Boy Wonder (2010)

Undescribable Perfection

Too much of everything

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

I don't review a lot of movies. Mostly, I take what I get. This one was different. It was so well thought out and written that it is a shame that it loses points for bad acting. Had this. It been the case, this flick certainly would have earned a 9+. Even with the ridiculously bad acting of Zulay Heneo and some serious detail misses e.g. The cup and saucer grip of a supposedly experienced police officer, this movie is written so well and makes a solid statement. I liked it!It's a solid psychological view of a young man with a plan. Very believable and very reasonable. Revenge movies are generally pretty predictable and this one is no real exception, other than some nice twists on how the revenge is exacted.

A young boy witnesses the murder of his mother and years later he sets out to clean up the streets and find the culprit. He becomes a vigilante. Yes the premise is very similar to Batman. It sounded good so I have it a go when I saw it available on Netflix. I have to say this film was 90 minutes of excellence. A top notch story being told at a good pace. I was intrigued by the character Sean and Teresa added another dimension to the story. I don't think I've ever heard of any of the actors but the acting was of a high standard even during the highly intense fight scenes and arguments. The film was very atmospheric throughout as we follow Sean on his journey. The tension builds throughout the film and the ending is certainly memorable with a great twist executed to perfection. Highly recommend. 9/10.

The teenager Sean Donovan (Caleb Steinmeyer) is a brilliant but shy student that lives with his father Terry Donovan (Bill Sage) in Brooklyn. Sean has a trauma since he has witnessed the murder of his mother in a carjack nine years ago. Sean frequently goes to the precinct to see criminal photos expecting to identify the killer of his mother and he is an amateurish boxer. During the night, Sean secretly is a vigilante, seeking out brutal criminals based on the police files to eliminate them. The efficient police lieutenant Teresa Ames (Zulay Henao) has been just promoted after capturing the notorious gangster Larry Childs (James Russo) and transferred to work in the Homicide Department in the precinct where Sean uses to go. When Sean helps Teresa to change her flat tire, she befriends Sean and leans his traumatic story. But when she notes that Sean was searching in the computer of the police department the pimp that was murdered, she suspects that the troubled teenager might be the vigilante that is killing in New York City. The unknown "Wonder Boy" is a dramatic thriller with a complex and well developed story of revenge. The characters are perfectly developed and Caleb Steinmeyer and Zulay Henao have great performances. The awesome conclusion shocks and shows how dangerous it to judge based on suppositions. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Garoto Prodígio" ("Boy Prodigy")

Boy Wonder is a thriller on the heels of vigilante justice films such as Kick Ass, and in lieu of the Phoenix Jones capers in Seattle. In the vein of films such as The Dark Knight, Boy Wonder is as much a thriller as it is a dark drama. Although unassuming at first glance Boy Wonder packs a visceral punch that is certain to leave at least a mild impression.When a young boy witnesses the murder of his mother during a car jacking the crime leaves him mentally scarred. These scars fester into a sort of dissociative paranoia that causes him to take to the streets in search of crime, and where he finds crime, he roots it with violence and murder. Although the vigilante crime story is certainly an aspect of the plot, Boy Wonder works to distance itself from other films of this style by containing a weighty, paranoiac, and unsettling storyline which seems to twist tropes usually found within this genre. In the end one has to ask themselves whether the vigilante in question was a hero, or an unbalanced psychopath who garnered unusual amounts of sympathy from those who should have been trying to prosecute him. Although Boy Wonder's plot line and unusual interpretation of a vigilante hero-style movie are attractive other aspects of the film fall by the way side. The acting from the two lead roles, Caleb Steinmeyer and Zulay Henao, are surprisingly flat and unconvincing. Although Steinmeyer does come off emotionally stunted and kind of awkward it seems disingenuous, more like it's coming from a place of bad acting rather than a place of authenticity. Henao plays a rather generic character with a rather generic set of problems and kind of reminds me of the character Renee Montoya from Batman. Henao comes off lifeless with her one dimensional delivery breaking long enough for her to shed a single tear near the end. Henao's character might have been written to be a cut throat, self-centered, status seeking bitch, but she just came off as an annoying, pushy, and weak nag. I never felt the characters strength instead I could only focus on her implicit weakness, and if that was intended then it's a resounding success, but any indication at the character's personality or motivation was not translated in the acting. Some of the strongest acting came from characters who did not receive enough dialogue or screen time, and this is unfortunate because these characters usually made the movie shine. Boy Wonder is a neat concept with a satisfying conclusion that will certainly raise an eye brow or two, but it feels amateurish and unfocused. It's a stout film, the acting of the two lead roles leaves much to be desired, and this ultimately left a less than sweet taste in my mouth. Regardless, it's a decent film and should kill an hour and a half without leaving too many feelings of regret.