Movies

Before Superman and Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn skewered superheroes in The Specials

BBG News

To catch a glimpse of what pop culture might look like in 2025 based on early 2000 trends, you wouldn’t have needed to watch episodes of ER, or blockbuster hits such as Gladiator or The Perfect Storm. Instead, simply visiting one of the two North American cinemas screening The Specials during its release would have sufficed. This superhero comedy was directed by Craig Mazin, who later became the showrunner for The Last of Us. The script and acting in the movie were handled by James Gunn.

Incredibly, it was during this chaotic comedy skit that Gunn crossed paths with producer and agent Peter Safran, who would later become a key figure at DC Studios alongside the director of Guardians of the Galaxy. The foundations for cultural phenomena such as The Last of Us and Superman, which would dominate pop culture in 2025, were laid in The Specials. Yet, it’s important to note that this film from 2000 doesn’t necessarily bring to mind the quality or success of productions like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 or Chernobyl.

In the book “Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz“, Chip Kidd notes that the initial artwork for the early Peanuts comics is captivating when considered against their ultimate development. The foundations of the iconic characters are visible, but they still have a considerable journey ahead. Recognizing their future transformations adds an extra layer of fascination to their first appearances, much like viewing baby photos of famous personalities.

In Gunn’s work, you can immediately notice his penchant for blending superheroes with everyday issues – a characteristic reminiscent of a novice artist. But remember, these early attempts by Gunn are similar to the initial Peanuts comic strips.

As a follower in The Specials, I’m part of a superhero team that’s often referred to as one of the top six or seven teams globally. Our leader, The Strobe, played by Thomas Haden Church, is a bit self-centered and uptight. We also have members like The Weevil (Rob Lowe) and Power Chick (Kelly Coffield). A new recruit, Nightbird (Jordan Ladd), joins us as the story unfolds, according to Gunn’s script. There’s a lot of tension within our team, and we haven’t had many chances to show our full superhero abilities. But when the prospect of becoming action figures arises, there’s a glimmer of hope that long-overdue respect might come our way, even for characters like the blue-skinned Amok (Jamie Kennedy).

In “The Specials”, we delve into a tale focusing on the everyday lives of these peculiar superheroes. Unlike typical superhero stories, there are no supervillains to battle. Instead, we see conflicts such as Strobe’s disagreements with his partner, Ms. Indestructible (Paget Brewster), or Minute Man (Gunn) growing annoyed that people can’t seem to pronounce his name correctly. The show’s humor comes largely from exploring the weaknesses and quirks of these mismatched heroes, with Deadly Girl (Judy Greer) often being the source of some hearty laughs when she’s in focus.

A character with the power to summon demons, Greer portrays this role with such hilarious indifference and cynicism. Her delivery of lines like “I called forth four demons at a bar mitzvah and they ate a child” left me laughing so hard that I questioned why she wasn’t the main character. _The Specials_’ superhero satire is not inherently poor, but it doesn’t generate many hearty laughs beyond Deadly Girl. The 1990s were brimming with properties that parodied superheroes, including animated series such as _Freakazoid!_ and _The Tick_. Unfortunately, _The Specials_ fails to create distinctive or original jokes that set it apart from this oversaturated genre.

Gunn’s script might have benefited from incorporating more scenes featuring The Specials dealing with everyday life. It seems that an excessive amount of the screen time, especially in the initial 20 minutes, was dedicated to explaining their extraordinary backgrounds, encounters between superheroes dressed extravagantly, and liaisons with toy company officials. The opportunity for contrasting the larger-than-life crime fighters with everyday reality was seldom realized, save for brief instances like the Minute Men berating women in a nearby car or The Weevil being pursued by paparazzi.

In his later works, James Gunn crafted pulse-pounding entertainment from the darker side of superheroes, as seen in films like “The Suicide Squad” and the crowd-pleasing “Guardians of the Galaxy” series. Even the critically flawed but intriguing film “Super” demonstrated a strong commitment to exploring gritty psychological torment and the clash between superhero tropes. However, “The Specials” falls short creatively, particularly given its transgressive humor that leans on offensive jokes about a holocaust of elastic people or a character like Amok announcing his intention to commit evil acts against dogs. It’s reminiscent of Gunn’s earlier, overused style of edgy comedy. But after learning to blend sincerity with more graphic violence, as in “The Suicide Squad”, Gunn’s writing significantly improved.

Due to the ordinary humor and superhero critique, “The Specials” tends to be a forgettable cinematic adventure. Nevertheless, it boasts some remarkable aspects such as an extended satire on 90’s toys and notable performances. Additionally, a hilarious commercial featuring members of The Specials hyping up their team with cardboard cutouts of their companions in the background stands out. Mazin and cinematographer Eliot Rockett demonstrated expertise in crafting these types of promotional videos visually.

As a movie enthusiast, I must say that the director’s skillful handling of a vast ensemble cast in the 2019 masterpiece “Chernobyl” is evidently reflected in “Specials.” Each cast member gets their time to shine, with Greer stealing the show. Even minor characters like Melissa Joan Hart or the eight actors portraying superhero Eight (a singular character split across eight bodies) leave a lasting impact.

Without a doubt, a memorable scene in “The Specials” unfolds near its conclusion. In a melancholic mood, Amok, Power Chick, and Alien Orphan (Sean Gunn) gather at a bar. As “Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)” by Reunion fills the air, Alien Orphan is pulled to the stage. Soon enough, he’s dancing solo onstage. Over time, three more members of “The Specials” appear and join him, bringing happiness to the other bar-goers. The scene evolves into a lively dance routine as these unlikely heroes revel in the power of music and dance.

This segment, much like the opening scene of “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” ‘Come and Get Your Love’ or the theme song of “Peacemaker”, is a lively precursor to James Gunn’s later iconic set pieces. It stands out as the most enjoyable part of “The Specials” due to its distinctly recognizable Gunn flair. From the very beginning, Gunn enjoyed demonstrating that even stylized superheroes could dance while also cleverly incorporating rare vintage music samples seldom used in films. Although the rest of “The Specials” isn’t as impressive as some of Mazin or Gunn’s later masterpieces, the Alien Orphan dance sequence is particularly notable for its strong resemblance to the high-budgeted, high-profile superhero movies that would become synonymous with Gunn’s future career. Little did we know in 2000 that this dance number offered a sneak peek into so many of his future artistic ventures.

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2025-06-26 17:15

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