Archenemy is an enjoyable film about a possibly-displaced superhero from another world who aids a brother and sister against the forces of crime. Its use of animation to tell a story on a parallel world is disconcerting and confusing at times, but is attention-grabbing. The story’s unique elements create an engaging experience despite some technical and screenwriting flaws.

The movie begins with an animated sequence in vibrant shades of color and featuring a geometric design of characters and structures. On the planet Chromium, Max Fist has plunged from a skyscraper with his foe Cleo to prevent her from using the Void Machine to destroy the world they live on. As she stabs him, he grabs the Void Machine. Entering another dimension, he disposes of the deadly device and goes through a vortex to a parallel world, our Earth.

At this point, the movie reverts to live action. We now see Max (Joe Manganiello) as a homeless man who tells his story to those who will buy him whiskey for the day.

Another arc begins as we meet Hamster (Skylan Brooks) skateboarding through the neighborhood, which has seen better days. Entering a shop, he asks Melissa (Jessica Allain) to allow him to contribute to the social media site Trendible as a roving reporter. She finally gives in & grants him a temporary account.

Meanwhile, Hamster’s sister Indigo (Zolee Griggs) goes to meet her crime boss, the Manager (Glenn Howerton), about expanding her role in his operation. He directs her to meet with a visiting drug kingpin, Krieg (Paul Scheer), and get some money that Krieg owes the Manager.

Hamster finds Max talking to and beating a wall. Hamster pursues him to get his story. Slowly they develop a friendship of sorts as Max tells Hamster his tale of life on Chromium. As Hamster shares these facts on Trendible, he becomes a big success, especially when he records Max emerging unscathed after letting a car run into him.

Indigo goes to meet Krieg, who is whacked out on his drugs. When she refuses his entreaties to use some of his product, he makes her play Russian roulette. She survives, but he blows his brains out on the next attempt. As people pound on the door to get in, she escapes through a window with the cash meant for the Manager.

When two of the Manager’s thugs show up at her place, Indigo feigns ignorance of having seen Krieg. Hamster comes home just as one of the goons discovers the stolen money.
Hamster fortunately walked home with Max, who looking up at the window sees something suspicious. Busting in through the door just as things are going south for Indigo and Hamster, he kills the two men.

Indigo now wants to take Hamster and make a run for it. Max pleads that they need to fight fire with fire and kill her boss and his henchmen. Indigo reluctantly gives in and the stage is set for action.

When this picture first began, I wondered if I was going to be watching a completely animated film, a notion that was soon dispelled. The later animated sequences tell more about Max’s life on Chromium. But breaking up that story arc is confusing as the animation appears out of the blue. The effect is choppy. Although I credit the moviemakers since it is a brilliant technique for saving money on building futuristic sets and costumes for the Chromium sequences.

The ambiguity about whether or not Max truly did come from another planet plays out well. It adds an element of intrigue since you are never really sure what is going to happen. Too much time is spent, however, on Max’s often repetitive mumble-speak musings on his prior life. This includes punching different walls at different moments.

While I liked the music of Umberto, the sound mixing left something to be desired. It was not helped by the fact that Manganiello’s speech is often very low and guttural. There were times when I had to strain to make out what he was saying over the pounding music. The inclusion of the score also seemed unplanned, as sometimes it appeared when dialogue was going on and other times it did not.

The cinematography and set design were both good. The former reminded me of the first “Terminator” film. Max and Hamster’s battle costumes are first-rate as is the hair design for Indigo.

Manganiello as Max is a little too emotionless and comes off as unempathetic. The performance could have used some nuance.

Brooks as Hamster is the highlight of the film. I loved the fact that he traveled by skateboard and wanted to be a reporter on social media, a twist on the Superman trope. His portrayal is consistent throughout the picture and rings true at every turn.

Griggs also is excellent as Indigo. She comes off as smart if a bit conflicted about what she needs to do to survive in her world. The chemistry between her and Brooks as sister and brother is completely convincing.

The screenplay could have used some work. In the end scenes, Cleo (Amy Seimetz) mentions that she has an army of 200 men with assault rifles at her disposal. Yet she is in a totally deserted high-rise with only the Manager for protection as she deals with Hamster and Brooks. Not only that, but the city streets in this business district have no people present. Even if it were Sunday, someone would be there.

When Indigo emerges from the building to crawl into the street, she leaves a blood trail that looks like an arterial bleed-out. Without giving spoilers, given the amount of time from when she was stabbed to when she appears in the street, she would be dead with that much blood loss.

Cleo’s character appears very late in the film and so the screenplay gives her too much expository dialogue that makes her seem like every villain in every superhero movie ever. She can’t just kill someone until she pontificates to excess.

Yet despite these flaws, I found myself enjoying this film as it went along. The originality of the story is compelling. I cared about Hamster and Indigo as characters.

The movie is much better on a second viewing as you are prepared for the sudden insertion of the animated sequences.

Three and a half out of five stars

Max Fist (Manganiello) claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to Earth, where he has no powers. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster. Together, they take to the streets to wipe out the local drug syndicate and its vicious crime boss known as The Manager.

Starring Joe Manganiello, Skylan Brooks, Zolee Griggs, Amy Seimetz, Glenn Howerton and Paul Scheer
Written & Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer