Director and Saint Louis University graduate James Gunn, who is known for his writing (“Scooby Doo,” “Dawn of the Dead”), brings us this dark superhero comedy.

The premise of the film is of a lifelong loser, Frank D’Arbo (Rainn Wilson), loses his ex-addict wife (Liv Tyler) to a drug-dealer (Kevin Bacon) and fights to get her back. While wallowing in his self-pity, he sees a program on a Christian television network that inspires him to become a superhero and fight crime.

After an initial failed attempt to save his wife, Frank decides to visit a comic book store to research superheroes without super powers. There he meets Libby (Ellen Page), who takes a deep interest in his pursuit and eventually becomes his side-kick.

The acting and dialogue in the film were great and are the main reasons that anyone should see it. Wilson takes on his challenging role with ease and demonstrates that his talents extend beyond the slapstick humor of “The Office.”

Bacon delivers an amazing performance as well, as Jacques, the sinister drug dealer that lures Frank’s wife away with heroin.

Finally, Page is allowed to put a different spin on the role that she typically plays, and her performance definitely deviates from the audience’s expectations.

Although this film has obvious elements of parody and is overall a comedy, there is a definite dark tone throughout.

That being said, do not expect a superhero parody similar to “Kick-Ass,” but rather a commentary about the dangers of ruthless vengeance.

In addition, the film tries to embrace some aspects of the comic world but does so very limitedly. While its lack of strict adherence to genre guidelines may be seen as a downside, it ultimately reveals the multiple themes that the film tries to address.

At times, the extreme violence, profanity and explicit sexual scenes depicted in the film seem gratuitous. While it may not be for the faint of heart, this film is still considerably funny and is worth a watch.