Defendor
A 2009 film starring Woody Harrelson and Kat Dennings. Harrelson plays a well-meaning but mentally challenged man who creates the identity of Defendor, a costumed superhero, to fight back against street crime and eventually hunt down "Captain Industry". Advertised as a comedy, but was largely a drama.
Tropes used in Defendor include:
- Apathetic Citizens - Everybody except Arthur. Apathy is a theme in the film, and even during crazy and dangerous situations, the characters, including cops and criminals, seem relatively unfazed.
- Bee-Bee Gun - Wasp Wasp Jar
- Black Dude Dies First - The henchman who was actually quite a nice guy.
- Cheap Costume - Complete with a D-insignia made out of Duct Tape.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive - The elusive "Captain Industry".
- Costumed Nonsuper Hero
- The Danza: Subverted. Kat Dennings plays Kat Debrofkowitz, but Kat Dennings is Katherine Litwack, while the character's name is Katerina.
- Duct Tape for Everything - Defendor's costume involves quite a bit of it.
- Hey, It's That Guy!: OMG IT'S CASEY JONES!!!
- For you younger viewers, it's probably more like "Hey, it's that guy who shot Dr. House."
- Groin Attack - Dooney, with a gun.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold - Arthur believes this of Kat, however much she tries to prove him wrong.
- How We Got Here - Most of the story is presented this way, with Arthur retelling his efforts to a psychiatrist.
- Immune to Bullets - Subverted and then sadly, averted.
- Mood Whiplash - And how.
- No Mere Windmill: The protagonist appears to be a lunatic going up against an imaginary supervillain called "Captain Industry". Defendor may or may not actually believe this, but in either case the "Captains of Industry" is actually a metaphor for the very real threat of druglords - the very villains that Defendor has been fighting all along.
- Reasonable Authority Figure - Captain Fairbanks, Dr. Park.
- Scary Black Man
- Super Zeroes
- The Dulcinea Effect - Essentially justified, given the way Arthur's mind works.
- The Mafiya
- To Be Lawful or Good - Or both.
- Trailers Always Lie - The trailers make it seem as if the movie is a super-hero comedy, when it's actually a drama.
- Vigilante Man: Averted. Defendor may try to beat up the bad guys and throw jars of wasps at them, he never actually tries to kill anyone.
- Windmill Crusader: Played with, and maybe averted.
