SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Wuchak Released in 1980, "Hero at Large" is a drama/romance about a struggling actor in Manhattan (John Ritter) who gets a gig pretending to be Captain Avenger and signing autographs. While trying to start a relationship with a stand-offish woman across the hall (Anne Archer) he unwittingly stops a crime dressed up as the superhero and becomes an overnight sensation in the New York media, albeit anonymously. Can he keep his motives pure or will he sacrifice his integrity for filthy lucre? Bert Convy, Kevin McCarthy and Harry Bellaver have peripheral roles.Ritter was in the best physical shape in his life when this was shot, riding the height of his popularity with Three's Company (1976-1984). Unfortunately a great film career was not to be (the only other movie I remember his being in is 1996' "Sling Blade"). He's a thoroughly likable protagonist, but his character comes off too good to be true. His too-nice approach fails to stir up the romantic interest of the babe across the hall, who apparently prefers sharp studs in sports cars to puppy dogs with infatuated eyes.The New York City locations are great and the movie works as a period piece for 1979 (when it was shot), but important points aren't driven home as they should've been. They're there, and you'll discern them if you reflect on the movie, they're just not driven home while viewing. In the meantime you have to endure an uninteresting non-romance that may or may not blossom. Archer shines with her smiley eyes, but her character is so aloof that it's unbelievable that Steve (Ritter) would continue pursuing her. She's clearly NOT interested. Meanwhile, Convy looks great and is unintentionally amusing in his late 70's goggles.The picture runs 98 minutes and was shot in Manhattan and Queens.GRADE: C

darthmilhous This is a movie that was perfect for John Ritter. He plays Steve Nicoles, a nice guy who becomes a fantasy super hero. Fantasy because, he has no super powers, he has no super weapons, he fights no super villains. He doesn't even own his super-suit. What isn't fantasy is the hero part. He does want to save people and do good. Nicoles desire to do good usurps his ability to earn a living or pay his rent, causing him problems in the long run. His deeds go viral in the media and he falls victim to others with political ambitions.Don't expect car chases, exciting CGI, fast-paced banter, just enjoy a simple, entertaining movie.

MBunge This is a sweet but slight urban fairy tale about the battle of hope and cynicism. Imagine a Walt Disney version of the movie Taxi Driver and you've got the general idea of Hero At Large.Steve Nichols (John Ritter) is a struggling young actor trying to make it in New York City. He's a kind-hearted and generous soul, the sort who thinks nothing of telling another actor about a part in a commercial and then being happy for the other guy when he gets the role. His latest job is dressing up in a spandex costume and making appearances at movie theaters where the new super-hero film Captain Avenger is playing. One night, while on his way home from the theater, Steve stops by a corner store just as a robbery occurs. He whips off his trench coat and foils the crime as a real-life Captain Avenger. Steve's moment of costumed vigilantism is a thrill for him and becomes an overnight sensation in the New York media.Steve's heroism may be personally rewarding, but it doesn't help him get much closer to the beautiful woman who lives across the hall from his apartment. J. Marsh (Anne Archer) is almost instantly amused by Steve, but she's one of these women who think that personal happiness must always take a back seat to professional success. After getting the cold shoulder from J. and suffering more disappointment in his acting career, Steve again dons his costume and seeks out crime in the city streets as a way of escaping from his own sadness. The continuing adventures of the real-life Captain Avenger eventually attracts the attention of public relations whiz Walter Reeves (Bert Convy), who wants to use the sensation and public enthusiasm for Steve's exploits to help the mayor of New York City get re-elected. However, that will require Steve to play along with a underhanded scheme.Will Steve compromise his principles? Will J. Marsh admit to herself how much she cares for Steve? Will Captain Avenger's spandex shorts ride up the crack of his butt? Tune in and see.This is a thoroughly pleasant film that is hard to categorize. It's funny, but not funny enough to be a comedy. It's serious, but not serious enough to be a drama. I t doesn't have enough romance to be a "date movie". There's not enough adventure to make it as an action flick. It is a pretty wholesome story, so it's probably more like a family film than anything else.John Ritter is charming as the almost-too-good-to-be-true Steve Nichols. He also spends a decent amount of time on screen shirtless, so he gives you a gander at what Hollywood men looked like before the era of "manscaping" came to be. Anne Archer is lovely and appropriately frustrating as a New York girl who can't get out of her own way and accept the great guy who's fallen into her life.Hero At Large is a nice movie. It doesn't have any depth to speak of, so you'll need to be in a fairly light-hearted mood to appreciate it. If you've got the right frame of mind, though, I think you'll enjoy it.

DeanNYC There's a lot going on with "Hero At Large." Notably, this is a film that was, for the bulk of it, made on location in NYC, circa 1979. That fact alone would be enough to recommend it, because it gives you a glimpse into what the city was about at that time, how it looked, what was playing at local movie houses and on Broadway, and what was important to its residents.But this film goes well beyond the basics of the setting. And that's due to a meaningful script by A.J. Carothers and a truly remarkable performance by John Ritter.In some ways, Ritter's character here is in a similar situation to Dustin Hoffman's character in 1982's "Tootsie." He plays an out of work actor who is desperate to get a part in a play, or even a commercial just to make the rent. When he books the role of Captain Avenger, a comic book hero who is the star of a cheesy live action film, he's not the motion picture actor, he's the stooge signing 8 x 10s outside of the theater dressed in the character's costume, one of dozens of actors playing the part all over town! But on the way home from his gig, when his local grocer gets held up at knife-point, he uses that costume to thwart the street toughs and saves the day! His interest in his next door neighbor, J. (Anne Archer) helps to fuel his heroics, and he finds himself starting to take chances to help people and win her attention and affection, and to make a statement about what's really important.A surprise is Bert Convy, who was known for his "nice guy" image, here goes against type as the sleazy PR manager, who was in charge of both the Captain Avenger film and the Mayoral Campaign of the incumbent, who sees a way of tying the two together, based on the genuine heroics of the actor, that regular guy trying to make people think about a bigger idea(l).This is a New York movie, through and through, but it's the heart of the film that makes it special and that's due to John Ritter. His performance is always genuine, never hits a wrong note and is a tribute to the actor himself. It's those elements that take this film to soaring heights! Plus there are cameos by some of the city's longtime television reporters: Who knew that Penny Crone had brown hair at one time? Hero At Large may not be the greatest superhero film ever, but it's better than many that are longer on special effects and much shorter on story.