The Flying Man (2013)

Film Perfection

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"The Flying Man" is a 9-minute live action short film from 3 years ago written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Marcus Alqueres. It becomes fairly obvious in this film that he is a prolific visual effects artist, but it also shows that he is not very experienced as the main man in charge. The story here is not particularly interesting and the film is really only that famous on Youtube as superhero films are really really popular right now. I have no interest in watching this one again or in watching a full feature film based on this short at some point. Overall, it dragged a bit even at that short runtime. The superhero sequences early on and at the very end were not interesting at all to me, at least the middle part had a bit of a story and characters. I do not recommend the watch. Thumbs down.

A new flying superhero has arrived in town however this one appears to be targeting specific people to kill them – dropping them from the sky or in front of trains etc. It soon becomes apparent that his targets are criminals which, while not morally right, makes the criminal community nervous – not least of which is Mike, a former cop driving to a gun deal.This short film is another one that feels like a pitch to get something bigger off the ground and to be fair it is an ambitious film that aims for the crowded superhero market. This is a little different though, since the Flying Man of the title is a vigilant who has decided to kill those who break the law. We open with a news footage montage of this happening with commentary over it – this gives the film an edge of realism but also buys the effects some love since the "grabbed footage" means more distant and less clarity. From here we step into the car with Mike and Rob and now the action is dialogue driven with only the wait for the flying man to potentially drop in. This section is not as good as it needed to be – there isn't enough added about the characters and the "wait for it" aspect is pretty much the whole deal.Of course this aspect is still very good and is restrained in what it does. The return for the final minutes is again technically very impressive and the conclusion leaves open questions and room for more. I liked the focus on Mike rather than the flying man since this makes the short be more than just a series of effects shots, although of course it is still easy to see it as such. Worth a look for the dark edge and the nice tense air it has throughout.

I hope it gets green-lit for development, then I hope they follow the vision through to a truly thought-provoking product with a mind-jarring denouement.I've seen other feints in this direction: Dorman Grammit's superman fantasies in Frank Stack's "Dr. Feelgood" comics; and The Battlin' American in a Lloyd Llewelyn comic by Dan Clowes. And, of course, Watchmen.For every 1000 pop culture theorists who can deconstruct the superhero genre at the drop of a hat, there may only be one who can write a scenario and screenplay that teases something truly exciting and accessible therefrom.And it does need doing; the symbol is rife with implications, up to and including coercive fiat as the trump card of superpower nations.

Okay so we have a 10 minute short made with a cast of 3! Yes the plot around the drug/weapons deal is a little thin, but the style and feel of the moving is excellent. Love the way Rob is so casual about the whole thing without a care in the world, total unrealistic but brilliant. The character of Mike has a lot of potential for further development if a full length feature is ever made. This definitely has the potential of being a brilliant full length feature. As long as the corporates don't kill the whole thing in their effort to make money. This short has so much more credit than the utter junk that is passed off as cinematography today. Really am impressed, thanks.