What would you do if you found out your father was a superhero?

In writer/director Mike Doto's masterful "The Legacy," Charlie (Louis Iacoviello) is a retired actor whose near Hollywood break-through in the title role of the big-budget "Kryptoman" flick fell victim to squabbling between the director and the producer. A dejected Charlie retired to a small-town farm with his beautiful wife, Louise (Jo McGinley), and his son, Billy (Paul Butcher).

One day, it is announced that "Kryptoman" is back on track with the original cast and, not so coincidentally, 10-year-old Billy spies his father's photograph on the cover of a news magazine.

Could it be? Surely not?

Easily one of the year's top short films, "The Legacy" manages to be both a tribute to the magical, larger than life superhero films of the past while carving out a wondrous journey all its own. In 12 minutes, Doto manages to capture more of the heart and spirit of "Superman," of which it bears an almost too close resemblance, than Bryan Singer's buffed up 2006 full-length feature that very nearly killed the franchise. Actually, "The Legacy" bears more a resemblance to the "Lois & Clark" television series than any of the feature films, however, it should be said unequivocally that Doto beautifully transcends the superhero genre with a timeless story that weaves its way through lessons about fathers and sons, belief, trusting the magic in our lives and pure, childlike wonder.

Michael Rizzi's camera work paints the sort of picture one used to see every Sunday evening while watching the Disney Sunday Movie, films of simple joy and innocence and hope. The original score by Joey Newman is the perfect accompaniment for a story that manages to balance being both larger than life and celebrating of the little things we can do in life to make a difference.

The performances, as well, are top-notch across the board with delightful chemistry between Louis Iacoviello's Charlie and Paul Butcher as his bedazzled son, Charlie. Jo McGinley shines as the matriarch of this quite super trio.

Serving as absolute proof that a filmmaker need not have James Cameron's nine-figure production budget to create a film that enchants and delights, Mike Doto's "The Legacy" is 12-minutes of cinematic bliss you will find yourself wanting to watch again and again.