Following a character with supernatural powers living out an ordinary, monotonous life was the running theme – and overriding joke – in the deadpan, New Zealand comedy What We Do in the Shadows. Now we have Britain’s answer, with Jon Drever SuperBob, also presented in the mockumentary format. To be comparable to one of last year’s funniest films is by no means a bad thing, but this endeavour is perhaps just a little too similar, with an indistinguishable narrative, executed in the same, dry-witted way.
Brett Goldstein plays Robert Kenner, your regular twenty-something man, living alone at his flat in Peckham, London. However he possesses remarkable, supernatural powers – such as the ability to fly – after he was struck by a meteor. The British government have a stronghold over him – as Theresa (Catherine Tate) is on hand to ensure that ‘SuperBob’ is undertaking missions for them, and maintaining strong international politics. But Bob has other plans, gearing up for his eagerly anticipated – and long overdue – date, with local librarian, June (Laura Haddock). Seeking advice from his Colombian cleaner Dorris (Natalia Tena) and steering away from advice from his mother, Pat (Ruth Sheen) – it seems that for a man who can do anything in the world, getting a girlfriend really is the hardest task of all.
Irrespective of the lack of ingenuity within this endeavour, it remains entirely watchable thanks to the affability of our eponymous protagonist. He’s a well-crafted, endearing figure, and we all know guys like Bob. Much of the humour derives from how he’s perceived too, as something of a loner, and in spite of his breathtaking accolades, nobody seems particularly fussed, almost resenting him for saving people’s lives, in a terribly English way. “SuperPrick” is a common insult hurled at him in public. “Lazy shit” is another. Charming
Talking of charming, there’s a investable romance running right the way through proceedings that’s easy to abide by and root for. The film takes on the form of an affectionately conventional ‘will they, won’t they’, as you sit there, desperately hoping that they will. It adds a sense of poignancy and heart to what is otherwise an irreverent, playful piece of cinema that doesn’t take itself too seriously at all, and reaps the benefits.
Of course, SuperBob is effectively just one joke stretched out, that of a very abnormal man living a mundane, normal life – but thankfully for all of those involved, it’s a rather funny one. Having started life as a short, and now illuminating the big screen as a feature length movie, there aren’t any objections to seeing more of Bob on the smaller screen either, as a premise that has all of the makings of a successful sitcom. It would also mean having more SuperBob in our lives, and that can’t be a bad thing.
