Film Hick: Confessions Of A Superhero (2007)

Director: matthew Ogens; Featuring: Maxwell Allen, Christopher Dennis, Jennifer Wenger, Joseph McQueen; Running Time: 92 Mins; Rated: R

Lookalikes get some real stick, and I\’ll admit, I\’ve dished some out myself. They\’re kind of viewed as the most out there wannabes who obviously have nothing original to contribute – just look at them: they\’re copying someone. As with most of these invisible sub-cultures, how often do you stop and ask yourself about the human being behind the phenomenon?

So what do you learn about them here? That they are brave, somewhat damaged individuals with big dreams. This documentary works in the way the best of these films do – it makes you care about the people and it actually makes you reassess your attitude to what it means to be a lookalike.

In a way Christopher Dennis has truly come to embody some of the best things about Superman, and I have to say I don\’t see a problem in them getting some kind of remuneration for services provided. They make people feel better, pose for photos, provide amusement, so giving them a small tip is surely not much to ask.

It\’s nice to see Joseph McQueen (The Hulk) and Jennifer Wenger (Wonder Woman) having some small success in their acting careers; and you want for all of them to succeed. You see the double-edged blade of the attention their job (because it is a job) gets them when a group of them are arrested for aggressive panhandling – but them that gets some of them coverage on The Jimmy Fallon Show.

It would be really cool if someone went back in a few years and gave us a progress report on where everyone is – let\’s hope they make it.