When I saw the box art for “All Superheroes Must Die,” the first thing that came to mind was “Watchmen” and “Kick-Ass.” The two masked men on the cover reminded me of Ozymandias and Dave Lizewski because of their costumes. I was immediately intrigued when I read the synopsis and found out who directed, wrote, and starred in it.
The name Jason Trost will be known to many quirky film lovers who delighted in “The FP.” Who wouldn’t want to see another project made by the guy who brought us a movie about an apocalyptic world where people fought to the death playing a sadistic form of “Dance, Dance Revolution?” I could only imagine where he would take the superhero genre with “All Superheroes Must Die.
Four superheroes named Charge (Jason Trost), Cutthroat (Lucas Till), Shadow (Sophie Merkley), and The Wall (Lee Valmassy) wake up in what appears to be an abandoned town. They discover their super powers were taken away by their arch nemesis, Rickshaw (James Remar). The villain puts the heroes through a series of challenges that test both their mental and psychological strengths. They find themselves racing against the clock to save abducted civilians which Rickshaw is using in his insane game.
“All Superheroes Must Die” is a unique, dark, and twisted take on the genre. It’s a little slow at times but delivers some great violent spurts and causes the viewer to think about the questionable actions the characters make throughout the film. The concept of superheroes dealing with saving people without their powers leads to some disturbing outcomes.
I wasn’t wrong in my initial comparisons to “Watchmen” and “Kick-Ass” as I perused the cover of the Blu-ray. The homemade costumes and colored language the heroes use heavily resembles the Minutemen and the empathetic characters in “Kick-Ass.” Whether they were born with their powers or gained them later in life, these individuals are very “human” at heart.
Everyone in “All Superheroes Must Die” put forth their best effort in their roles. James Remar (“Dexter”) portrays the villain Rickshaw with devilish delight. Jason Trost plays Charge successfully as a downtrodden hero who is mentally exhausted by his work. Lucas Till is in familiar territory as Cutthroat, having already starred as Havok in “X-Men: First Class.”
The audio and video for the high-definition transfer of this indie feature is better than one would expect for a movie made on less than a million dollars. The grimy and grainy feel of the film lends to its necessary bleak atmosphere. The clarity of Blu-ray takes nothing away from the movie. The 5.1 surround mix adequately blends the dialogue, sound effects, and electronic score together.
A lack of any bonus material for the Blu-ray edition of “All Superheroes Must Die” is disheartening. After the great packaging for “The FP,” I expected more from this release. It would have been great to see a “Making of” featurette for the movie.
Superhero fans of “Watchmen” and “Kick-Ass” will find something to appreciate in “All Super Heroes Must Die.” They’ll be especially pleased with its foundation in reality and violent sequences which bring to mind the newer “Before Watchmen” stories being told about the different members of the Minutemen. It does get bogged down in dialogue in some spots. One big complaint I have is that it ends abruptly, leaving you unsatisfied. However, don’t let that keep you from enjoying everything else about it.
“All Superheroes Must Die” is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Download.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
“Animal Man Volume 2: Animal Vs. Man” Graphic Novel Review
Blu-ray Review: “Dredd”
Blu-ray Review: “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1
