Suburban Commando (1991)

It's a peculiar badge of cinematic honour to be the least-worst Hulk Hogan movie of all time. Hulk plays some sort of super-powerful alien who, in coming to Earth on whatever Universe-saving mission he's on, becomes involved with a suburban US family.

Such fun as the movie has is in the alien's attempts to deal with the frustrations, annoyances and rules of suburban life. The pleasant surprise for those who come to "Suburban Commando" without unsustainable expectations of seeing anything remotely resembling a classic is that this material - Superhero Hulkster dealing with normal suburban irritations - is pretty well-handled, with a few big, satisfying laughs, and not without an element of satire.

Whether it's the director or whoever, someone babied Hogan through this one, since the film plays to his strengths (ie he coasts on the natural screen charisma that made him a star in pro wrestling), and avoids his weaknesses (ie acting) that are copiously evident in other Hogan movies.

Otherwise, the remedial comic book plot tends to take over, which is endurable but no particular fun, and Christopher Lloyd has one of his bad days at the office as the suburban family's father. Wrestling fans shouldn't struggle to spot Mark Calloway (aka the WWF's Undertaker) and might even pick up Hogan's high school buddy Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake).

Most of the good stuff's in the first half hour or so, from memory. If you're partial to some simple but effective comedy on the theme of familiar irritants in suburban life, you might get a rise out of at least that much of the movie. For what it is, "Suburban Commando" is ok.