Superlópez is a 2018 Spanish

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

comedy film directed by

Javier Ruiz Caldera Javier Ruiz Caldera (born 1976) is a Spanish film director, primarily known for his comedy films. Biography Born in Viladecans, province of Barcelona, in 1976, Javier Ruiz Caldera graduated from the ESCAC in 2000. Following his beginnings in c ...

based on the comic strip of the same name.

Plot

In the planet Chitón the scientist Jan has created the "ultimative weapon" to fight against the evil dictator Skorba: a baby with

superpowers A superpower is a state with a dominant position characterized by its extensive ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined means of economic, military, technological, political and cultural st ...

. He sends him in a spaceship to Earth, but Ágata, Skorba's daughter, follows him in another spaceship to capture him. However, the baby's spaceship impacts with the

Hispasat Hispasat is the operating company for a number of Spanish communications satellites that cover the Americas, Europe and North Africa from orbital positions 30.0° West and 61.0° West. It was formed in 1989 and its activities include provision ...

satellite, so he lands on Spain, whereas Ágata lands in United States. The baby is adopted by the López family, who teach him to hide his powers, to not make other people jealous of him. Years later, López is his 30s and has a normal life only using his powers when nobody is watching. In his office his boss and friend Jaime hires Luisa. Jaime is romantically interested in Luisa, but she is more interested in López and they both go on a date. After the date, a subway loses control and López manages to stop it. Footage of this rescue is seen by Ágata, who is now the owner of the biggest tech company in the world. Ágata creates an ultrasound machine with a message that can only be heard by López, asking him to meet her. He complies and is informed of his true origin. He goes to his parents’ house to confront them and they show him the spaceship. López accidentally activates a

holographic Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other Holography#Applications, applic ...

message of his biological father, explaining his original planet conflict. His (Earth) parents convince him to try to learn how to use his powers and, after many trials and errors he finally discovers how to fly. Ágata kidnaps Jaime and Luisa. López manages to rescue them and they go to the house of the parents of López. There Ágata attacks them with a giant

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...

robot. López's father distracts Ágata by firing a shotgun at her before being sucked into the mech's vacuum, while López attempts to put on his suit despite the hot weather. With the help of his parents and friends, he finally embraces his abilities to become Superlópez and takes on the robot. Ágata sucks him in, only to push him out and cause him to land within

Camp Nou Camp Nou (, meaning ''new field'', often referred to in English as the Nou Camp), officially branded as Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship and financial reasons, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It has been the home stadium of FC Barcelo ...

during a match between

F.C. Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional Football team, football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish footb ...

and

Villareal CF Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. ( ca-valencia, Vila-real Club de Futbol, S.A.D.), usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or simply Villarreal, is a professional football club based in Villarreal, in the Castellón province of eastern Spain, t ...

. Juan rips out the goal net but misaims and tosses it at his Earth mother. Ágata captures her, before stamping López into the ground. Before she tries to kill him via buzzsaw, Jamie distracts her, while Luisa drives the López's truck. Regaining consciousness over Luisa's cries, López uses his ice breath on the windshield and pushes it into the pool as the mech trips over the Lópezes's truck. López's adoptive parents and Jamie come out of the pool safe, followed by Ágata. López's adoptive mother reminds him that his home planet is still waiting for his help, before he tells her to not worry as he has a plan. Days later, Skorba's spaceship returns to Chitón with Ágata, carrying the man from the park who everyone believed as "Juan", and appoints him as the planet's new leader. Back on Earth, Juan now becomes a proper superhero, much to the disdain of the press and general public. Luisa and López start dating, while the latter points towards the man who called him Superlópez before he teleports away, leaving behind a pacifier.

Cast

Dani Rovira Daniel Rovira de Rivas (born 1 November 1980) is a Spanish comedian and actor. Career Early career After graduating in Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Granada, he started touring with Paramount Comedy, performin ...

as "

Superlópez Superlópez is a Spanish comic book character created by Jan. Created in 1973, Superlópez is a parody of Superman. Born ''Jo-Con-Él'' (translated as ''Damn-with-him'') on the planet ''Chitón'' (Spanish slang meaning something like ''Shut up!' ...

" *

Alexandra Jiménez Alexandra Jiménez Arrechea (born 4 January 1980) is a Spanish actress. She became popular for her role as África Sanz in the sitcom ''Los Serrano''. She starred in the TV series ''La pecera de Eva'', broadcast between 2010 and 2011. Between 201 ...

as Luisa Lanas * Julián López as Jaime González *

Pedro Casablanc Pedro Manuel Ortiz Domínguez (born 1963), best known by his stage name of Pedro Casablanc, is a Moroccan-born actor known for his many stage, film and television performances in Spain. Biography Pedro Manuel Ortiz Domínguez was born in Casabl ...

as adoptive López father *

Gracia Olayo Gracia Olayo (born 19 August 1957) is a Spanish stage, television and film actress. Biography Gracia Olayo was born in Madrid on 19 August 1957, into a family of 19 siblings. She has another twin sister, Sole Olayo, also an actress. She worked ...

as adoptive López mother *

Maribel Verdú María Isabel Verdú Rollán (; born 2 October 1970) is a Spanish actress. Some of her film credits include performances in '' Lovers'', ''Belle Époque'', ''Y tu mamá también'', ''Pan's Labyrinth'', '' The Blind Sunflowers'' and ''Snow Whi ...

as Ágata Müller * Ferrán Rañé as Skorba *

Gonzalo de Castro Gonzalo de Castro (born 2 February 1963, in Madrid) is a Spanish actor. Biography He studied law and graduated at age 23, but soon he decided to pursue acting. He debuted in the theatre play ''Por los pelos'' (1992). He had small roles in films a ...

as Jan, López biological father

Reception

Box office

The film had the best opening weekend of 2018 after it was released on 23 November 2018, grossing 2.3 million euros from an attendance of 377,501. After only two weeks of its release, the film had grossed more than 7 million euros by 10 December 2018, making it the third highest-grossing Spanish film of 2018. By the end of the year, with a box-office taking of €10.3 million, it had become the second highest grossing Spanish film of 2018 in Spain, after ''

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the Victory, victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and w ...

''.

Critical reception

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The movie received generally positive reviews. Oti Rodríguez in ''ABC'' describes it as "a surrealist cross between the

sainete A sainete (farce or titbit) was a popular Spanish comic opera piece, a one-act dramatic vignette, with music. It was often placed at the end of entertainments, or between other types of performance. It was vernacular in style, and used scenes of lo ...

, the grotesque and the joke about a serious matter (

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

) that has completely lost any hint of sensibility". Beatriz Martínez in ''El Periódico'' says that is an "intelligent comedy of adventures that through an addictive rhythm reflects on the Spanish idiosyncrasy, mediocrity and mediocrity as engines that drive our society". More negative is Javier Ocaña in ''

El País ''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...

'' who says "Nothing is wrong: neither the interpreters nor the situations nor the dialogues nor the direction. And, nevertheless, not a grimace, because nothing is good enough to provoke a certain merrymaking".

References