pyrocitor

22 May 2012

As apt and representative a title as any

To paraphrase Zoolander: "Superheroes - they're so hot right now". Andperhaps it is its chasing such a tide of success that makes MatthewVaughn's Kick-Ass - part introspective examination of the 'real world'angle of superheroism and part joyful addition to the genre crammedwith enough violence and questionable content to gleefully rattle thebars of political correctness - vaguely less remarkable than had itbeen released five to ten years prior. This is not to say that thequality of an otherwise outstanding movie is lowered simply due to theyear of its release date (to fail to appreciate the comedic marvel thatis Vaughn's film would be a spoiled audience indeed) but rather thatthe popularity of the genre which procured a mass release for such edgymaterial also somewhat does it a disservice in the sense of setting astandard one inevitably hopes the film will supersede, perhapsunrealistically. As such, those anticipating Kick-Ass providing thematic ruminations onthe pros and cons of comic book culture and the repercussions ofheroism in a 'real', internet age to exceed (or even equal) those ofother such reflexive texts such as Watchmen may be disappointed. Whilethe film introduces many such queries, they are often leftunder-explored, leaving the film feeling somewhat thematically weak aswell as not quite managing to 'say' anything exceptionally innovativein reference to its genre. But let's be honest - one would be hard pressed finding the averageaudience member to lamenting the lack of truly in-depth genreexistentialism to the point of ignoring kinetic fight scenes, and suchnotions as theme, while interesting, feel largely incidental in favourof the film's sense of high-octane fun. Kick-Ass is a film which trulydelivers what it promises, from carrying over the glorious carnage andhilarity of its preview material to living up to its title.Nonetheless, as riotously enjoyable as the film is, such a quality doesagain provide a niggling complaint - the film is awesome, granted, butalways just as awesome as one would expect, rather than truly takingaudiences off guard or pushing the envelope well past the point ofhype. You do get what you pay for, for better or for worse.Thankfully, what you pay for is almost resoundingly for better. Despitea slow start in which the film riffs a touch too obviously onestablished superhero films (particularly Sam Raimi's Spider-Man),toeing the line of 'Epic Movie' style winks at times, Vaughn quicklyfinds his momentum and subsequently ramps up the pace, mayhem and funto satisfying overdrive. With a fascinating colour aesthetic(contrasting the murky greys and browns of the city with the CrayolaTechnicolour of the heroes) and delightfully whimsical and effectivemusical score (often setting brutal violence or slapstick humour toclassical music, achieving an innovative stylistic deadpan) and asnappy script keeping the tone lively, Vaughn's film demonstratesplenty to love and appreciate. But then come the fight scenes. Whirling cascades of intricatechoreography, gritty brutality (particularly Kick-Ass' first attemptsat combating crime) and blazing gunfire (particularly jarring for asuperhero film) intertwining to become some of the most simultaneouslycathartic, uncomfortable yet gleefully fun violent interludes in recentcinema, managing to both mock and relish the sadistic fun of movieviolence, and ramping up to one of the most ludicrously enjoyable finalpayoff showdowns in ages. Kick- Ass could almost function as anexploration of the role and purpose of cinematic violence as much ascomic book culture, but whether treated as probing or entertaining,Vaughn's hard- hitting tone is exceedingly difficult to shake or to notenjoy.Particular quality is extracted from the film's magnificent cast, ascharismatic rising star Aaron Johnson effortlessly delivers overblowngoofiness while remaining intensely likable as the titular Kick-Ass,warmly centring the film whether as exasperated nerd or wide-eyedsuperhero. Christopher Mintz-Plasse adds a welcome wounded resentmentto his customary gawky cockiness as spoiled rich kid superhero RedMist, and the reliable Mark Strong offers another creation of crediblystern villainy. However, the film's real triumph lies in its unlikelybackground heroes. Nicholas Cage shreds expectations with sublimelyhilarious work as Batman-ripoff heroic patriarch 'Big Daddy', hisperformance pitched perfectly between manic hysteria and hokey charm(and a voice deliciously pantomiming Adam West's unforgettablefragmented Batman dialect). Equally, Chloe Grace Moretz is a comedicrevelation, stealing the show as hard-as-nails vigilante Hit-Girl, andnever failing to astound with exactly how far her role will push theboundaries of political correctness. Vaughn also collects a bevy ofbackground players who deliver compelling characterisations for achange, the only exception being Lyndsy Fonseca as Kick-Ass' romanticinterest, who, despite a charming performance, feels like an ultimatelymishandled and incidental character, decentring the film's emotionalarc somewhat. Wild, wacky and daring, Kick-Ass triumphs through managing to dredge upgenuine heart, exhilaration and sentiment in the midst of occasionalcontrivance or excessive convention. A definitive comment on or twistof the superhero genre? Not quite. An enormous array of pulsating,tremendous fun (ultimately the point of the picture)? A vehement andblood- spattered "HELL YES"! -8.5/10

ws8996

22 May 2012

BipolarSchizophrenicChameleon of a movie

Alright, so I went to this movie knowing very little about it. I sawthe trailer featuring a young girl cursing while wearing a superherocostume and wondered what the rest of the movie could possibly beabout. Fortunately, I left the movie thinking the exact same thing!What was that movie about?! I enjoyed the beginning storyline of ateenage misfit fighting for what is just and right in society. Ihonestly wish it stuck to this storyline. Then, he falls in love with acharacter added simply for her good looks as she had no other additionsto the movie. He gets into a fight with some henchmen for some cokedealer (a.k.a. McLovin's dad) and gets brutally beaten for the thirdtime. Then Nick Cage and young girl come out of nowhere and begin theirrole in the movie. The movie went downhill from here. It went from akid simply trying to correct the wrongs of society to a group of heroeskilling people to avenge the death of Nick's wife. It was funny atparts, sad at others, and funny/sad at the same time (not in a goodway.) There were a few parts where I felt awkward just sitting there.Was this part funny? Do I feel bad for laughing? It honestly felt liketwo different writers got together without talking about what eachperson was writing and made a film. First guy said, "heroic teenagerredeems the good qualities of society." Second guy said, "murderouspreteen girl avenges her mothers death by killing cocaine kingpins."Third guy in the corner, "How in the world can we tie those together?!"GOOD THINKING THIRD GUY.

21 May 2012

Kick Ass Blu-Ray Review

Be warned: this review contains mild spoilers. Aside from Hollywood's neverending quest to remake every movie from the past fifty years, film producers have been in an unapologetic superhero mode since the late nineties, cranking out favorites from X-Men to Spider Man and back again (they're rebooting Spidey, you know). Still even more are on the way, evidenced by news of the upcoming Avengers and Green Hornet movies. As a result nearly every marginally successful comic book or graphic novel one can imagine has been optioned for a cinematic adaptation. Whether or not this is a good thing is debatable. Sometimes we receive an emotionally gripping, contemporary classic like "Road to Perdition" (also, coincidentally, released on Blu-Ray today). Other times we're presented with godawful tripe like "Whiteout". The less said about that one, the better. Personally I think it's a good thing, as there are dozens of sharply original, brilliantly innovative graphic novels that have yet to enjoy life on the silver screen. Every comic fan has their wishlist of favorites they'd like to see reinvented visually, and my personal choices are the "Preacher" and "Grendel" series. I'd love to see what a visceral director like Zach Snyder could do with either of those properties. But the trend in the comic book world isn't focused so much on actual heroes anymore, it's gradually shifted towards the 'everyman does the incredible' template. We certainly see this trend manifested in "Kick Ass", as well as films like "Defendor" and the more recent "Scott Pilgrim vs the World". I must admit, even being a comic fan, "Kick Ass" never featured on my list of most wanted comic-films. It's somewhat original, in that there hasn't been a deluge of comics revolving around a kid who decides overnight to become a costumed crimefighter, but the comic itself was a bit on-the-nose in its themes and more than a little puerile in tone. I found it pleasant light reading but rather forgettable. The problem is that there's absolutely nothing deeper going on other than what's on the page, and as a result it's something one could read and fully comprehend whilst simultaneously watching television or chatting on the telephone (both of which I did). Of course, I'm fast approaching 30, and it's clear this film is primarily targeted towards those in their early-to-mid teenage years (which bizarrely clashes with the hard R rating, I might add). There's the by-the-numbers plotting, cookie cutter gangster stereotypes, and a youthful cast of socially inept comic loving geeks and stunningly attractive girls. In the end, "Kick Ass" is a much less depressing film than "Defendor" and plotwise it even manages to be less ridiculous than "Scott Pilgrim", but it never quite rises above the barely-adequate comic that inspired it. The performances are strong, particularly Aaron Johnson as our everyman crimefighter Kick Ass and Chloe Moretz as the pre-teen, foul-mouthed baddie assassin Hit-Girl. Nicolas Cage is the greatest surprise here, being without question the most famed member of the cast, but also known for his occasionally spotty performances. Here, he masterfully plays a slightly twisted but unquestionably devoted father by day and the Batman-inspired Big Daddy by night, replete with awkward Shatner-esque pauses in his speech. Mark Strong can always portray a convincing villan, and his role here as gangster leader Frank D'Amico is no different. Sadly, the immensely talented Jason Flemyng is inexplicably wasted (his total screentime amounts to under two minutes). Even worse, the greatest detriment to the film is director Matthew Vaughn, primarily known for his close collaborations with Guy Ritchie and for directing both "Layer Cake" and "Stardust". Though "Layer Cake" is a fine British gangster thriller, Vaughn has been riding the coattails of Richie's success for far too long now. Here, for instance, Vaughn confuses overused tropes with stylistic innovation, inserts obnoxious licensed music tracks where they're not required, and splices the action scenes with so many cuts it's impossible to tell what's really going on. Thankfully, the crew in "Kick Ass" helpfully provided explosive CGI blood spurts to let the audience know who is getting killed in what fashion. Nothing in the action scenes, however, is as eye-melting and seizure-inducing as the extended sequence in which Hit-Girl activates a strobe feature on the flashlight attachment to her pistol. The resultant fast-paced flashes of bright white light against a pitch black background will cause most in a darkened theater room to shield their eyes in anguish for an effect that essentially strangles any possible excitement out of the scene to begin with. But the crux of the problem with "Kick Ass" is its wildly uneven tone, as if Vaughn could never truly decide just what sort of film he wanted to create. The film begins by engaging the viewer in a series of silly slapstick gags along with some lowbrow teenage humor from its high-school age cast, then suddenly thrusts the audience into the realm of bloody, brutal violence when a character is stabbed in the torso. As he staggers away, bleeding profusely, he's subsequently struck by a speeding car. The film strangely expects the audience to suddenly feel genuine pathos for characters the film itself never took very seriously to begin with. It's not only the one instance, either, the film consistently flip-flops between being violent, dark, and deadly solemn to being too ridiculously silly and absurd to take seriously. Another example would be the gangster characters, who are generally quite dopey and have names that sound as if they were inspired by the Seven Dwarves or the Spice Girls (i.e. Sporty Goon, Scary Goon, Baby Goon, etc.). That makes them sound like amusing and inept Dick Tracy villans, but these characters frequently spew foul language and commit cold-blooded murder. Suffice it to say that the moments "Kick Ass" ceases to take itself so seriously are always the best scenes in the film. The score to "Kick Ass" is really quite good, the very few moments it's allowed to make an appearance. The bulk of the film's soundtrack is comprised of licensed music tracks, which form a trippy mix of every genre in the book. It's painfully obvious they were stretching to achieve a highly stylized look and sound akin to Snyder's work, but Vaughn doesn't have the chops for this sort of thing. For every skillfully used track (i.e. the amusing scene in which the boys are cruising to the sounds of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley) there are three others that sound wholly out of place. Some film school teacher somewhere must still be instructing their students that placing decades-old classic crooner ballads within bloody, violent action sequences is still trendy, stylish, or otherwise interesting. Snyder did it with "Watchmen", and now Vaughn has inserted Elvis Presley's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" during a climatic sequence in which Kick Ass is piloting a rocketpack with dual gatling guns blazing away. The Blu-Ray is presented by Lionsgate in a fittingly color-rish transfer that, while certainly not benchmark material, looks quite sharp and detailed. Included within the case are three discs: the Blu-Ray, a DVD containing a standard definition copy of the film, and the ubiquitous digital copy on the third disc. There are five special features on the Blu-Ray disc, which are as follows: 1) "Ass Kicking Bonusview Mode" - An feature-length interactive commentary with director Matthew Vaughn that also includes bonus footage and interview excepts. To give a better idea - this offers the same basic function as the "Maximum Movie Mode" on Warner Bros. titles such as "Sherlock Holmes", "Watchmen", "Terminator Salvation", or "Cop Out". Vaughn's solo commentary track is also included sans the bells and whistles. 2) "A New Kind of Superhero: The Making of Kick Ass" (1:53:04) - A sprawling making-of feature that covers every aspect of production, from casting to sound effects and even smaller details such as finding a suitable distributor for the film. 3) "It's On: The Comic Book Origins of Kick Ass" (20:36) - This turned out to be my personal favorite feature, one which (obviously) covers the source material of the film. 4) "Marketing Archive" - Includes two trailers (including the controversial redband Hit-Girl trailer) and a fairly extensive gallery of movie posters. 5) "The Art of Kick Ass" - A huge photo gallery covering all aspects of the film's production. Ultimately, "Kick Ass" is an entertaining, action-packed summer film that nearly any teenager (or excessively youthful adult) is bound to revel in. My attention was held for the entire two hours, which is more than I can say for a good deal of recent flicks (I'm looking at you, "Repo Men") and despite my quibbles the film often amused me. The film has such an excellent, original premise that it's unfortunate the execution was somewhat botched. With that in mind, fans certainly won't be disappointed with the Blu-Ray presentation, but I'd advise a rental to those who haven't gotten around to seeing it yet. Were it not for Vaughn's scattershot directing, I would've been able to offer a much stronger recommendation. So, considering I'm not a member of this film's intended demographic, and it's certainly never boring, I think 3.5 stars is a fair rating (rounded up to 4 in light of Amazon's rating limitations). Besides, there was a time when I would've adored this film, it simply arrived fifteen years too late for me.

20 May 2012

Kick Ass kicks ass!

*Review may contain spoilersI haven't enjoyed a comedy/action film recently as much as I enjoyed Kick-Ass. It definitely lived up to expectations. And as much as I love random, no-thinking-required comedies, this one actually had a few good messages, and when you add in a Sin-City-ish ton of blood and a badass eleven-year-old, you've got a little something something.Don't get me wrong, it's probably going to rub you the wrong way from the start. I mean it's totally warped. You've got a father shooting his kid in the chest so that she can get used to the feeling of being shot (although later on we learn that he used "low-velocity" bullets...awww). Said kid swears like a sailor and kills bad-guys like a tiny ninja without blinking an eye. She reminded me of the school girl in Kill Bill. So it's probably going to scrape against what's been ingrained into you as socially acceptable because it really isn't on many levels - little girls shouldn't be foul-mouthed killing machines for one. That aside, it was a pretty good flick, but you have to put yourself in the mindset of Kill Bill. It's going to be gory and off-putting but it's going to be cool in its own sick twisted way.So what's Kick-Ass about? Dave is an ordinary high-school boy, more of a nerd than anything, and he asks the question of why don't more people try to help others. Why aren't there more real-life superheroes? After being mugged and bullied, he buys a costume online and tries to defend people, calling himself Kick-Ass. The first time he gets completely creamed (and stabbed) ending up in the hospital with all kinds of metal in his body and messed-up nerve endings. The second time he gets You-Tubed sticking up for a guy being beaten up by thugs, and suddenly Kick-Ass is an online superstar.In his adventures, he meets two other "superheroes," Big Daddy and Hit Girl who have their own agenda - to take down the big-boss kingpin drug dealer who framed Big Daddy and killed his wife. Hit Girl is eleven and is Big Daddy's own mini-me killing machine (she asks for switch blades on her birthday...awesome!) Meanwhile the drug boss thinks that Kick-Ass is responsible for killing his men even though it's really Big Daddy, so the drug boss' son decides to dress up as a superhero (Red Mist) to lure in Kick-Ass and the other two. In the end Big Daddy and Kick-Ass are captured but are rescued by Hit Girl. Big Daddy dies a fiery death. Together, Hit Girl and Kick-Ass finish what Big Daddy started, taking down the drug boss in an adrenaline-filled, bullet-blasting, bloody extravaganza.The messages I got from Kick-Ass are as follows:-1) Don't turn a blind eye to bullies2) Stick up for people3) Buy a wetsuit and some nunchucks4) Learn kung-fu and keep your lunch money5) Don't let your kids watch this movie or get switch blades for their birthdayI would rate Kick-Ass three and half stars out of five. In Tarantino-esque fashion, it's ingenious, irreverent, violent and vulgar, but like me, you'll watch it and probably enjoy it.

20 May 2012

Nudity?

I rented this expecting to see some skin; nudity was listed as an R rating. But through the whole film there are only two brief shots of cleavage and two other brief implied sex scenes. As a super hero movie, it's not a total waste, but where's the skin?

Greywolf907

20 May 2012

Thank you England.....

...for producing the creator, producers and director of KickAss...already the best movie of 2010 and one not likely to be betteredfor all round entertainment!The premise is great, take an 'average' kid and place him into a worldof gangsters over his head armed only with a diving suit, a couple ofsticks and a bag full of good intentions. Counter that with a bitterand twisted patriarch grooming his daughter for death, mayhem anddestruction and you have an almost perfect movie, one that kept mewatching throughout! The balance is perfect keeping enough comic booknuance but always grounded in the real world where no one really canfly, catch speeding bullets or climb vertical walls with impunity.There is not one wasted line and the director gets great performancesout of all involved. It looks like it was a hoot to make and for me, itwas a hoot and a half to watch. Best film of 2010?It'll take some beating!

19 May 2012

Good, if not a little crude

This is not a main stream superhero story. Kick-Ass is more of a teenagers movie, with teenage topics (including masturbation and virginity). It is, however, a fun movie, a bit graphic in violence, but still cool. No doubt "Hit Girl" steals the show, totally cute, and extremely deadly - sort of a young Uma Thurman character in Kill Bill. Nicholas Cage is also good as a revenge driven father wanting to raise his daughter to be capable of anything. The scene of him shooting her in the chest before taking her out for ice cream is priceless. Definitely a good movie, but not for anyone under 15 (or so).

dee.reid

19 May 2012

Kick-Ass - No superpowers? No problem. But he can still kick your a...

"Kick-Ass" is probably the most illogical logical comic book superheromovie ever made, and I say that in a good way. "Kick-Ass" takes theidea of the costumed superhero to its illogical, logical extremes bypresenting us an everyday teenager named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson),who takes his love of comic books a little too far and decides tobecome a real-life superhero, donning a costume out of a diving suit hebought off the Internet (eBay) and becoming embroiled in a deadly mobwar as a result of his costumed theatrics.And thus begins "Kick-Ass," Matthew Vaughn's over-the-top, if nottotally stream-lined (and dare I say, slightly "sanitized"), adaptationof the comic book series created by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.for Marvel Comics, under the company's Icon imprint. I've read thefirst volume of "Kick-Ass" comics in preparation for this movie andwhile I think the comics were way better (largely because of howvulgar, over-the-top, satirical, and violent the comics were), themovie is not half-bad. In fact, it's very good, despite the manyred-flags it's raising.I laughed. My friend who was sitting beside me laughed, too. I laughedas blood and bodies hit the floor. I laughed as bad guys died horriblebut fitting deaths. I laughed as a foul-mouthed 11-year-old girlslaughtered bad guys left & right. (Yes, you read that right, afoul-mouthed 11-year-old girl slaughters bad guys left & right.) Ilaughed at all the inappropriate times (there never is a real"appropriate" time to laugh at all during this picture.) I laughed atthe utter insanity and absurdity of it all. (I laughed more-so at thecomics, but that's a different matter altogether.)Lizewski, like most superheroes in their ordinary civilian lives (suchas Peter Parker/Spider-Man), is not popular with the girls, is thetarget of bullies and street muggers alike, and is a nerd who reads toomany comic books. Despite not having any superpowers (he wasn't bittenby a radioactive spider and he's not a refugee from a dying alienplanet), it's nonetheless a wonder that he soon dons the Kick-Ass suitand makes a name for himself by taking down a trio of gang members. Abystander records the action on his cell phone and uploads it to theInternet, where it goes viral and Kick-Ass becomes an instant mediasensation with a legion of devoted followers and copycats, such asChris D'Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, of "Superbad"), who soon takesto the streets as Red Mist. And that foul-mouthed 11-year-old girl Iwas telling you about? Her name is Cindy Macready a.k.a. Hit-Girl(Chloe Grace Moretz), who is waging a deadly father-daughter war onorganized crime with her father Damon/Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), aconflict that Kick-Ass is inevitably drawn into against his betterjudgment."Kick-Ass" is a deliriously entertaining, if overly violent and totallyun-PC superhero flick. The movie shows the "real world" of superheroesand the logical consequences of their actions, which can includeserious bodily injury and death, as Our Hero Kick-Ass quickly findsout. (And I thought My Hero Peter Parker/Spider-Man had it rough.)While I disliked some of the changes (both minor and major) made forthe movie from the comics, I can say that "Kick-Ass" makes thosechanges work, including the hilarious nature of Dave's unusualrelationship with a pretty classmate named Katie Deauxma (LyndsyFonseca).I honestly can't wait for the sequel. "Kick-Ass" kicks a**!10/10

Velociraptor256

17 May 2012

Brutal but brilliant superhero film

If you're a fan of comic book movies, you should definitely check outKick-Ass – it's not a typical superhero flick, and it's definitely notfor the faint-hearted. As befitting the film's basic premise – the ideaof costumed vigilantes in the real world – most of the action isgrounded in reality (with a few notable exceptions), and while it'salways thrilling, it's also very intense and often seriously brutal,enough to make you cringe. Unlike in many comic book movies, you reallyfeel the punishment that the heroes both take and dish out.That said, when the film's trying to be funny, it does that really welltoo – there's quite a few pop culture references and mentions of othersuperheroes, but they're usually humorous and fit in well, unlike someother movies. The acting is great all round: as plenty of other peoplehave noted, Chloe Moretz steals the show as Hit Girl, and provides thebest action in the film as well.All in all, powerful action, great humour, and an interesting storymake Kick-Ass a fantastic film.

16 May 2012

It kicks at least one cheek of the ass.

I am a big comic book and action movie nerd, and in no way am I a moviesnob to the action genre. I'm the kind of guy who let things like thedance sequence in Spiderman 3 not get to me or the nuke the fridgescene in Indian Jones 4 bother me. Even though those scenes areincredibly stupid I try to look at the film as a whole, and worry moreabout story, characters, and action to be the big factor of whats goodand whats bad. With that said Kick-ass has some of the best ideas, andcharacterization of any super-hero movie. The main character Dave who becomes Kick-ass, is the likable nerd thatwe've seen in a hundred movies. However, it makes him very relate-able,and it makes the idea of being a real life super hero seem morerealistic. His love interest thinks he's gay and only hangs out withhim because of sympathy, and he only becomes a super hero just to seeif it could be done. The action scenes with Kick-ass are great, becauseit truly looks like somebody not knowing what their doing trying tofight street thugs, and every hit looks painful, brutal, and realistic.The story gets really interesting seeing him fighting crime, because itbrings on a chain reaction through the media, his social life, otherheroes, and organized crime. There are some very serious and shockingmoments and some highly comedic moments in the film which help give iteven more realism. Real life isn't always comical or serious it is ablend of both. So where does this movie go wrong for me? Two words. Hit Girl. Beforeyou start flaming me hear me out. I couldn't quite put my finger onwhat was wrong with the film until every problem I could think ofgenerally came back to her. For one thing she completely steals theshow. She gets the most action scenes by far, and making her 11 yearsold adds to the shock value of her fowl mouth and her massacre of badguys. To me it started losing it's charm once she was killing waves andwaves of people. I understand it is supposed to be ironic, satirical,and funny but neither of those things work for me. Not only that but ittakes away from the realism and the humor of Kick-ass's story.Everything seems to be in the realm of possibility. I could see anaverage high school student wanting to be a super-hero. I'm sure it hascrossed a lot of people's minds. But having a 11 year old girl beingtrained her whole life to kill is suddenly thrown in to that plotreally breaks up the rhythm of the film. I also found the ending entertaining and funny, but I didn't think itwas good. It just got even more ridiculous, and I didn't like what theydid with Red Mist's character, but I don't want to spoil it for you. Sobottom line. This isn't the new Dark Knight, or Citizen Kane of SuperHero films some people are making it out to be. It is simply a goodaction movie with some cool ideas, and some enjoyable yet completelyludicrous scenes. I think other film makers should take some ideas fromthe good parts, and people who like these movies and just want to vegout should see it.

Neil Welch

16 May 2012

Great if youre up for it

This movie is going to upset some people. It is very violent, it isfull of profanity, and much of the profanity comes from apre-adolescent girl, and there is a great deal of moral questionabilityabout it, all of which is tied up in a moderately humorous and fairlyimprobable tale of real-world teens taking up super-heroing.So if that's not your thing, I really can't recommend it.But if you enjoyed last year's Wanted, also adapted from a comic byMark Millar, then it's likely that you'll enjoy this. The story isstrong, the script is punchy and entertaining (although perhaps alittle over-dependent on profanity), there is a lot of very well stagedaction, the characters are all fun, there are some enjoyable highschool romance subplots, a great deal of comic culture texture, andthere is a genuine sense of jeopardy driving much of what happens - itis entirely possible that anyone may get damaged for real.I greatly enjoyed it even though there are elements in it which worryme a little.

Rick Lara

15 May 2012

Intense but not until the finish

I was reluctant to watch this movie at first due to it being not partof the marvel or dc comics franchise, but after I watched it, I can saytwo things: Good action/acting, Bad ending and cliché premise If youare not into movies where you hate seeing someone receive undue creditand if you rewatch the movie you would fast forward/skip over the partswhere the character is annoying you, then do not watch this movie. Hitgirl embodies the power of youth and women as she emerges as theheroine in the movie. Although the ending sucks, the action andflashbacks are satirical but your movie experience can be marred by thecheesy and corny ending.

mg3-926-816857

12 May 2012

A kick ass of a movie

Kick ass is a movie about a guy with no superpowers trying to be asuperhero. I have to say that this movie s hilarious. The maincharacters are Big Daddy, Hit Girl, Kick-Ass, and The Red Mist. Theyare all fine, but my favorite is Hit Girl. She is 11 years old, and shehits, swears, and kills. What more can you ask from a little girl.However the red mist was a really boring character, but the actor didan awesome job portraying he mean and rich bad kid. Next I have to saythis was one of Nicolas Cage's best performance ever. What I love aboutthis movie is that it has violence yet it is still interesting to see.The music used fits perfectly with each scene. Yet, this movie is ratedR for a reason, but even with that rating, the movie is awesome. A mustrent, because you wouldn't want kids watching this movie. I can't waitfor the sequel!

11 May 2012

Director Vaughn exploits children in modern-day Don Quixote tale

*** This review contains spoilers ***Kick-ass is the story of one Dave Lizewski, an 'ordinary', semi-nerdy high school student who can't understand why anyone in his age group never attempted to become a superhero in real life. You would think that such a premise has real comic possibilities but humorless director Matthew Vaughn decides to take things in a different direction. Right off the bat, Vaughn sets a nasty tone by serving up a mentally unbalanced young man, jumping off a building dressed in a superhero costume. The bad vibes are compounded when Lizewski's Mom drops dead of a aneurysm at the breakfast table. Fun stuff!!! The Act I set-up is full of the clichés and stereotypes typical of many 'youth' movies of today. For example, there's the obligatory scene where a couple of thugs steal a cellphone and comic books belonging to the good guy high school students. Then there's the stereotypical antagonist, Frank D'Amico, a vulgar comic-book Mafioso whose goons kill two hapless drug dealers in two repetitious scenes that occur within about ten minutes of one another (in one scene, the goons chop off the guy's finger and then shoot him and in a more repulsive scene, a man bursts like a balloon in a giant microwave).Vaughn attempts to conjure up a modern-day 'Don Quixote' figure with his geeky Lizewski. The nerd courts his 'Dulcinea', the attractive but morally bankrupt Katie who's been dating a drug dealer. His first quest to prove himself to Katie fails miserably after he takes on the two thugs who had robbed him earlier and ends up getting stabbed in the stomach, then hit by a car and almost dies. Fortunately when found, he convinces the paramedics not to let anyone know he was wearing his Kick-ass costume; but the rumor gets out anyway that he was found naked and is now presumed to be gay by most students at the school (including Katie who befriends but also patronizes him as she also assumes he's gay).Kick-ass could have gone in a more clever direction by having Lizewski train hard in martial arts and actually become a truly competent 'superhero' in the vein of Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). But instead it's pure luck that he survives the gang fight which he attempts to break up on the streets and in so doing becomes an internet sensation on Youtube. Lizewski continues with his 'Man of La Mancha' act by paying Katie's boyfriend a visit and again naively attempts to intervene on her behalf. As it turns out, 'Big Daddy' and 'Hit-Girl' save the passive Kick-ass's ass! Now I have no problem with Damon Macready's story arc which involves the former cop attempting to take revenge on bad guy D'Amico after being framed. But what kind of message is being sent when he involves his ten year old daughter in his thirst for revenge? It's wholly inappropriate to depict a ten year old girl being trained by her father to become a professional assassin. Equally inappropriate is when teenager Chris D'Amico aka Red Mist shoots Hit-Girl--what completely makes no sense at all is that Red Mist is upset when his father's thugs carry off his buddy Kick-ass but he has no guilt whatsoever in shooting a ten year old girl? One other thing: after Frank is dispatched, doesn't Chris realize his father is dead? Does he try to find out what happened to his father or does it even occur to him? The bottom line is that the teenager shows no emotions at all which is not in keeping with the character's earlier scenes where he displayed affection for his father.The stupidity of Vaughn's comic book world is further on display when Frank D'Amico mistakenly shoots the wrong Kick-ass in broad daylight. You would think that the head of an organized crime family would be smart enough to realize that there are plenty of people walking around the city in the Kick-ass costume after the character goes viral over the internet. As for Lizewski's revelation to Katie that he's actually Kick-ass--suddenly bad girl Katie is transformed into a saint and falls for him hook, line and sinker. But Lizewski gets rewarded for finally realizing that he was a dumb ass all along! Some hero!The Kick-ass finale is perhaps the most repulsive aspect of the film. Big Daddy and Kick-ass are tortured on live television and then when the networks refuse to show the gory feed, all the voyeurs run to their computers to watch the sorry spectacle online. Finally, Vaughn resurrects his sadistic ten year old after she's shot, who then proceeds to dispatch one Mafia goon after another, in one unspeakably violent scene after another.Somehow after seeing a film like this, I kind of feel that something should be done about our current child labor laws. Rather than having accolades heaped upon Director Vaughn, perhaps the best place for him would be a secure lock-up--criminal or psychiatric, take your pick.

11 May 2012

This Blu-Ray Kicks.. (Blu-Ray Review)

This review is from: Kick-Ass (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) Most of the other reviews (and Amazon description) have already gone over the movie/storyline, so I'll focus on just the Blu-Ray itself and my thoughts of the movie.I really enjoyed this one - after hearing much about it while it was in theaters, I had pretty high hopes/expectations for it and I can honestly say I wasn't let down by them (something rare!). I thought the movie was well paced with a good amount of action, comedy and storyline.. plus the characters were great! Something enjoyable by people of most ages (though you might wanna leave the kids out for this one).One of the big surprises here was the Blu-Ray itself.. I guess I wasn't expecting too much, but Lionsgate really delivered. Clarity is incredible and has some nice (saturated) colors throughout. Almost comparable to Gamer and the Crank films on Blu-Ray with just how nice it looked. An easy 5/5 for me.Audio was also top notch - nicely uses all the speakers and will give a home theater a real workout. I believe this was another DTS-HD MA 7.1 track from Lionsgate.Extras don't stop either.. you get the Blu-Ray, DVD and a Digital Copy (for your iPod/iPhone/iPad). I know some don't care for the DVD or Digital copy, but I'm definitely a fan. It's also got the in-movie-experience (always fun and really show off the blu-ray), commentary and some behind the scenes extras.Overall a fantastic package that I have to give a 5/5 to in each category. Movie, Video, Audio, Extras. Check it out!

amajuscule

10 May 2012

Macauly Culkin does Tarantino

This movie is terrible with a capital T. As if the directors of "HomeAlone 2" decided to make a preteen adaptation of "Pulp Fiction". Thegore is hideous and stupid, the jokes and dialogue just plain boring.The soundtrack is terrible and the underlying idea that it is somehowfunny to watch a ten year old girl execute people is just plain sick.It's got no class, no style and its not even terribly original.Disturbing, Dull and Dumb all rolled into one. Don't waste your time.This movie is terrible with a capital T. As if the directors of "HomeAlone 2" decided to make a preteen adaptation of "Pulp Fiction". Thegore is hideous and stupid, the jokes and dialogue just plain boring.The soundtrack is terrible and the underlying idea that it is somehowfunny to watch a ten year old girl execute people is just plain sick.It's got no class, no style and its not even terribly original.Disturbing, Dull and Dumb all rolled into one. Don't waste your time.

10 May 2012

Liked it a lot more than I thought

As you watch it, you begin to give it points for being better than expected. The trailer leads you to certain conclusions, the movie goes somewhere a little more rewarding. A fun time. Not for the kids, but so what.

Mike

09 May 2012

Quentin Taratino would be proud................

Before I went to see this movie I read some reviews as well as a couple of articles on the controversy surrounding this film. And although I can see why people might have issues with this movie I couldn't help but be completely entertained by it. This movie reminded be of something Quentin Taratino might have made a.e. Kill Bill. This movie has a dark side to it though and although funny it reminds us that taking the law into you own hand has consequences. Nicolas Cage is great as Big Daddy and for those of you old enough to have seen the T.V. show BATMAN, you might have notices Mr. Cage does an impersonation of Adam West (the original Batman) that's dead on. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is great and nothing like you ever seen him before. Cloe Grace-Moretz is just plain wonderful and very empowering (she's the real superhero). Any, just go see the it. I'll be waiting for the sequel!!!!

joschlich

09 May 2012

good night and good luck Mr. and Mrs. Vengeance

when civilization becomes to an end, it'll start like this: good peopletry to do the right thing using violence and force. This film is agreat parody about the superhero genre. But it's not easy to watch.Looking this film I tried to read between some lines. Or I just foundsome questions, lying there nearly uncovered - like in othervengeance-movies. But here they're very impressive:How can somebody do the right thing murdering other people? What's thesignificant force of the people fighting injustice? What's the cause ofpeople to search for doing the right thing? IS right and wrong anylonger what it seems to be? What's that kind of movie say about ourcivilization? Does the theory of carthesis really function and in thisway? How long can such movies handle with such sketchy arguments?...What will happen to a young generation seeing such scenes ofabusiveness either they're meant ironic or not?And to you: How can you turn your head not watching injustice and forcein front of you? And how can you keep sitting and watching injusticeand force in front of you? (Note the varied meanings!o))Further: What will you do, if you're near loosing everything you have?what will our world become, if our ethical values neither dividesbetween right or wrong nor set on mercy and humanity? Aren't we alldamned: the hoggish bank managers and the angry crowd?Wonna' know how the big end starts? Watch the movie, read between thelines!

brando647

08 May 2012

Is the Film Any Good? The Title Says It All.

Everything you need to know about this movie is right there in thetitle. From start to finish, this movie is loaded with enough actionand humor that I never got bored. It grabs your attention the momentthe movie begins with a wanna-be superhero diving off a skyscraper withhis makeshift flight suit, leading into the initial realization of ourmain character Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) that no one's ever triedto be a superhero. Inspired by his favorite comic heroes, Dave throwstogether his own costume and takes to the night streets to fight crime.It's not long before he finds himself in over his head, attracting theattention of both a father-daughter crime-fighting duo and the city'sbiggest drug kingpin.For those who haven't seen it yet, do not go in expecting your averagecomic book film. This film is brutal. It doesn't pull punches are therethe violence isn't limited to the blood-less beatings you find inSpider-Man or Iron Man. KICK-ASS is loaded with bloody bullet hits,impalings, hacked limbs, and unapologetic gore. And the best part, mostof it is dealt by a 10 year old girl. I know that part's made a goodamount of people angry and has surely stopped plenty of people fromeven giving the movie a chance. Roger Ebert was so put off by theconcept of a kid committing acts of graphic violence that he gave itthe worst review possible. When you watch this film, you just need tohave fun with it. From the moment I heard of this movie, I knew what toexpect and I had a blast watching a kid slice-n-dice and drops F-bombs.Some might argue that it sets a bad example, but seriously...who intheir right mind would let their kid watch this movie?Director Matthew Vaughn (who did the equally awesome LAYER CAKE) did anawesome job with this film, and he collected the best people for thejob. Aaron Johnson is the high school geek with delusions of grandeurand is hilariously uncoordinated in his superhero efforts, enjoying theperks of fame despite getting his butt kicked regularly. He did a goodjob but he was often out-shined by his friends, played by Clark Dukeand Evan Peters. The best part of the movie was Nicholas Cage and ChloeMoretz as Big Daddy and Hit Girl. I'm sure I'm the minority opinion butthis was one of my favorite Nic Cage roles ever. As Damon Macready, hisgoofy demeanor reminds me of a father you'd see on a 50's sitcom butonce he dons his costume as Big Daddy, he's a violent vigilante whodresses like Batman and sounds like Adam West. He is teamed with hisdaughter, Mindy, as Hit-Girl. Just like Cage, she's got dualpersonas...as Mindy she's freakin' adorable (it was funny watching herget super-excited about trading an extra bullet to the chest in hertraining for a trip to the bowling alley) but as Hit-Girl she'sdownright sadistic and growls like Dirty Harry.The villains in the film were great. Mark Strong and ChristopherMintz-Plasse are Frank D'Amico and his son Chris. Frank is the city'stop crime boss and his son wants nothing more than to be a part of hisbusiness. Chris finds his way in when he convinces his father the bestway to bring down Kick-Ass is to pose as another new superhero, RedMist. Mintz-Plasse is at a disadvantage because I still see him asMcLovin from SUPERBAD but I suppose it works for this character,contributing to his nerdy awkwardness as he tries to enter the world ofcrime.All right, I've written more than enough about how much fun this moviewas and how great a job the cast did, but the whole movie can be summedup with it's title. It doesn't lie and anyone who's a fan of superherofilms should give this film a watch. It takes a classic template andwarps it into something brutally entertaining.