Kick-Ass movie discussion (Spoilers!)

[Langsta]

Actually, the comic book was infinitely more derogatory in its portrayal of geek subculture....

And I don't think the fact that shallow caricatures of what the media imagines as "hot chicks" being 'converted' to comic book reading (as thought it were a ritualized religious practice that requires indoctrination) really qualifies the film as celebrating the aforementioned subculture. No one's angry that the film is perpetuating negative stereotypes about nerds and comic book fans; most critics of Kick-Ass are more disappointed at the hollow, immature narrative and intellectual bankruptcy than they are morally outraged or upset at the supposed social commentary.

....Fair enough.

Not to be intentionally contrary to popular opinion, but I thought this was a really, really stupid movie. This sort of attempt at left brain 'realism' falls through when trying to find a healthy medium between what you can do in a major Hollywood motion picture and the infantile, "deconstructionist" (note the sarcastic quotation marks) torture **** of Mark Millar's superhero work. The people I saw it with continually assured me that it was a "fun" movie, but I'm not sure where it earned this designation; was it the ten year old with a potty mouth who went on a killing spree every twenty minutes? The forced "nerds are pathetic" jokes that occupied the first act of the film? It was boring, infantile and impossible to take seriously. The movie was billed as a rendition of the alleged high concept "what if superheroes were real?" idea (I can't see through walls, but I can kick your ass!), and it fell flat on its face by being infinitely more ridiculous and immature than a majority of "unrealistic" superhero stories. I can't really help but laugh at the people who say that Kick Ass is a satire or commentary.

This movie isn't really supposed to be taken that seriously though....it's showing how ridiculous it is for people to throw on costumes and fight crime. Like when Kick-Ass first appears in the alleyway before the carjackers, and the way that Big Daddy talks like Adam West....And how Hit Girl is 11 years old and takes on mobsters. Yeah, the first question is "What if superheroes were real?", but even if that's a serious question, they weren't trying to give a serious answer.

Listen to this, it's interesting:
http://my.spill.com/profiles/blogs/kick-ass-raw-audio-review

I think you have to be on drugs to not like this movie. I just thought about the part where Kick-Ass and Red Mist are in the Mistmobile and Gnarls Barkley is playing, and I can't stop laughing.

 

[ShadowPrime]

I was thinking of that just today... this movie could have been very very very dark indeed. It is hinted at, within the movie... imagine if KICK ASS hadn't been given superpowers (and lets face it, he WAS 'given' powers... even with metal-laced bones and nerve 'damage" that let him feel little pain, he would still take MASSIVE tissue damage from the beatings he receives, were this 'real') ... and imagine if the Big-Daddy / Hit Girl story was written to emphasize that this the whole superhero thing is a twisted trick to make murder appealing to a young girl (and the movie touches on that, certainly). This could have been one VERY dark, VERY twisted, VERY disturbing movie.

But ... as presented, this movie ISN'T that kind of movie. And I don't think it really mocks superheroes or comic book fans, either. It has a sense of humor about both, I think, but I don't believe that is the same as mocking them or making fun OF them.

Hey, some of us like chocolate, some like vanilla, and that is cool... personally, I found KA to be a clever, funny, take on superheroes, with some awesome action sequences.

Shadow

 

[Bass]

I saw this yesterday and it just pissed me off.

Nic Cage was wonderful, as was Chloe Moretz. The problem with Big Daddy and Hit Girl was, as funny and wonderful as they were, they had as much character as the black bodyguard who wanted the bazooka. Now, that guy never got boring because he's in it for five minutes, so everything he does is cute. But BD and HG got boring and repetitive because they were just the same note over and over again. Their first appearance, when BD shoots HG got the biggest laugh. After that, each subsequent appearance was less impressive than that because it was just the same thing again and again.

The rest of the movie wrapped itself in cliches and then winked at the audience and said, "Yup! It's a cliche!" but, here's the thing; you can't just use a cliche exactly as its supposed to then point out, "ha-HA! We KNOW it's a cliche!" You have to do something with it. Doing it verbatim with a wink isn't enough.

The film had a great line when Kick Ass says "Three *******s picking on one guy while everyone watches... and you ask if I'm crazy?" which is a great line for a different film. This film just kept jostling between stupid comedy to gritty vigilante tale and it couldn't keep the balance. The worst part was the finale where we have the idiotic but funny fight between Red Mist and Kick Ass in the dojo and Hit-Girl and Dimico fighting in a serious "You killed my father" fight, which was trying to be serious despite looking utterly ridiculous as seeing a mafia boss spar with a 10-year old girl is just stupid. And you'd see Red Mist and Kick-Ass rather wonderfully KO each other then, as the audience is laughing, cut to a serious brutal fight. It's just emotionally confusing.

But despite this, and the boring love sub-plot that came straight out of a Paul Rudd movie, the worst offense was this: In action movies a key scene is "the hero at the mercy of the villain scene". The hero is at the villain's mercy and we see the hero turn the tables. DIE HARD ends with this scene, with the brilliant "duct-taped gun across the back" moment, and DIE HARD 4 does it do with the "gun through the shoulder" bit. In THE DARK KNIGHT we have Batman pinned by the Joker and he uses his gauntlet to kick him off the building, then saves his life.

KICK-ASS has no less than five of these scenes. Kick-Ass vs Raoul, Hit-Girl being attacked by Raoul's doorman, Kick-Ass and Big Daddy being burned alive, Hit-Girl about to be hit with the bazooka, and Hit-Girl about to be shot by Dimico. And in each and every single one of them, the vulnerable hero is saved by someone else. This is the cheapest, laziest way to get the hero out of the situation. The only thing worse is deus ex machina.

The first couple of times it happens it's okay - it's the beginning of the movie and it's kinda setting up a heirarchy of who's the baddest, but... dammit, it's just repetitive. It's the same scene, again and again, resolved in the same way. The story has no real progression or design, it just meanders from one cliche to the next, repeating the same scenes until it ends, unable to balance comedy and grit.

That said, it's still one of the better superhero movies in recent years.

 

[Planet-man]

My friend tried to see this Monday night and it was sold-out. Maybe as more people finish off school it's doing better?

 

[Gideon Stargrave]

I saw this yesterday and it just pissed me off.

That said, it's still one of the better superhero movies in recent years.

I'm curious as to your rationale. Your post almost entirely consists of criticisms that most would consider indicative of a pretty awful movie. Out of curiosity, what about Kick-Ass do you think qualifies it as one of the "better" modern Superhero films?

 

[Bass]

The others were worse.

 

[Iceshadow]

Zing?

 

[Captain Canuck]

So I'm going to be in the minority on this, but here goes.

I have NO interest in seeing this movie. And to be honest, I'm kind of appalled by how many people love it.

I know, I know, I haven't seen it so i can't judge, but I can't figure out what's appealing about a little girl who likes to kill people and drops words like c**t and c**k throughout the movie. Is that supposed to be satire? Is it funny? Is it cute? Because I'm disgusted by it. It speaks to the declining morality in our society and a blatant lack of respect for the innocence of children. The parts with Dave fantasizing over his teacher or masturbating to tribal nudity also just seemed...gross.

I understand that the action is cool and there's humour and all that. And to be honest I don't expect at all that anyone will agree with me (EDITh, apparently Gideon is on a similar page with me). But I wonder if we can discuss what the attraction is because I just don't understand.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

That's the same reasons why I'm not going to watch the film either.

 

[Ice]

Why I love it? Because it's not real. Would I let any child act/speak like that in real life? Absolutely not. But this is just pure fantasy. It's not real nor meant to be taken as such or serious. That's it.

 

[ProjectX2]

Yeah, I don't think anyone is going to the movie for the violence and language - I went because I enjoyed the comic (though the movie was much better) and I wanted to see how Matthew Vaughn interpreted the idea of a kid becoming a superhero and all the consequences that occur. Just like Ice said, there is a difference between reality and fiction - if this was real life, it would be horrific.

How do you feel about movies like A Clockwork Orange?

I couldn't resist:

 

[Captain Canuck]

Why I love it? Because it's not real. Would I let any child act/speak like that in real life? Absolutely not. But this is just pure fantasy. It's not real nor meant to be taken as such or serious. That's it.

I understand that this is fiction. I don't think Playing GTA makes teenagers go out and steal cars and beat people with baseball bats. But at the same time, I don't understand what's entertaining about the fiction. Is it the shock value? Is it an escape from reality thing?

I'm not upset that a fictional character in a movie is acting in a way that I think she shouldn't. That's not my point. I'm simply confused by the reaction of people who watch this movie. I honestly don't get how so many people are amused by a little girl calling people '****s'.

Yeah, I don't think anyone is going to the movie for the violence and language - I went because I enjoyed the comic (though the movie was much better) and I wanted to see how Matthew Vaughn interpreted the idea of a kid becoming a superhero and all the consequences that occur. Just like Ice said, there is a difference between reality and fiction - if this was real life, it would be horrific.

How do you feel about movies like A Clockwork Orange?

I couldn't resist:

man am I glad i don't have to wear my reverend collar when I protest sinful movies!

For the record, I've never seen A Clockwork Orange.

 

[Ice]

I understand that this is fiction. I don't think Playing GTA makes teenagers go out and steal cars and beat people with baseball bats. But at the same time, I don't understand what's entertaining about the fiction. Is it the shock value? Is it an escape from reality thing?

You could say it's somewhat an escape from reality. People enjoy seeing/doing things in movies/games/etc. that they would never do themselves. Why? That's just life. Having the freedom of doing it without real-world consequences.

[I'm not upset that a fictional character in a movie is acting in a way that I think she shouldn't. That's not my point.

Don't believe anyone said it was.

I'm simply confused by the reaction of people who watch this movie. I honestly don't get how so many people are amused by a little girl calling people '****s'.

Then it's just something you don't get. No offense by that, but people like what they like. I can't speak for anyone else, which is why I just say for me: I wasn't exactly "amused" by it. I didn't mind because it's just a movie. I don't get why people keep bringing up the word "satire" either. I may be wrong, but I doubt her speaking like that or anything in the movie is supposed to really "satire" anything. It's all just about what Project said.

 

[Bass]

Zing?

It's just how I feel. IRON MAN was better, THE DARK KNIGHT was better. So was THE INCREDIBLES. It was about the same as both of the Hulks and X-MEN 3. I've started to appreciate BATMAN BEGINS more and SUPERMAN RETURNS less. It was better than X1 and X2. It was better than the Spidey films I think. Better than DAREDEVIL. Certainly better than CATWOMAN and ELEKTRA. But MYSTERY MEN is a better version of KICK-ASS. It only stacks up well with comparisons to other janky superhero blockbuster fare.

I have NO interest in seeing this movie. And to be honest, I'm kind of appalled by how many people love it.

Me too. It sucks.

I know, I know, I haven't seen it so i can't judge, but I can't figure out what's appealing about a little girl who likes to kill people and drops words like c**t and c**k throughout the movie. Is that supposed to be satire? Is it funny? Is it cute? Because I'm disgusted by it. It speaks to the declining morality in our society and a blatant lack of respect for the innocence of children. The parts with Dave fantasizing over his teacher or masturbating to tribal nudity also just seemed...gross.

The masturbation stuff was just off-putting, but you're reading too much into it in regarding to the declining morality and innocence of children. Hit-Girl is just funny. That's all. She's precisely funny because of the taboo. Comedy needs taboos. Each episode of FAWLTY TOWERS works around a taboo. Adrenaline makes laughs and taboos create adrenaline. Having an 11-year old girl swear like a sailor is going to be funny because of that. SOUTH PARK is kinda built on that gag; that children are bastards. It's the only reason I went to see the movie.

Unfortunately it's a funny gag... for about five minutes. After which you realise all Hit-Girl is, as a character, is "swearing child" and it doesn't really do anything with it, just repeating itself until the credits.

Chloe Moretz is very good in it, but like, the one good thing about the movie just kinda dissipates as it goes on too long because, as 'shocking' as some critics think, we've seen swearing kids a thousand times before (Hit-Girl has nothing on Cartman), and we've seen it in our lives, and we've been those kids. So the novelty wears off very quickly.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[McCheese]

I cursed all the time as a kid. So did my brother, my cousins, and all of my friends. I just avoided doing it in front of adults until I was in my late teens. In fact, I probably curse less now at 25 than at any point in my life since I was 8 or 9. I'm so used to children cursing that it honestly didn't even register that she was doing something 'shocking' until I read Canuck's post.

I thought we were supposed to be shocked by the ultra-violence.

 

[Captain Canuck]

You could say it's somewhat an escape from reality. People enjoy seeing/doing things in movies/games/etc. that they would never do themselves. Why? That's just life. Having the freedom of doing it without real-world consequences.

Then it's just something you don't get. No offense by that, but people like what they like. I can't speak for anyone else, which is why I just say for me: I wasn't exactly "amused" by it. I didn't mind because it's just a movie. I don't get why people keep bringing up the word "satire" either. I may be wrong, but I doubt her speaking like that or anything in the movie is supposed to really "satire" anything. It's all just about what Project said.

Yeah, i know. I'm not offended.

You could say it's somewhat an escape from reality. People enjoy seeing/doing things in movies/games/etc. that they would never do themselves. Why? That's just life. Having the freedom of doing it without real-world consequences.

Then it's just something you don't get. No offense by that, but people like what they like. I can't speak for anyone else, which is why I just say for me: I wasn't exactly "amused" by it. I didn't mind because it's just a movie. I don't get why people keep bringing up the word "satire" either. I may be wrong, but I doubt her speaking like that or anything in the movie is supposed to really "satire" anything. It's all just about what Project said.

Yeah, i know. I'm not offended. And that's fine, to each his/her own.

The masturbation stuff was just off-putting, but you're reading too much into it in regarding to the declining morality and innocence of children. Hit-Girl is just funny. That's all. She's precisely funny because of the taboo. Comedy needs taboos. Each episode of FAWLTY TOWERS works around a taboo. Adrenaline makes laughs and taboos create adrenaline. Having an 11-year old girl swear like a sailor is going to be funny because of that. SOUTH PARK is kinda built on that gag; that children are bastards. It's the only reason I went to see the movie.

Unfortunately it's a funny gag... for about five minutes. After which you realise all Hit-Girl is, as a character, is "swearing child" and it doesn't really do anything with it, just repeating itself until the credits.

Chloe Moretz is very good in it, but like, the one good thing about the movie just kinda dissipates as it goes on too long because, as 'shocking' as some critics think, we've seen swearing kids a thousand times before (Hit-Girl has nothing on Cartman), and we've seen it in our lives, and we've been those kids. So the novelty wears off very quickly.

Well, I liked Fawlty Towers and continue to think that South Park is one of the dumbest shows ever conceived. I guess in my mind Taboo is only funny to a point, then it's just obscene.

 

[Bass]

Well, I liked Fawlty Towers and continue to think that South Park is one of the dumbest shows ever conceived. I guess in my mind Taboo is only funny to a point, then it's just obscene.

Everyone draws the line differently. I find myself generally broad with humour; I've seen hilarious pedophilia comedy and rape comedy, and yet, I don't find anything about comics like THE BOYS to be remotely entertaining. *shrugs*

 

[J. Agamemnon]

Everyone draws the line differently. I find myself generally broad with humour; I've seen hilarious pedophilia comedy and rape comedy, and yet, I don't find anything about comics like THE BOYS to be remotely entertaining. *shrugs*

well to be fair, The Boys doesn't show rape as humour or comedy. Rape is more in the realm of a twisted reality and presented in grossly imaginative situations.


Fawlty Towers is good stuff.

 

[Langsta]

I didn't find the violence of Hit-Girl's scenes to be any less disturbing than the violence of Gogo Yubari's scenes in Kill Bill. I didn't think Kick-Ass was as violent as everyone said it was.

 

[Bass]

I didn't find the violence of Hit-Girl's scenes to be any less disturbing than the violence of Gogo Yubari's scenes in Kill Bill. I didn't think Kick-Ass was as violent as everyone said it was.

It wasn't. It's a very, very tame film. As I said, it's only shocking if you compare it to IRON MAN or something like that. That's how it appears shocking, by looking very tame then having the occasional bit of blood.