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The Specials (film)
Encyclopedia
The Specials is a 2000 American comedy film
about a group of ordinary superhero
es on their day off. According to the film, the Specials are the sixth or seventh most popular group of superheroes in the world. Unlike most superhero films, The Specials has almost no action and few special effects; instead it focuses on the average day-to-day lives of the heroes.
The film was written by James Gunn, directed by Craig Mazin
, and produced on a small $1 million budget, which is unusual for a superhero-themed film. The MPAA
gave the film an R rating for strong language
.
The day begins with the welcoming of Nightbird (Jordan Ladd
), the group's newest member – a teenage girl with "bird powers." Nightbird – who idolizes The Specials – soon realizes that her heroes do not function as a harmonious team. Like their reputation as a group of misfits, they act like a dysfunctional family at times. One of the two greatest points of stress in the team is the slowly fracturing relationship between the Strobe and Ms. Indestructible, who are both the core of the team and a married couple. The second is the Weevil, who is trying to negotiate an exit into a more high-profile superhero team playing both on his own popularity and his legacy status from following in his father's footsteps.
The cracks begin to show as they prepare to attend a dinner in their honor thrown by Kosgrov Toys, who are releasing a line of action figures based upon the group. The event is a travesty. It becomes quickly apparent that Kosgrov did little research on the Specials, and low-balled the production by utilizing cheap accessories and recycled parts. Worse yet, the leader of the Specials, The Strobe (Thomas Haden Church
), discovers that his wife, Ms. Indestructible (Paget Brewster
), is cheating on him with the most popular member of the group, The Weevil (Rob Lowe
). In a fit of anger, the Strobe disbands the group, and the members go their own ways.
The Strobe goes to Zip Boy's (Barry Del Sherman) house and asks for a job at New Standard's Inc, a plastics company in Detroit, denying there's a problem by saying that he's great, now that he has "a great new job as a welding asshole." Ms. Indestructible spends the night watching her old wedding video and crying over a glass of wine. The Strobe's brother, Minute Man (James Gunn), who had had a crush on the new girl, Nightbird, ultimately falls into the arms of Deadly Girl (Judy Greer
), who was hurt to learn about Weevil and Ms. Indestructible. Meanwhile, Amok (Jamie Kennedy
), Power Chick (Kelly Coffield
), Alien Orphan (Sean Gunn
), and Mr. Smart (Jim Zulevic
) indulge in a night of drinking and dancing.
During the disbandment, the Weevil finalizes his transfer to another superhero team, only to find that his negative press from the Specials still follows him. Reporters focus more on his controversy than his ability to apprehend villains, and the Weevil generally finds that he has gone from being the top dog in a small team to the team runt in the larger one. The Strobe and Ms. Indestructible do manage to reconcile, and the Strobe renews his passion for justice instead of image. When the team comes back together, they are immediately called back into action and resolve to do what they've always done: the right thing. Not because it will bring them popularity or glory, but because as misfits, they've become the champions of the underdogs, the forgotten, and the outcasts of society. In the superhero community, the Specials have no one to turn to but each other, and when the downtrodden of the world need help from superheroes, they turn to the Specials. Resolving that while there may be no glory in it, there is nobility, the team exits to face down another crisis.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
about a group of ordinary superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es on their day off. According to the film, the Specials are the sixth or seventh most popular group of superheroes in the world. Unlike most superhero films, The Specials has almost no action and few special effects; instead it focuses on the average day-to-day lives of the heroes.
The film was written by James Gunn, directed by Craig Mazin
Craig Mazin
Craig Mazin is an American screenwriter and director.Mazin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Marlboro Township, New Jersey when he was a teen and attended Freehold High School which inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2010. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology from...
, and produced on a small $1 million budget, which is unusual for a superhero-themed film. The MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
gave the film an R rating for strong language
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
.
Plot
The Specials tells the story of a day in the life of a ragtag group of misfit superheroes. The Specials are decent as far as superhero teams go, but they never rise in either popularity or prestige because of their "indie" status. Unlike other super teams, the heroes are not corporation-friendly and have since struck out in creating a merchandising deal. Without the corporate or private financial resources of more well established teams, the Specials often get underrated villains, small disasters, and the occasional alien invasion to repel--all of which are deemed too low-priority for their peers. Even the members with decent powers have shortcomings that have thus prevented a transition for the team as a whole. The Strobe, Ms. Indestructible, The Weevil, Deadly Girl, Power Chick, Amok, Alien Orphan, and Eight all have decent, useful powers by all accounts, but since they all possess various social dysfunctions, they've never quite broken through the superhero glass ceiling.The day begins with the welcoming of Nightbird (Jordan Ladd
Jordan Ladd
Jordan Elizabeth Ladd is an American actress. She began taking small film roles before landing her first high-profile role in Never Been Kissed . Since then, Ladd has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films, including Cabin Fever , Club Dread , and Death Proof...
), the group's newest member – a teenage girl with "bird powers." Nightbird – who idolizes The Specials – soon realizes that her heroes do not function as a harmonious team. Like their reputation as a group of misfits, they act like a dysfunctional family at times. One of the two greatest points of stress in the team is the slowly fracturing relationship between the Strobe and Ms. Indestructible, who are both the core of the team and a married couple. The second is the Weevil, who is trying to negotiate an exit into a more high-profile superhero team playing both on his own popularity and his legacy status from following in his father's footsteps.
The cracks begin to show as they prepare to attend a dinner in their honor thrown by Kosgrov Toys, who are releasing a line of action figures based upon the group. The event is a travesty. It becomes quickly apparent that Kosgrov did little research on the Specials, and low-balled the production by utilizing cheap accessories and recycled parts. Worse yet, the leader of the Specials, The Strobe (Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
), discovers that his wife, Ms. Indestructible (Paget Brewster
Paget Brewster
Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
), is cheating on him with the most popular member of the group, The Weevil (Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
). In a fit of anger, the Strobe disbands the group, and the members go their own ways.
The Strobe goes to Zip Boy's (Barry Del Sherman) house and asks for a job at New Standard's Inc, a plastics company in Detroit, denying there's a problem by saying that he's great, now that he has "a great new job as a welding asshole." Ms. Indestructible spends the night watching her old wedding video and crying over a glass of wine. The Strobe's brother, Minute Man (James Gunn), who had had a crush on the new girl, Nightbird, ultimately falls into the arms of Deadly Girl (Judy Greer
Judy Greer
Judy Greer is an American actress, known for portraying a string of supporting female characters, including Kitty Sanchez on the Fox series Arrested Development and Cheryl on the animated comedy series Archer...
), who was hurt to learn about Weevil and Ms. Indestructible. Meanwhile, Amok (Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy
James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
), Power Chick (Kelly Coffield
Kelly Coffield Park
Kelly Coffield Park is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being one of two white members of the original cast in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color ....
), Alien Orphan (Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn
Sean Gunn is an American actor, most famous for his role as Kirk Gleason on the television show Gilmore Girls .-Early life:...
), and Mr. Smart (Jim Zulevic
Jim Zulevic
Jim Zulevic was an American actor, improvisational comedian, television writer, and radio host. He died suddenly, possibly due to a heart attack, at age 40.- Early life :...
) indulge in a night of drinking and dancing.
During the disbandment, the Weevil finalizes his transfer to another superhero team, only to find that his negative press from the Specials still follows him. Reporters focus more on his controversy than his ability to apprehend villains, and the Weevil generally finds that he has gone from being the top dog in a small team to the team runt in the larger one. The Strobe and Ms. Indestructible do manage to reconcile, and the Strobe renews his passion for justice instead of image. When the team comes back together, they are immediately called back into action and resolve to do what they've always done: the right thing. Not because it will bring them popularity or glory, but because as misfits, they've become the champions of the underdogs, the forgotten, and the outcasts of society. In the superhero community, the Specials have no one to turn to but each other, and when the downtrodden of the world need help from superheroes, they turn to the Specials. Resolving that while there may be no glory in it, there is nobility, the team exits to face down another crisis.
Cast
- Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
as Ted Tilderbrook / The Strobe: The leader of the group. He founded the Specials along with his brother Minute Man, the Weevil, Ms. Indestructible, and Stretchie Boy. He has the ability to shoot laser beams out of his arms and possesses a big ego. - Paget BrewsterPaget BrewsterPaget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
as Emily Tilderbrook / Ms. Indestructible: The Strobe's wife and secretary. She acts as a sort of office manager or accountantAccountantAn accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
for the group. She has indestructible skin and cannot be injured anywhere but her eyes. She has an affair with The Weevil. - James Gunn as Tim Tilderbrook / Minute Man: The Strobe's brother. He has the ability to shrink himself to a small size (about 5 inches on average). He is irritated by people constantly mispronouncing his name and mistaking him for a minuteman. He is also self conscious about his uniform making him look gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. - Rob LoweRob LoweRobert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
as Tony / The Weevil: The most popular member of the group, he inherited his codename and powers from his father. He has enhanced abilities proportionate to that of an insect, though only "weevil agility" is specifically named. He is having an affair with Ms. Indestructible. He also longs to leave The Specials and join the substantially more popular Crusaders. - Kelly CoffieldKelly Coffield ParkKelly Coffield Park is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being one of two white members of the original cast in the sketch comedy television series In Living Color ....
as Nancy / Power Chick: An outgoing woman with the ability to change her body into any material with which she comes in contact. She considers herself to be Alien Orphan's guardian. - Sean GunnSean GunnSean Gunn is an American actor, most famous for his role as Kirk Gleason on the television show Gilmore Girls .-Early life:...
as Doug / Alien Orphan: An alien who crash-landed on Earth. He can shape-shift, but often has trouble communicating. He is cared for by Power Chick. - Judy GreerJudy GreerJudy Greer is an American actress, known for portraying a string of supporting female characters, including Kitty Sanchez on the Fox series Arrested Development and Cheryl on the animated comedy series Archer...
as Deadly Girl: A young woman who has the ability to enter the "world of the dead" and travel through it, reappearing anywhere she chooses. She can also summon demons to do her bidding, something she says "makes [one] feel good about [themself]". - Jim ZulevicJim ZulevicJim Zulevic was an American actor, improvisational comedian, television writer, and radio host. He died suddenly, possibly due to a heart attack, at age 40.- Early life :...
as Seymour / Mr. Smart: A man claiming to be the smartest on Earth. He is an inventor of gadgets such as a smile machine and a device that amplifies his sense of smell 3,000 times. The Weevil refers to Mr. Smart as a "washout" who contributes little to the team. - Jordan LaddJordan LaddJordan Elizabeth Ladd is an American actress. She began taking small film roles before landing her first high-profile role in Never Been Kissed . Since then, Ladd has portrayed supporting as well as lead roles in films, including Cabin Fever , Club Dread , and Death Proof...
as Shelly / Nightbird: The team's newest member, a teen with very sensitive hearing, an affinity with birds, and the ability to lay eggsEgg (biology)An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. - Jamie KennedyJamie KennedyJames Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
as Amok: A former super-villain with blue skin and the ability to manipulate antimatterAntimatterIn particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
. He is extremely vulgar, preoccupied with sex, and is rebuffed (twice) by Power Chick. Amok was, at one time, jailed after capture by rival superhero group The Crusaders. - John DoeJohn Doe (musician)John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
, Brian GunnBrian GunnBrian Gunn is an American screenplay and television writer.-Life and career:With his cousin Mark, Gunn created 2ge+her for MTV, which started as a television movie and then ran as a series for two seasons....
, Lauren CohnLauren CohnLauren Cohn is an American news reporter at WTXF-TV in Philadelphia.Cohn previously worked as a morning anchor at WLS-TV in Chicago in 1993. She later moved to be a general assignment reporter at WBBM-TV in 1998. Then, she worked for WFLD-TV as a general assignment and health reporter...
, among others as Eight: Believed to be the result of a CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
experiment, this hero simultaneously operates eight separate human bodies; allowing him to be in several places at once and receive mixed sensory input. The bodies also span multiple genders and ethnicities. Eight, by his own admission, is passive until required to act. - Barry Del Sherman as Jerry / Zip Boy: Former group member who quit to become an entrepreneur. His business is finding "normal" job placements for superheroes. As the name might imply, he possesses super-speed - he can run from YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
to Bel-air in 28 minutes. - Mike SchwartzMike SchwartzMike Schwartz was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in Compton, California. He has lived in Compton for several years, pursuing a career as an actor and a writer in the entertainment field. He was a writer and co-executive producer on the NBC/ABC television comedy drama Scrubs from 2001...
as U.S. Bill: Superhero of limited intelligence but super-human strength. He is extremely obsessed with keeping his identity secret, and lives at home with his mother. - Taryn ManningTaryn ManningTaryn Manning is an American actress, fashion designer, and singer-songwriter. She is the vocalist for electronic duo Boomkat and co-owner of the clothing brand Born Uniqorn. Manning gained her first major role as an actress in 2001 when she played the role of Maddy in Crazy/Beautiful...
as Autograph Hound - Jenna FischerJenna FischerRegina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
as College Girl - Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
as Sunlight Grrrll - Michael WeatherlyMichael WeatherlyMichael Manning Weatherly, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on the television series NCIS, and Logan Cale on the television series Dark Angel.-Early life:...
as Verdict - Judith DrakeJudith DrakeJudith Drake was an English intellectual and author who was active in the last decade of the 17th century. She was part of a circle of intellectuals, authors, and philosophers which included Mary Astell, Lady Mary Chudleigh, Elizabeth Thomas, Elizabeth Elstob, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and John...
as Verdict's Secretary
External links
- The Specials at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
(43% Rotten) - The Specials at Superheroes Lives