Hyperion Humor
There is a saying don’t judge a book by its cover. In the case of The Hyperions, the saying should go, don’t judge a movie by its trailer. This is The Daily Wire’s third release in just over a year. While Run Hide Fight and Shut In were deadly serious, The Hyperions is a humorous take on the superhero genre and arguably the least political Daily Wire movie to date.
Directed by Jon McDonald, The Hyperions stars, Penelope Mitchell as Vista, Alphonso McAuley as Ansel, Tanner Buchanan from the Cobra Kai on Netflix, and Cary Elwes, from The Princess Bride, as the brilliant but emotionally distant Professor Mandulbaum. This movie is rated TV-14
The movie opens in 1965 with Vista, as a young teen, running away from Professor Mandulbaum and life as a superhero. Within the first five minutes, the movie jumps fourteen years into the future, to 1979. Vista now wants to steal the badges stored at the Hyperion museum. These badges are the keys to the Hyperion powers. Mandulbaum created each badge for a specific person. With the badge, the individual gains a specific superpower. However, Vista doesn’t want just her badge. She wants all the badges at the museum. That is one of the plot twists that prevent the story from being one-sided or straightforward.
Despite the serious-sounding plot, the movie is funny and also gains charm from its retro aesthetic. Penelope Mitchell as the main character does a wonderful job carrying the story and Alphonso McAuley does a great job in his supporting role. Cary Elwes does a superb job as the myopic father.
Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing described the film as, “about pride, family, and reconciliation – values we all share regardless of our politics. It’s a perfect movie for Daily Wire, even though I doubt anyone involved in making it listens to ‘The Ben Shapiro Show.’” Watching the trailer I could see some similarities to the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy but found no common source. Yet, as I watched the movie, the thought of those similarities faded and I appreciated The Hyperions on their own. Also, the trailer makes the movie look rather cheesy and silly. Instead, I found the movie stylish, quirky, and amusing.
The ninety-one minutes of runtime does not feel long. If you have a subscription to The Daily Wire, this is a must-see. Highly recommended!
