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SLIFF: 'Special'

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: November 17, 2008 - "Special" is something of a one-joke movie, but it's a pretty good - and ultimately touching - one. The hero, Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) is living a simple but dull life reading comic books and working in traffic-meter violations when he signs on to test a new anti-depressant product called "Special." Unfortunately, there are side effects.

Like making him think he can fly.

And read minds.

And walk through solid matter.

With skills like those, what can he do but improvise a costume (hoodie and kneepads) and wage war against crime?

Though the technical quality is barely adequate and the film's approach to psychological disorders could be considered somewhat less than sensitive, "Special" squeaks by on a consistent level of silliness, held together by the aggressive cluelessness of Rapaport .

To see the trailer, click here