Defendor
Encyclopedia
Defendor dɨˈfɛndɔr is a 2009 Canadian superhero
comedy-drama
film written and directed by Peter Stebbings
, and starring Woody Harrelson
, Kat Dennings
, Elias Koteas
and Sandra Oh
. The story tells of a mentally ill man who adopts the persona of a superhero named Defendor on a quest to find his arch enemy, Captain Industry. Defendor, Stebbings' feature film debut, was written in 2005 and filmed in January 2009 in Toronto
and Hamilton
, Ontario
, and had its North American theatrical release on February 19, 2010. It has also been released to DVD on April 13, 2010.
, Dr. Park (Sandra Oh
), interviews Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson
) in a psychiatric evaluation. At first he is confused, but he slowly opens up to Dr. Park, recalling an incident in which he assaulted Mr. Debrofkowitz, the owner of a dry-cleaning service.
He starts his story one night where he is investigating shipment docks, and assaults a police officer who claims to be working undercover. Dooney (Elias Koteas
) is a corrupt detective whose crack smoking, and having a prostitute in his company, leads Defendor to believe that he is under the employ of his arch nemesis, named Captain Industry. After leaving Dooney, he goes to a coffee shop while his description goes out on an APB. A nearby policeman hears it on his radio, and Poppington is arrested. The captain in charge, Fairbanks, (Clark Johnson
) sparks a kinship with Poppington because both of their grandfathers had served in the war, a subject which came up upon Fairbanks recognizing the trench club
that Poppington uses as a primary weapon. After releasing him, Arthur takes his weapon back and disappears.
It becomes apparent that Arthur lives alone in the government construction department that he works at during the day. His life is very solitary, but after another confrontation with Dooney, he meets Angel (Kat Dennings
), the prostitute who was smoking crack with Dooney. He is brutally beaten by Dooney's friends and she helps him recover. He learns that she is aware of Captain Industry's whereabouts and he allows her to live with him because with Dooney mad at her, she has no place else to go. For $40 a day, he enlists her help in apprehending Industry.
It is also revealed that Poppington's mother Fay had left him as a child, and drug abuse and possibly prostitution killed her some years later. His grandfather said that the "Captains of Industry" killed her. As a child he misinterpreted and got the impression that one man was responsible. Angel later reveals that she had been lying about her name. Her real name is Katrina Debrofkowitz.
Arthur's boss and close friend Paul (Michael Kelly
), becomes concerned that Arthur is living at the construction depot with a prostitute. Paul tries to help Arthur, and offers him the opportunity to come and live with him and his family. Arthur rejects the offer. Paul gives Arthur a cell phone in case he is ever needed. That night, Arthur ventures out to spy on "Captain Industry" and Dooney in a meeting, but accidentally makes himself known. After a short chase Arthur calls Paul's line before he is shot by one of the henchman's machine guns, Paul forces Angel to take him to where Arthur was supposed to be that night, and they call the paramedics.
While undergoing surgery, Paul orders Angel to leave Arthur alone. They are relieved when they find out that he was shot with training bullets. Before leaving, Angel visits Arthur, who is lying unconscious in recovery. She reveals that she ran away because her father was physically abusing her. After she leaves, Arthur opens his eyes, having heard everything. Angered at how Angel was treated, Arthur walks down to the mall in his hospital robes, beats up Mr. Debrofkowitz at his store, throws him through the glass window of his shop, and stuffs him into a garbage can.
After Dr. Park absorbs the story, she tells Arthur that what she admires most about him is his honesty, although she also says that there are better ways of dealing with someone like Mr. Debrofkowitz. A hearing prior to their meeting revealed that Paul came to defend Arthur after the issue at the mall, telling him about Arthur's delusions of being Defendor, and the judge mandated a psychological evaluation to determine if he can be returned to society or locked up in prison. A reporter approaches Paul and convinces him to let her run a story about Arthur as the Defendor, and he agrees in hopes of some positive approval ratings. People become inspired by Defendor's attempts to save lives and fight crime despite his personal risks and arrest. The judge orders Paul be Arthur's guide to reintroduce him to society, which is nearly ruined when news that he can never become Defendor again causes Arthur to nearly go ballistic.
Depressed about having to leave Arthur, Angel becomes desperate for a hit, and tries to get back together with Dooney. However, knowing her affiliation with Defendor, he instead holds her hostage, and sends Arthur a threat to not reveal anything he had learned to the police. Arthur decides to take the risk to save Angel and once again dons his persona. Kat manages to escape Dooney by shooting off his testicles and the pair reunite. She is devastated when he reveals he still plans to go after Captain Industry, and tells him that she lied about the identity of Captain Industry due to a personal vendetta she has with him. She orders Arthur to take a gun she stole from Dooney for safety.
He reveals his plans to the police but escapes before they can take him into custody again, leading a trail of road flares to the docks. Defendor manages to subdue Industry's henchmen, but does not defend himself against Industry who fatally shoots him. As Arthur lays dying, Angel runs to help him. She promises to stop smoking crack and to get a job outside of prostitution. In an earlier conversation Kat revealed she had always had a talent in writing, that Arthur had described as being "like Lois Lane
". She promises to be like her and Arthur dies in her arms.
Later, it is revealed that Dooney and Captain Industry were arrested for their crimes. Dooney is sentenced to 26 years in prison and Industry is extradited to a prison in his home country. Arthur's legacy lives on, as a memorial is held for Defendor under a spray paint mural that was drawn in his honor. Dr. Park and her daughter attend as well, remembering the man and inspired by the hero that no one could see. The last shot of the film is of Angel sitting at her typewriter, writing stories as a wasp flies into the room.
' first produced screenplay and his debut as a director. He wrote the first draft of his Defendor script in 2005 when the idea came to him "in one whole piece". He failed to sell the script to numerous major Hollywood
studios because it did not fit into a particular genre; he said that "[The studios] didn't want to touch it, but all the actors and their agents wanted to." Nicholas Tabarrok of independent production company Darius Films agreed to back the project after he "was hooked from the very first read", and agreed to fly Stebbings from Toronto
to Los Angeles
so that he could meet the actors. Ellen Page
was at one stage attached to star when production was slated to begin in 2007, but pulled out. He collected financing from Canadian film fund Telefilm Canada
—about one quarter of the film's C$
4 million budget—and "turn[ed] over stones to find the rest". After he added all of his personal savings, the film was still $100,000 under its financial requirements. Though principal photography
was scheduled to take place from November 21 through December 17, 2008, it was delayed until mid-January 2009 and continued through the end of January. Filming took place in and around in Toronto and Hamilton
, Ontario
. Specific filming locations included the Hamilton City Centre, Humber River Regional Hospital and a Toronto warehouse.
The producers consulted with workers from Toronto's social services, including activist Wendy Babcock
, to help Kat Dennings develop her character; they wanted people with experience using crack cocaine and doing sex work so she could create a more realistic character.
in September. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
acquired the distribution rights to the film in the United States and most of Asia, Europe and South America. The Canadian rights were pre-sold to Alliance Entertainment as part of the film's financing deals.
However, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
decided to not release the film in the United States
theatrically, so Darius Films (which produced the film) self-released the film in the United States theatrically on February 26, 2010. It has also been released to DVD on April 13, 2010.
wrote writer/director Stebbings "fills Defendor with humorous bits, comic treats dropped in quickly and without fanfare", while David Germain of the Associated Press
faults the film for its "inconsistent tone".
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film written and directed by Peter Stebbings
Peter Stebbings
Peter Stebbings is a Canadian veteran actor who started practicing his trade at the Vancouver Youth Theater when he was just 12 years old. He worked at various odd jobs growing up, including bus boy and bike courier, before making the serious move to acting...
, and starring Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, Kat Dennings
Kat Dennings
Katherine Litwack , better known by the stage name Kat Dennings, is an American actress. Emerging with a role in an episode of the HBO dramedy series Sex and the City, Dennings has since appeared in the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Big Momma's House 2, Charlie Bartlett, Raise Your Voice, The House...
, Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
and Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
. The story tells of a mentally ill man who adopts the persona of a superhero named Defendor on a quest to find his arch enemy, Captain Industry. Defendor, Stebbings' feature film debut, was written in 2005 and filmed in January 2009 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and had its North American theatrical release on February 19, 2010. It has also been released to DVD on April 13, 2010.
Plot
A psychiatristPsychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, Dr. Park (Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
), interviews Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
) in a psychiatric evaluation. At first he is confused, but he slowly opens up to Dr. Park, recalling an incident in which he assaulted Mr. Debrofkowitz, the owner of a dry-cleaning service.
He starts his story one night where he is investigating shipment docks, and assaults a police officer who claims to be working undercover. Dooney (Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
) is a corrupt detective whose crack smoking, and having a prostitute in his company, leads Defendor to believe that he is under the employ of his arch nemesis, named Captain Industry. After leaving Dooney, he goes to a coffee shop while his description goes out on an APB. A nearby policeman hears it on his radio, and Poppington is arrested. The captain in charge, Fairbanks, (Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
) sparks a kinship with Poppington because both of their grandfathers had served in the war, a subject which came up upon Fairbanks recognizing the trench club
Trench raiding club
Trench raiding clubs were homemade mêlée weapons used by both the Allies and the Central Powers during World War I. Clubs were used during nighttime trench raiding expeditions as a quiet and effective way of killing or wounding enemy soldiers. The clubs were usually made out of wood. It was common...
that Poppington uses as a primary weapon. After releasing him, Arthur takes his weapon back and disappears.
It becomes apparent that Arthur lives alone in the government construction department that he works at during the day. His life is very solitary, but after another confrontation with Dooney, he meets Angel (Kat Dennings
Kat Dennings
Katherine Litwack , better known by the stage name Kat Dennings, is an American actress. Emerging with a role in an episode of the HBO dramedy series Sex and the City, Dennings has since appeared in the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Big Momma's House 2, Charlie Bartlett, Raise Your Voice, The House...
), the prostitute who was smoking crack with Dooney. He is brutally beaten by Dooney's friends and she helps him recover. He learns that she is aware of Captain Industry's whereabouts and he allows her to live with him because with Dooney mad at her, she has no place else to go. For $40 a day, he enlists her help in apprehending Industry.
It is also revealed that Poppington's mother Fay had left him as a child, and drug abuse and possibly prostitution killed her some years later. His grandfather said that the "Captains of Industry" killed her. As a child he misinterpreted and got the impression that one man was responsible. Angel later reveals that she had been lying about her name. Her real name is Katrina Debrofkowitz.
Arthur's boss and close friend Paul (Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly (American actor)
Michael Joseph Kelly is an American actor.-Early life:Kelly was born in Philadelphia and raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the son of Maureen and Michael Kelly. He has one brother and two sisters . He graduated from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia...
), becomes concerned that Arthur is living at the construction depot with a prostitute. Paul tries to help Arthur, and offers him the opportunity to come and live with him and his family. Arthur rejects the offer. Paul gives Arthur a cell phone in case he is ever needed. That night, Arthur ventures out to spy on "Captain Industry" and Dooney in a meeting, but accidentally makes himself known. After a short chase Arthur calls Paul's line before he is shot by one of the henchman's machine guns, Paul forces Angel to take him to where Arthur was supposed to be that night, and they call the paramedics.
While undergoing surgery, Paul orders Angel to leave Arthur alone. They are relieved when they find out that he was shot with training bullets. Before leaving, Angel visits Arthur, who is lying unconscious in recovery. She reveals that she ran away because her father was physically abusing her. After she leaves, Arthur opens his eyes, having heard everything. Angered at how Angel was treated, Arthur walks down to the mall in his hospital robes, beats up Mr. Debrofkowitz at his store, throws him through the glass window of his shop, and stuffs him into a garbage can.
After Dr. Park absorbs the story, she tells Arthur that what she admires most about him is his honesty, although she also says that there are better ways of dealing with someone like Mr. Debrofkowitz. A hearing prior to their meeting revealed that Paul came to defend Arthur after the issue at the mall, telling him about Arthur's delusions of being Defendor, and the judge mandated a psychological evaluation to determine if he can be returned to society or locked up in prison. A reporter approaches Paul and convinces him to let her run a story about Arthur as the Defendor, and he agrees in hopes of some positive approval ratings. People become inspired by Defendor's attempts to save lives and fight crime despite his personal risks and arrest. The judge orders Paul be Arthur's guide to reintroduce him to society, which is nearly ruined when news that he can never become Defendor again causes Arthur to nearly go ballistic.
Depressed about having to leave Arthur, Angel becomes desperate for a hit, and tries to get back together with Dooney. However, knowing her affiliation with Defendor, he instead holds her hostage, and sends Arthur a threat to not reveal anything he had learned to the police. Arthur decides to take the risk to save Angel and once again dons his persona. Kat manages to escape Dooney by shooting off his testicles and the pair reunite. She is devastated when he reveals he still plans to go after Captain Industry, and tells him that she lied about the identity of Captain Industry due to a personal vendetta she has with him. She orders Arthur to take a gun she stole from Dooney for safety.
He reveals his plans to the police but escapes before they can take him into custody again, leading a trail of road flares to the docks. Defendor manages to subdue Industry's henchmen, but does not defend himself against Industry who fatally shoots him. As Arthur lays dying, Angel runs to help him. She promises to stop smoking crack and to get a job outside of prostitution. In an earlier conversation Kat revealed she had always had a talent in writing, that Arthur had described as being "like Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
". She promises to be like her and Arthur dies in her arms.
Later, it is revealed that Dooney and Captain Industry were arrested for their crimes. Dooney is sentenced to 26 years in prison and Industry is extradited to a prison in his home country. Arthur's legacy lives on, as a memorial is held for Defendor under a spray paint mural that was drawn in his honor. Dr. Park and her daughter attend as well, remembering the man and inspired by the hero that no one could see. The last shot of the film is of Angel sitting at her typewriter, writing stories as a wasp flies into the room.
Cast
- Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
as Arthur Poppington/Defendor - Kat DenningsKat DenningsKatherine Litwack , better known by the stage name Kat Dennings, is an American actress. Emerging with a role in an episode of the HBO dramedy series Sex and the City, Dennings has since appeared in the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Big Momma's House 2, Charlie Bartlett, Raise Your Voice, The House...
as Katerina "Kat" Debrofkowitz, a young prostitute - Sandra OhSandra OhSandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
as Dr. Park, Arthur's psychiatrist - Elias KoteasElias KoteasElias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
as Chuck Dooney, a corrupt police detective - Michael KellyMichael Kelly (American actor)Michael Joseph Kelly is an American actor.-Early life:Kelly was born in Philadelphia and raised in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the son of Maureen and Michael Kelly. He has one brother and two sisters . He graduated from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia...
as Paul Carter - Lisa RayLisa RayLisa Ray , born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress and former model.-Early life:Lisa Ray was born in Toronto to a Bengali Indian father and a Polish mother and grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke...
as Dominique Ball - Max Dreesen as young Arthur
- Graham AbbeyGraham AbbeyGraham Abbey in Toronto, Ontario is a Canadian film, television and stage actor.- History :...
as Constable Mike - Kristin Booth as Wendy Carter
- Dakota GoyoDakota GoyoDakota Avery Goyo is a Canadian child actor.Goyo was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Debra, a former model and singer who manages his career, and David Goyo. He has two siblings, Devon and Dallas....
as Jack Carter - Charlotte SullivanCharlotte SullivanCharlotte Sullivan is a Canadian actress. Her first on-screen role was an extra in a Liza Minelli music video. She has had a starring role in The New Ghostwriter Mysteries and Harriet the Spy as well as smaller parts in How to Deal and Fever Pitch...
as Fay Poppington
Production
Defendor is actor Peter StebbingsPeter Stebbings
Peter Stebbings is a Canadian veteran actor who started practicing his trade at the Vancouver Youth Theater when he was just 12 years old. He worked at various odd jobs growing up, including bus boy and bike courier, before making the serious move to acting...
' first produced screenplay and his debut as a director. He wrote the first draft of his Defendor script in 2005 when the idea came to him "in one whole piece". He failed to sell the script to numerous major Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
studios because it did not fit into a particular genre; he said that "[The studios] didn't want to touch it, but all the actors and their agents wanted to." Nicholas Tabarrok of independent production company Darius Films agreed to back the project after he "was hooked from the very first read", and agreed to fly Stebbings from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
so that he could meet the actors. Ellen Page
Ellen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
was at one stage attached to star when production was slated to begin in 2007, but pulled out. He collected financing from Canadian film fund Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
—about one quarter of the film's C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
4 million budget—and "turn[ed] over stones to find the rest". After he added all of his personal savings, the film was still $100,000 under its financial requirements. Though principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
was scheduled to take place from November 21 through December 17, 2008, it was delayed until mid-January 2009 and continued through the end of January. Filming took place in and around in Toronto and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Specific filming locations included the Hamilton City Centre, Humber River Regional Hospital and a Toronto warehouse.
The producers consulted with workers from Toronto's social services, including activist Wendy Babcock
Wendy Babcock
Wendy Babcock was a Canadian activist for the rights of sex workers. Born in the city of Toronto, Babcock became a sex worker at the age of 15...
, to help Kat Dennings develop her character; they wanted people with experience using crack cocaine and doing sex work so she could create a more realistic character.
Release
Defendor had its world premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival2009 Toronto International Film Festival
The 34th annual Toronto International Film Festival, was held held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 10 and September 19, 2009. The opening night gala presented the Charles Darwin biography Creation...
in September. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company specializes in acquiring and producing films for a wide variety of distribution platforms, but the group's main focus is non-theatrical markets .SPWA was formerly a division of Sony Pictures Home...
acquired the distribution rights to the film in the United States and most of Asia, Europe and South America. The Canadian rights were pre-sold to Alliance Entertainment as part of the film's financing deals.
However, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company specializes in acquiring and producing films for a wide variety of distribution platforms, but the group's main focus is non-theatrical markets .SPWA was formerly a division of Sony Pictures Home...
decided to not release the film in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theatrically, so Darius Films (which produced the film) self-released the film in the United States theatrically on February 26, 2010. It has also been released to DVD on April 13, 2010.
Reception
Defendor received a 65% (fresh) Rotten Tomato rating from critics, the majority praising Woody Harrelson's performance as the driving force of the film. Linda Barnard of the Toronto StarToronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
wrote writer/director Stebbings "fills Defendor with humorous bits, comic treats dropped in quickly and without fanfare", while David Germain of the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
faults the film for its "inconsistent tone".