DEFENDOR (2009)
- Run Time: 95 min.
- Rating: 14A
- Director: Peter Stebbings
Stills
Plot Summary
By day, Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson) is a regular guy who works at a construction site, but by night he is Defendor, a costumed crime fighter who keeps Hamilton safe from his arch nemesis, Captain Industry, with inventive weapons like jars of angry hornets, marbles, and a club from World War One.
With a homemade costume and a crude “D” duct-taped to his chest, Defendor has no special powers but he’s dedicated to protecting the streets nonetheless. He battles a corrupt cop (Elias Koteas), befriends the tough and streetwise Kat (Kat Dennings) and schemes to bring down a local mob boss, all while a court-appointed psychiatrist (Sandra Oh) tries to get to the bottom of his conviction that he is a superhero.
Defendor turns the superhero genre on its head, and the result is a bittersweet and emotionally affecting take on our comic book-obsessed culture.
“The quintessential Canuck answer to the Hollywood superhero movie… Writer-director Peter Stebbings has crafted a wry, poignant drama that strikes a delicate balance between humour and pathos.” — Brian D. Johnson, Maclean’s
About the Director
Peter Stebbings
A long-time actor in film and television, Defendor marks Peter Stebbings’ first venture into directing for the screen. Stebbings has starred in such television series as Traders, Cra$h & Burn and Jeremiah. Some of his notable film credits include The Limb Salesman and K-19: The Widowmaker. Peter stars in the upcoming film Immortals, which is slated for release in 2011.