slacepgh 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.

Holly Wood 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.

michaeljestrin 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.

laughlin-254 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?