Name: Superwho?
Genre: Comedy, Action, Family
Released: 2022-02-02T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Philippe Lacheau, Julien Arruti, Tarek Boudali, Élodie Fontan, Alice Dufour

The opening scene of Superwho? (2022) is a chaotic mess: Cédric Dugimont, a struggling actor, crashes the Badmobile through a bank, his face obscured by a superhero mask. It’s a literal and metaphorical wreck, setting the tone for Philippe Lacheau’s French comedy that parodies superhero movies with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Superwho? follows Cédric (Lacheau), an actor whose biggest role to date is advertising small-sized condoms. After landing the lead in a superhero film as “Badman,” he suffers amnesia and genuinely believes he’s the titular hero. The premise is ripe for comedy, and Lacheau mines it for laughs with a series of escalating misunderstandings and slapstick sequences. The action scenes are well-choreographed, particularly the climactic fight between Cédric and Le Schizo (Amr Waked), which has a kinetic energy reminiscent of Kick-Ass. The film’s best moments come when it leans into its absurdity, like Cédric using his prop watch to play a prerecorded scene as if it were reality.

However, the humor often feels unfocused. Lacheau and his co-writers (Julien Arruti, Pierre Dudan, and Pierre Lacheau) seem more interested in packing as many gags into each scene as possible rather than crafting a coherent narrative. The pacing is erratic, with jokes landing too quickly to fully appreciate them before the next one arrives. Additionally, some of the humor relies on outdated stereotypes, particularly in the portrayal of Le Schizo’s gang, which feels more like a relic of early 2000s comedy than a fresh take.

The performances are a mixed bag. Lacheau is committed to his role as Cédric, even if his portrayal sometimes veers into broad caricature. Tarek Boudali and Julien Arruti provide solid support as Adam and Seb, respectively, but their characters often feel like mere extensions of the film’s gags rather than fully realized individuals. Élodie Fontan (Éléonore) and Alice Dufour (Laure) fare better, bringing a touch of warmth to the otherwise frantic proceedings.

Where Superwho? truly falters is in its lack of originality. The film borrows heavily from other superhero parodies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Kick-Ass, but it rarely adds anything new to the conversation. The social themes mentioned in some reviews are present but underdeveloped, feeling more like afterthoughts than integral parts of the story.

In the end, Superwho? is a film that tries too hard to be everything at once—a comedy, an action movie, and a family-friendly adventure—and ends up falling short in all categories.