A 1980 American action comedy movie directed by Martin Davidson, about a struggling actor (John Ritter) who stops a robbery while wearing a superhero costume, which leads him to trying again with the encouragement of his girlfriend (Anne Archer).
The film also stars Bert Convy, Kevin McCarthy (actor), Harry Bellaver, Jane Hallaren, Leonard Harris, Allan Rich, Anita Dangler, and Rick Podell.
It was released on February 8, 1980.
Tropes for the film:
- Big Applesauce: Takes place in New York City where Steve tries to get work as an actor.
- Broken Pedestal: Steve becomes a national hero for foiling a robbery while dressed as Captain Avenger. But when a reporter announces that the last robbery he foiled was staged, specifically to make him look like a hero, the crowd turns on him.
- Captain Superhero: The movie has Captain Avenger. Steve Nichols is an actor hired to play the in-universe-fictional Captain Avenger to promote an upcoming movie. When Nichols foils a robbery in-character, the hero becomes "real".
- Engineered Heroics: Steve (a struggling actor) becomes a superhero for foiling a robbery while dressed as "Captain Avenger". The crowd loses respect for him once a reporter reveals that the foiled robbery was staged.
- Heroic Fire Rescue: The film climaxes with Steve saving a child from a burning building.
- Hero's First Rescue: The foiled robbery is this for Steve.
- Novelization: By the film’s writer, A.J. Carothers.
- Posters Always Lie: The film poster implies that Steve and Jolene are in an intimate relationship together. They become somewhat close over the course of the story, but Jolene has just come off a bad relationship and has to explain to Steve that she isn't ready to begin a new one right away.
- The Real Heroes: The whole point of the film is that, in real-life, heroes are just ordinary people who step up when they're needed most, since Steve is just a regular guy in a goofy costume who decides to play the part for real and has no powers, extraordinary skills, or even abundant resources to fight evil with (he can hardly even make rent!). It gets further driven home at the end when he successfully rescues a child from a burning apartment but then gets trapped inside by a gas explosion, and two Heroic Bystanders that we've never seen before bravely come forward to save him.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Putting on a cheesy spandex outfit and fighting crime sounds like an awesome idea... until you try to foil crooks who have guns. He technically does save the day by stalling the thugs until police can arrive and collar them, but Steve is very lucky to escape the altercation with only a grazing wound to his arm.
- Tagline: "Help is on the way!"