The film begins with a high school outcast named Rick Riker (Drake Bell). Similar to Spider-Man’s Peter Parker, Riker is bitten by a genetically-manipulated dragonfly that somehow manages to escape from its habitat. Meanwhile, Lou Landers (Christopher McDonald) volunteers to test his own invention, only to be accidentally electrocuted. The accident, however, gives Landers superpowers which he then begins to use for evil. While Landers tries to take on the role of the big, bad antagonist, Riker plays the hero with his newfound “dragonfly powers.”

Just like Parker had Mary Jane Watson in his life, Riker finds his soulmate in Jill Johnson (Sara Paxton), the blonde bombshell who is just as problematic as the redhead in the Spider-Man movie.

Mainly a chronological parody of the first Spider-Man, the film also tries to satirize other superheroes such as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Batman, Superman, and the Green Hornet. There’s even a number of pop culture references including YouTube, Facebook, Apple’s iPod and iPhone, and the highly disgusting “2 girls 1 cup” video.

There is no end to the number of ways the movie tried to make the audience laugh; unfortunately, their attempts fail more than they succeed. The plot moves through random bouts of violence and sleazy sex jokes that get tiring after so many uses.

The Dragonfly is the most pitiful superhero in the film itself. Not only is he cursed with a hideous green spandex outfit that’s a cross of Batman and Spider-Man, he’s also unable to fly like his namesake. Not until the very last five minutes of the movie does he redeem himself by finally being able to fly, and by then, nobody really cares anymore. Most of the one-liners are cheesy; they do try to make fun of the present society, but really, what kind of break-up line is, “I don’t love you, you’re no longer in my five,” even when it is a comedy?

Even the plot itself is repetitive. We’ve seen the uncle drop the hero off and we eventually find out that—yes, the uncle dies. We hear the old, repeated line of “With great power comes great responsibility” and the predictable attempt to twist those said lines. There is even a formulaic humor going behind Riker being “the Dragonfly who can’t fly” (we of course know better than to think that the entire time).

After wracking my brain in order to come up with something positive to say about Superhero Movie, I must say that at least the actors won’t be so critically bashed for their roles. I completely forgot most of them after discovering how horrible the movie was. Oh, wait, I do remember Pamela Anderson. But who doesn’t?