Superhero spoofs are tricky, because most of the things that are mockable about superheroes are so obvious that they're not funny: They were underwear on the outside of their clothes, they're out of touch with reality, they're inherently ridiculous, etc. But Captain Invincible manages to do it well, partly due to a great performance from Alan Arkin (and an equally great performance from Christopher Lee as Invincible's arch-enemy Mr. Midnight), and a strong affection for the genre on the part of the filmmakers. And it's not just superheroes the filmmakers clearly love: It's a whole stew of 20th century Americana, from comic books to video games, the Statue of Liberty, and a proper pastrami sandwich.

I guess my one complaint…

Lee and Arkin star in a high-concept superhero camp film that has the powers of Ozploitation as its backdrop.

The film revels in its satire while still maintaining an interesting story. The characters all make the most of their archetypes and it even makes fun of its own special effects. The singing sequences are often unexpected, sometimes a little dull, but whenever Lee is involved it hits the level of cinema magic. The set pieces are often amazing with great payoffs, as is Lee’s ridiculous master plan that thankfully never takes over from the other elements of the film.

The plot also has some clever details by giving Captain America a fleshed out back story that ends with a House…

Superhero spoofs are tricky, because most of the things that are mockable about superheroes are so obvious that they're not funny: They were underwear on the outside of their clothes, they're out of touch with reality, they're inherently ridiculous, etc. But Captain Invincible manages to do it well, partly due to a great performance from Alan Arkin (and an equally great performance from Christopher Lee as Invincible's arch-enemy Mr. Midnight), and a strong affection for the genre on the part of the filmmakers. And it's not just superheroes the filmmakers clearly love: It's a whole stew of 20th century Americana, from comic books to video games, the Statue of Liberty, and a proper pastrami sandwich.

I guess my one complaint…

Lee and Arkin star in a high-concept superhero camp film that has the powers of Ozploitation as its backdrop.

The film revels in its satire while still maintaining an interesting story. The characters all make the most of their archetypes and it even makes fun of its own special effects. The singing sequences are often unexpected, sometimes a little dull, but whenever Lee is involved it hits the level of cinema magic. The set pieces are often amazing with great payoffs, as is Lee’s ridiculous master plan that thankfully never takes over from the other elements of the film.

The plot also has some clever details by giving Captain America a fleshed out back story that ends with a House…

The Return of Captain Invincible was set up by director Philippe Mora as Australia’s first superhero movie. Indebted to American comic books and featuring an American actor (Alan Arkin) in the lead role, the completed film was taken out of the director’s control for much post-production interference and re-edited to make it, in the producer’s opinion, more suitable for the American market. As a result of this interference, many in the Australian film industry felt that the film did not succeed as a genuine Australian movie and thus should not qualify for the then lucrative tax exemptions offered Australian film productions. Director Mora protested the recutting of his film but eventually lost the case.

Alan Arkin stars as the eponymous…