Griff the Invisible (2010) Reviews

• Griff is Great!

  doug-6972010-09-12

  I just saw Griff the Invisible about two hours ago at the Toronto International Film Festival. There have been a number of average-guys-becoming-superhero movies this year and this is Australia's contribution. However, I'd have to say this is easily the best. The best part of the film is the quirky originality of the two main characters, Griff and Melody. They are weird, funny and believable. They don't fit any stock type of character I've seen before, but appear as two genuinely original creations. At the end of the movie, I felt like I wanted to see more of these characters. Griff the Invisible is also different from all the other offerings because the others hit you over the head with the predictable moral that superheros are just a fantasy (like we don't know that) and that reality is better than fantasy. Without giving anything away, this film turns that moral on it's head. For once a movie doesn't make you feel guilty about your adolescent fantasies! The movie was very well received by the Festival crowd with healthy applause and even some yells of appreciation at the end. I think the movie was mostly appreciated for the likability of the characters, the humour, the fresh writing style and just the general entertainment value.

• Difference is a good thing, executed beautifully

  shazwoza412011-03-21

  The film centres around the title character Griff, a socially anxious young man who spends his days working a mundane office job. Unfortunately his shy nature makes him an easy target for a co-worker to bully Griff on a daily basis. At night, Griff assumes the identity of "Griff the Protector", sworn protector of the neighbourhood. His well-intentioned and concerned older brother sees this behaviour as abnormal (no really, he does) and is at a loss of how to help him. His brother's girlfriend finds Griff's behaviour attractive. This is a movie that appeals to the strange nature in all of us that we all keep bottled up inside, hidden from the outside world. The two central characters are almost caricatures of what it is to be strange and different given their loose grip on reality, yet they still manage to be believable, which is a testament to the sharp and consistent writing and the amazing performances by Ryan Kwanten (Griff) and Maeve Dermody (Melody) to portray them. At its core, Griff the Invisible is a love story. Nothing is more endearing than watching these two innocent and strange beings find each other and connect in all their strangeness. Together they create their own vivid reality, which I think the kid in all of us wishes we could be a part of.

• DIY superhero meets girl - what to do?

  bksutherland2010-09-12

  Griff is a meek customer service client by day, lion-hearted, troubled superhero by night. What are the right words to reassure victims but put fear in the hearts of criminals. What is the right look for a super suit? What are the right weapons for fighting crime. What is the line between stalking and neighbourhood watch. Are super powers something that you can invent by believing in yourself or by others believing in you. Griff's DIY approach to the modern superhero is challenged by meeting a woman of equal imagination, vision and determination. A funny and smart film with great chemistry, top secret package delivery, and real imaginary special effects. Because the problems of invisibility require special solutions.

• "Griff the Invisible"

  dee.reid2011-12-29

  Leon Ford's "Griff the Invisible," Australia's answer to the superheroes-in-the-real-world approach popular in the United States, is an interesting little low-budget romantic comedy masquerading as a superhero flick. Some people may be turned off by the apparent lack of superhero action in this film, but as the ending of "Griff the Invisible" proves, it's the "reality" of what goes on that counts. Griff (Ryan Kwanten) is a socially awkward office employee by day, and a not-so-anonymous superhero called "Griff" by night. He prowls the streets of his local neighborhood fighting crime. At the office, he's the target of the office bully, and Griff takes to sneaking in the office at night to set up booby traps to pull off the next day. Griff's older brother Tim (Patrick Brammall) has recently begun dating the equally socially awkward Melody (Maeve Dermody). Melody is a budding young scientist obsessed with trying to unlock the secrets to inter-dimensional travel. In Griff, she finds a kindred spirit, which proves problematic for her current relationship with his brother. "Griff the Invisible" is a competently acted little superhero film. One thing that may kill the experience, however, is a third-act twist that lends further credence to a commonly-held belief about the supposed mental instability of people who try to be real-life superheroes. This is unfortunate, because it's firmly established that Griff is far from "normal," but we seem to sympathize him, his relationship with Melody and his mission to save the world, but we also understand that there is nothing wrong with being "weird." Griff and Melody are perfect for each other because they're so "weird" and don't have to worry about being "normal" (like everybody else). "Griff the Invisible" takes the whole superheroes-in-the-real-world to a level not previously seen in other films dealing with the subject (like "Kick-Ass" or "Super"). It's a flawed movie, but don't let its flaws kill your enjoyment of it. 7/10

• A super-hero flavored thought experiment about fantasy worlds

  GwydionTheQuick2011-11-22

  Griff the Invisible is more about the clash between a persons fantasy world and the real world around him than being a real-life super-hero film similar to Defendor. It starts out like a vigilante film but as the film progresses it becomes clear that most of the super hero things happening around Griff only exists in his fantasy world. So you think that maybe he is somewhat mentally challenged like Arthur Poppington in Defendor. But near the end, it turns out that Griff actually wants to live in this fantasy world out of his own choosing. Even though this is an unusual approach to the real-life super hero concept it is only very briefly touched in the film by the dialogues and actions of Melody. While the film has a very strong female lead with a colorful and lovable performance from Maeve Dermody, the male lead, the titular character Griff, falls short on these issues and after the half of the film he becomes a dull and boring character. Melody represent the fantasy world VS real world issues better then Griff who seems to be stuck in the fantasy world and with the exception of a scene near the end of the film, he is like a mentally challenged poor guy who fails on nearly every aspect. I think the main problem of the film is it tries to explain its main point through Melody not through Griff. Thus, in my opinion, had it been focused on Melody, and Griff being the male supporting character, the film would be much more interesting to watch and its main idea would be far more effective.