Every instinct in me is screaming for me to write "Kick-Ass kicks ass!" but I refuse to give into the already overused phrase. So anywho heres... oh what the hell...
KICK-ASS KICKS ASS!
To start off I have yet to read the mini series. I meant to pick it up once it had all been collected in graphic novel form but due to the series being massively delayed it was only collected in a trade paperback a short while ago and I have yet to pick it up. Yes I feel like a poor nerd; if a comic movie that I'm interested in is coming out and if I haven't read the comic I usually run out and read up on it. Sadly real life has made that difficult lately, but oh well.
Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave, an everyman comic nerd who decides to become a superhero despite no motivation, training, or powers, and of course he gets his ass kicked. The story for the most part is a real life look at what being a superhero is like, complete with Youtube vids and Myspace. Its a great satire on the internet age, hero worship, and comic book culture in general. At one point all of us nerds have read a comic and fantasized about becoming the heroic characters we read about but at some point we acknowledge it can never happen. This movie looks at what would happen if someone refused to come back to reality, and then gives us the real life effects of it.
On his first attempt at being a hero, Dave ends up in the hospital but wins the affection of the girl of his dreams, just not in the way he hoped. Later on he succeeds in barely fighting off some muggers but becomes a Youtube sensation. But in the end, we see the effects this has on Dave mentally and emotionally and realize that maybe being a normal guy isn't all that bad.
But the movie isn't all about the message, as we are also subjected to some extremely fun (and violent) action scenes. The character of Hit-Girl by far gets the best action scenes, including an amazing raid on the bad guy's lair at the end (though Big Daddy gets a sweet fight scene earlier). Director Matthew Vaughn doesn't shy away from the blood and guts, doing a great job of getting us to cheer when the bad guys are taken out and cringe when the good guys are hurt, especially in an extremely intense scene involving a hostage Kick-Ass and Big Daddy.
Before I get into the acting I have to focus on one actor in particular: Nicholas Cage. I have been really hard on him in the past, and with good reason. The man has put out some real stinkers and given some shitty performances to boot, but Kick-Ass gave him the perfect role for his goofy acting. As Big Daddy, masked vigilante and father of Hit-Girl, Cage gives one of the film's two scene stealing performances. He manages to be tender and loving, yet bad ass. He also does a great homage to Adam West's Batman when he suits up in full Big Daddy gear. Hopefully this movie will turn things around for Cage, but it proved to me that when he tries he can indeed pull out a good performance in a good movie.
Chloe Moretz as Hit-Girl gives the films other great performance. She has to be the most bad-ass eleven year old ever and has great chemistry with on-screen dad Nicholas Cage. I personally say forget Kick-Ass and give Hit-Girl her own movie.
Which brings me to the film's key flaw: The secondary characters far outshine the lead. Kick-Ass is a great character and all and newcomer Aaron Johnson gives an amazing performance, but as soon as Big Daddy and Hit-Girl show up they immediately steal the movie with their backstory and performances. Hit-Girl basically takes center stage in the third act and you mostly forget about Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass does make a great come back complete with jet pack, another thing I didn't dig about the movie (it just didn't fit in the gritty world created in the film).
But overall Kick-Ass was an extremely fun ride at the movies. It doesn't take itself too seriously and recognizes itself as basically a superhero exploitation film. I am really digging Matthew Vaughn as a director, who did an amazing job with Stardust, one of the best fantasies in the past several years, and now with Kick-Ass. I also give props to the guy because when all the major studios refused to fund this movie he just went out and financed it independently. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what else he has in store for the future.
Honestly I think the jet pack was pretty much the only way for us to care about what happened to Kick-Ass. For most of the movie Dave ran around in a costume and mad himslef look like an idiot. He really only had one good fight scene. Hell Dave's' part of the story is pretty much all tied up 20 minutes before the end of the movie.He gets the girl and is still alive. What else does he need?
ReplyDeleteKick-Ass on the other hand still needed to develop. Unfortunately I think the writers wrote themselves into a corner and realized that Kick-Ass didn't do anything heroic at the end of the movie.Well they can't have that! He needed closure. There is no way that he could have a sad and pathetic ending. So they gave him a jet pack and had him kill three guys (no remorse on his first kills? maybe he was pissed about getting tortured)
Even the fight between Red Mist and Kick-Ass was overshadowed by Hit-girl and Mob boss guy.
Besides why are we complaining about a jet pack when there are bazookas and a 11 year old girl kicking ass? I mean, there isn't any way for a girl at that age to take down grown man without a gun. No matter how well she is trained she doesn't have the muscle capacity to do enough damage.
Okay, I am definitely going to Netflix this one (like you, I'm poor), now that I know I don't have to be afraid of it. Nick Cage scares me away from most movies. He's annoying as hell.
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