Ridiculously Over-The-Top, Unrated Horror Comedy Is A Punishing Parody

Written by Robert Scocchi | Published 33 seconds ago

When beloved characters like EC Segar’s Popeye become public domain after their copyright expires, filmmakers are free to do whatever they want with that image, for better or worse. 2023 gave us the slasher Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honeybrought to us last year Mousetrapwhich is equally violent and ridiculous Steamboat Willie. This year, our favorite spinach-loving sailor with a heart of gold enters the rankings Popeye the killer mana surprisingly violent and thoughtful film about the life and times of a man who uses his enormous forearms for nothing more than revenge.

“I am yam what I am yam”

Popeye the killer man It is the brainchild of writer John Dolan and director Robert Michael Ryan. The film takes place almost exclusively in the long-abandoned Anchor Bay Cannery, where we are introduced to our angry antagonist as he bashes heads without breaking a sweat between puffs of his corn pipe. Once the story begins, we are introduced to the cannery through the shady dealings of real estate tycoon Lex Alistair (Richard Lunello) and his lawyer Margot Harrigan (Angela Relucio). Margot raises concerns about the pollution scandal that led to the closure of the cannery decades ago, and Lex brushes off her concerns with the kind of confident confidence that suggests he’s hiding something entirely.

We are next introduced to Dexter (Sean Michael Conway), an aspiring documentary filmmaker obsessed with the local urban legend of the Sailor Man. He wants to break into the cannery with his suspicious old girlfriend, Olivia (Elena Giuliano), before the property is sold and demolished. They are joined by Lisa (Marie-Louise Boisnier), her romantic interest Seth (Jeff Thomas), and their mutual friend Katie (Mabel Thomas). Katie’s jealous, irascible boyfriend Joey (Stephen McCormack) doesn’t like her friendship with Dexter, prompting him to check out the cannery with his buddies Jesse (Clayton Turner) and Terry (Paul Cooney).

Dirty spinach and senseless violence

The reason I’m giving you a full character summary Popeye the killer man Because this is a morgue by numbers, and you need to know how many bodies we are dealing with. Almost immediately upon entering Anchor Bay Cannery, Dexter’s friends begin dropping like flies. Heads are skinned, bones are broken, shots are fired, and people are stabbed as the Sailor Man defends his land. Meanwhile, Dexter and Olivia discover the truth about the contaminated cans of spinach that left the facility, and the resulting cover-up, before its permanent closure. They have good reason to believe that Sailor Man was once an ordinary man who consumed the dangerous product and turned into the monster they are now trying to escape from.

It is what it is…

Movies like Popeye the killer manwhich exists solely to exploit iconic intellectual property in the most immature and messy ways possible, is clearly not intended to be taken seriously. Half the fun is watching intact legacy characters make all their money because it’s fair game, and coming up with confusing backstories is part of the magic. As a slasher, this entry succeeds because Doolan and Ryan put a real effort into crafting an origin story that supports the absurdity they embrace.

If you grow up loving Popeye the Sailor ManBe prepared to have your world turned upside down by a “truth” that seems to have been buried for decades, because he’s not going down without a fight. The explanation for his facial deformities, massive appendages, and shockingly supernatural strength works well in a horror context, and the lore surrounding his tragic past that pushed him into urban legend territory is truly compelling if you’re willing to go the extra mile for the love of the game.

Popeye the killer man It is streaming for free on Tubi.