day to day stuff. He befriends an anti-superhero protester and it makes him reevaluate his life.

One of my favorite aspects of the flick was that the world was clearly established within moments of the movie beginning. This is a world with heroes and villains. People with powers that do everyday things. The movie is well directed with a lighthearted vibe and a clear dramatic arc. The cast is likable and I was rooting for Larry to step up. There are cutaway animated sequences used to flashback to key moments in Larry's superhero career that look fantastic and set an awesome tone. I would love to watch an animated spin off of Larry's years as Kid Dynamic.

I recommend this to anyone that wants to see a different side of superheroes.

Extremely clever take to the super hero genre

[vvowell · 9/10 · 9 August 2015]

J Hanna's approach to the super hero genre was both extremely creative and smart. The use of animation and a story line that highlighted the adventures of the side kicks (instead of the super heros themselves) proved that Hanna is an able director and writer.

With a likable cast, Hanna creates a world that's both incredibly real and yet somehow off kilter. I was a Teenage Super Hero Sidekick is a charming movie for the whole family.

I look forward to seeing more of Hanna's films as his budgets and scripts grow from the world of super low budget independents to studio films.

Well done!

Fun take on super heroes

[urbancowgirlsrock-71134 · 8/10 · 7 August 2015]

Super cute and creative way to look at superheroes... Less tent-pole, more back- story... Amazing what J Hanna did on a low budget indie. If you go back to story telling, you can do a super hero movie without big budget effects. Definitely seems like a passion project where blood, sweat and tears were put into it. My favorite was the Frog King played by Andre Antwan who added a definite comedic element to the story. Barrett Mitchell gives a charming turn as Larry/Kid Dynamic who falls for a girl who hates superheroes. But I guess you would too if one of them destroyed your families home. Also fun to see the locations that were used that are in the town that I live. Overall, well done!

I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick RULES!

[michaeljestrin · 9/10 · 19 May 2015]

What a fun, novel concept! Really liked the film's humorous exploration of the personal struggles of comic book heroes, and of course, sidekicks! I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick shows that there's actually a lot more happening with comic book characters than the typical hero vs. villain battle, and the writer/director is smart to tell the story of a sidekick who has quit the life. That said, the film still feels like a comic book movie, not just because of the subject matter, but also because of the excellent graphic interstitials, which both move the story forward and give the movie a very cool look.

The comic tone is unique, kind of a weird world played totally straight. That makes for a fun ride because although these characters are takes on comic book tropes, the film treats them as if they're real people, which in turn makes their problems real and relatable. And personally, I couldn't stop laughing whenever the Frog King was on screen.

There's a lot to like about this movie! Highly recommend giving it a go.

Whimsical Superhero Movie

[slacepgh · 8/10 · 13 February 2016]

This feature movie is an original and whimsical jaunt into the genre of Superhero movies.

It incorporates a human romantic plot within the Superhero context. So, the superheroes have romantic problems, which need to be solved at the human level. However, they use some New Age philosophies and techniques to solve their problems. The physician psychologist, Dr. Dent (Milena Mortati), is a yoga instructor who teaches her patient, the Superhero sidekick, Kid Dynamic (Barrett Mitchell), yoga as a method to resolve his problems. Her office is a park. These problems are initiated by a new girlfriend Kid Dynamic has just met; but they also have roots in prior relationships. The plot (and the new relationship) is complicated by the fact that the new girlfriend, Susie, has a great and demonstrative aversion to Superheroes. Kid Dynamic is on the rebound from a former superhero girlfriend, the Electric Maiden. He is also disillusioned by prior experiences with his former Superhero mentor, Dynamic Man. These issues come out as the movie progresses. In flashbacks we see that some misunderstandings have developed. The Frog King (Andre Antwan), his buddy, is not without his own romantic problems, and similarly discouraged with experiences he has had with the Croc Queen. A small scene in an alley, where Frog King is bitterly (and drunkenly) disillusioned by her betrayal interjects a dark, although authentic, note to the drama.

Do both sidekicks return to the fold of Superheroes romantically or vocationally? For his future life's work, there is a surprising and fun twist at the end for Kid Dynamic.

The film uses original animation sequences, which mirror their physical counterparts. The musical score is excellent. The interplay of animation and acting brings an added creative dimension to a movie that has humor, heart and feeling.

Great movie!! Award winning writing & directing! Who is J Hanna...a GENIUS!

[yessirca · 10/10 · 20 August 2015]

I saw this wonderful movie at a film festival, and wondered, why didn't I think of that?? It seemed like I was watching it in real time, these wonderful young actors and entertaining story, developing right in front of the audience. It had a sweet, comical well paced beat and unlike some movies today, kept my complete attention the whole time. It's better entertainment than my IPhone 6! At the end, the audience of over a hundred, maybe more clapped in approval, I can't wait till Hollywood "discovers" J Hanna! When I got home, I had to know more so I did a search for J Hanna, and found this on Wikipedia....

Occupation Filmmaker, scriptwriter Years active 1998 - present Notable work I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick Awards Hollywood Reel Film Festival: Best Comedy J Hanna is an American film writer and director, best known for his work on the 2013 film 'I Was a Teenage Superhero Sidekick,' screened at the 2015 Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival.[1] The film was favorably reviewed in March, 2015 by Jay Seaver at efilmcritic.com, concluding the film is "charming enough to be a fun little movie." [2] Hanna's work was also screened at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival,[3] where it won the award for Best Comedy Film. [4]

What a wonderful film, congrats to all who made this film possible!