Movie Review - "Kick-Ass."

[Monocrom]

It is the FoxFury AWL-P Pistol Light.

Greta

Thank you! I shall post that information on the "Lights in television & movies" thread. (With proper credit given.)

BTW... agree "Kick-Ass" is not for kids. Otherwise, thought it was well done. Oddly, the first word that came to mind for me to describe it was... "cute"... .. laughed my ass off over the first scene with Nick Cage and daughter... ... I'm wondering now what that says about me...

Not to worry. Some of us know and enjoy your off-beat sense of humor.

(I guess Mindy was really in the mood for ice-cream.)

[McGizmo]

LOVED that movie! ... especially because more than most know is based on truth... ....

One of the things I have really come to enjoy by watching these films on DVD is the "special features" with behind the scenes and additional background on them. Someone seeing "The men who stare at goats" in the movie theater would not be privy to some of the really facinating background and interviews provided on the DVD.

[RAGE CAGE]

One of the things I have really come to enjoy by watching these films on DVD is the "special features" with behind the scenes and additional background on them. Someone seeing "The men who stare at goats" in the movie theater would not be privy to some of the really facinating background and interviews provided on the DVD.

are you completely off the grid now with your solar panels- or is that still a work in progress? Just curious.

[Monocrom]

are you completely off the grid now with your solar panels- or is that still a work in progress? Just curious.

Bit hard to be completely off the grid when one is posting on an internet forum.

[StarHalo]

Bit hard to be completely off the grid when one is posting on an internet forum.

Could be using a neighbor's "grid"

[Monocrom]

Could be using a neighbor's "grid"

I guess we should start calling him Big Daddy.

[RAGE CAGE]

Bit hard to be completely off the grid when one is posting on an internet forum.

So true- most neighbors have now learned how to secure their once wide open wifi connection....

[UpChUcK]

I just saw it last night. I give it (out of 5)

[SPOILER ALERT]

What I found disturbing in this masterpiece is the use of an 11 year old girl as Hitgirl. This was also a brilliant choice at the same time. What I found disturbing was how she swore like a street whore and got off on killing. In one scene she is dressed up like a little school girl in a plaid skirt, white shirt and tie pulling a pink rolling suitcase which, by the way, is stock full of all kinds of weaponry. She pretends to be lost to enter the badguy lair. The 'doorman' lets her in because she is crying. She then puts a silenced pistol in his mouth to where the muzzle is bulging through the man's cheek. As they slowly turn around, the other bad guys in the lobby start to draw their guns when they notice this and she shoots one of them through the 'doorman's' cheek. As the doorman falls to the ground in pan, Hitgirl systematically kills the other bad guys in the lobby. Then she calmly walks towards the elevator but as she does so, without looking, she lowers her pistol and shoots the doorman on the floor as she walks by, killing him.

Now if that were Milla Jovovich or Angelina Jolie, I would have been like "w00t, that was sooo cool!!!" But the fact that Hitgirl was 11, gave it another level of emotion. Was it because I have 2 daughters and one is 11? That definitely added to the discomfort. But the lover of action movies in me knew a well choreographed kill scene when I saw it and it delivered in spades.

This is the whole movie in a nutshell for me. It hit on all cylinders on so many levels. If you were to dissect Kick-Ass into the many genres it encompasses - a comedy, an action movie, a revenge drama, a teen love story, a superhero movie, etc., there was plenty in each to have it stand on their own merits. But the brilliance is putting it all together and having it congeal into such a wonderful multilevel experience. This all added to the connected feeling I had with the characters. I felt for them, with them.

This is true for the actual production itself. It was well written, photographed, choreographed, edited and the acting was great too. Character development was spot on for me. And it managed to steer away from being too Matrix-y. And I loved the Matrix series and the like. It just held my suspension of disbelief in a reality-based world which helped me relate to the characters much better. Was it over the top in the action scenes? Sure, but not to the level of so many other movies trying to emulate the Matrix feel. The use of the strobe feature in the weapon light was exactly they way I'd envisioned it being used. OK, there was one clip where Hitgirl threw some magazines up and reloaded her pistols mid-air, but everything else felt spot-on to me. And although there was plenty of aerobatics/acrobatics, it felt grounded more than the typical Chinese wire-work pieces which I adore so much in such movies a Crouching Tiger and many of my Jet Li favs.

I loved Kick-Ass. Period. It will go down as one of my all-time favorites. Alongside of The Matrix, The Last of the Mohicans, Seven Samurai, Shawshank Redemption, Kung-fu Hustle, Apocalypse Now, Hero and The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. And I will see it again in the theaters (I know I missed some things on the first go) as well as buy the Blu-Ray when it is released. It is not for everyone, but it struck a chord with me. It is dark and disturbing and fun at the same time. There is action with a solid story behind it.

[McGizmo]

Nice review UpChUck and it's nice to know the basis and reasoning behind your opinions.

[off topic] I am still on the grid but my PV system now about 16 months in operation has yielded me about a two months of usage surplus of which only the latest 12 months are retained as a credit on my utility bill. The sun drives my household electric devices and hopefully one of these days it will power a vehicle for me as well. [/off topic]

[blasterman]

Then she calmly walks towards the elevator but as she does so, without looking, she lowers her pistol and shoots the doorman on the floor as she walks by, killing him.

Can I honestly ask why you people get off on this stuff? It sounds suspiciously like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine in some sequences. Was that "cool" as well?

Most of my nieces and nephews under the age of 15 have seen this film already. They either go to a matinee with their 9th grade friends (few theaters enforce age limits) or just download boot legs off Bittorrent. They think it's 'kewl'

[StarHalo]

It sounds suspiciously like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine in some sequences. Was that "cool" as well?

Most of my nieces and nephews under the age of 15 have seen this film already. They either go to a matinee with their 9th grade friends (few theaters enforce age limits) or just download boot legs off Bittorrent. They think it's 'kewl'

It's okay to enjoy an action movie. The superheros fight the villains and it's good guys vs bad guys in a colorful action-packed special effects epic. It's real life you have to worry about..

And there was no purchase age limit when this story was a comic book..

[Greta]

Can I honestly ask why you people get off on this stuff? It sounds suspiciously like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine in some sequences. Was that "cool" as well?

Most of my nieces and nephews under the age of 15 have seen this film already. They either go to a matinee with their 9th grade friends (few theaters enforce age limits) or just download boot legs off Bittorrent. They think it's 'kewl'

... and like Columbine, how come the parents aren't paying attention to what their kids are doing? ... Not gonna get me on that one. I'm tired of parents crying "foul" just because they failed to do their job. Be a parent or get sterilized... it's that simple.

The movie is rated R... that means... "An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures."

[QtrHorse]

Can I honestly ask why you people get off on this stuff? It sounds suspiciously like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine in some sequences. Was that "cool" as well?

Because she only killed "Bad Guys". I just assume everyone thinks that is kewl.

If I'm not mistaken, Eric and Dylan killed innocent children.

[JB5]

Then she calmly walks towards the elevator but as she does so, without looking, she lowers her pistol and shoots the doorman on the floor as she walks by, killing him.

Rule#2. The Double Tap

All I can say is.... I loved this movie. Definatly one I will watch again.

[Greta]

Rule#2. The Double Tap

LMAO! ... another classic...

Rule # 1. Cardio

[UpChUcK]

Can I honestly ask why you people get off on this stuff? It sounds suspiciously like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine in some sequences. Was that "cool" as well?

... and like Columbine, how come the parents aren't paying attention to what their kids are doing? ... Not gonna get me on that one. I'm tired of parents crying "foul" just because they failed to do their job. Be a parent or get sterilized... it's that simple.

Amen!

I have an 11 year old and 13 year old daughter. My wife and I will not let them watch an R-rated movie even though most of their friends have already. Hell, my oldest only recently started watching PG-13 movies and we watch them with my youngest unless we've deem it appropriate for her. So blasterman, please get off your high horse.

Because she only killed "Bad Guys". I just assume everyone thinks that is kewl.

If I'm not mistaken, Eric and Dylan killed innocent children.

Exactly!

Rule#2. The Double Tap

All I can say is.... I loved this movie. Definatly one I will watch again.

That was a great movie also!

"Rule #1 - cardio."

[Greta]

Rule #2 is Beware of Bathrooms

Rule #4 is Double Tap

Rule #3 is Seatbelts

[Monocrom]

Just to touch on a few points . . .

(Bear with me. I suck at multi-quoting.)

As disturbing as some of the scenes were in "Kick-Ass," it's still just a movie. Mindy is a fictional character who disguises herself as Hit-Girl. She kills fictional bad guys. When the cameras stop rolling, the dead bad guys rise up from the floor (and not as zombies). The blood is fake, the gore is fake, Mindy is fake. She turns back into a girl named Chloe who would never curse because she's afraid of the punishment her real life parents would hand out.

Kids have a hard time realizing the difference between reality, and what they see on the silver screen. That's why parents need to be on top of what their children are doing. As parents, they need to explain how reality works to their kids. Some parents don't bother with parenting. A perfect example would be . . .

One of the moms of the Columbine murderers. When asked about all the weapons her son had stashed in his room, her response was she didn't know they were there. You know what, that's crap! There's not a mother in the world who hasn't cleaned up after her children and gone into their room looking for dirty laundry. Next thing you know, there's a conversation that goes something like this:

"Hey son, why do you have a small arsenal of weapons under the bed?"

Was Columbine preventable? Damn right it was. But someone chose to pretend to have selective blindness. As a result, real children and people were murdered. And those two bastards were part of a group called the Trench Coat Mafia. There were seven of those dudes! Seven! Freaking Hell, I didn't even have seven friends in High School. You know what, you don't get to complain about being an outcast when there's seven of you out there. No one from school will invite you to their parties? Hell, call up your six other friends; and throw your own damn party.

My High School was a hell-hole. We had good kids who carried guns just for protection against the bad kids. School was so bad, we had an NYPD officer assigned to patrol the halls. But we didn't have a couple of thrill killers using the excuse that others made fun of them, go and shoot up the school. Sorry, you don't get to use the excuse that you were bullied; when there's seven of you!

[gswitter]

One of the moms of the Columbine murderers. When asked about all the weapons her son had stashed in his room, her response was she didn't know they were there. You know what, that's crap! There's not a mother in the world who hasn't cleaned up after her children and gone into their room looking for dirty laundry. Next thing you know, there's a conversation that goes something like this:

"Hey son, why do you have a small arsenal of weapons under the bed?"

Do you have kids?

[Monocrom]

Do you have kids?

Nope! . . . But I do have a mom.

(She knew. She just decided to pretend she didn't.)

[StarHalo]

The movie tumbled from 2nd place last weekend to 5th this weekend, well below the new Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy..

Yet it's in the top 125 all-time on IMDb, and rising fast. And there's roughly two dozen unique torrents online, even though there still isn't an actual digital copy..

Here comes cult classic status..

[Valen]

I was "conflicted" over the movie, I watched the trailers on the website and the movie theater sites and it looked like a hero comedy, normal kid decides to be super hero, set against a backdrop of a world gone mad, hilarity ensues.
So thinking this I bring my other half to the theater planning a night of fun.
It is *not* a funny movie.

I mean sure there are funny bits in it, and the movie needs them. But it is about as far from funny as you can get. Heck its probably more like a comedic tragedy than any other label I can pin on it.

That said, once we were over the hump of expecting a comedy and getting some really nasty and graphic violence it was a quite engaging movie.

I loved hit girl, most children in movies/tv seem to be portrayed as helpless noise sources, IE if theres something "bad" they stand there and scream, not even trying to get out of the way of the bus.
When I eventually have children I hope they have a little bit (a really really little bit lol) of hit girl in them.

I also loved the "reality" of it, with a few exceptions, I never lost that "suspension of disbelief" hitgirls wirework, the operation of the "green tube" and the "vehicle" at the end. Whilst all really cool, they took it out of the plausible into the impossible for me.

Hit Girls wirework was *really* cool though ;-> perhaps in another movie it'd fit better.

Anyway, in summation, Go see the movie, but expect to be horrified by the realistic violence, aghast at mans inhumanity to man (always wanted to use that in a real sentance), amused at the dark humor that comes out of having an 11 year old girl who can dual wield pistols, and to come away from it feeling sad and happy at the same time.

[ANDREAS FERRARI]

The "kid" who plays Kick Ass is 19 and his "girlfriend" is 43 and pregnant!!!!!

http://theblemish.com/2010/04/aaron-...nths-pregnant/

I think I need to change my avatar.

[Monocrom]

I think I need to change my avatar.

Why?

The 13 year-old girl who was 12 when they shot the film, and she was pretending to be 11; well she's not the one who made the bone-headed decision in real life.

[ANDREAS FERRARI]

I think your right Monocrom!

I copied and resized and cropped and lightened her hair to make that avatar!

Why should I be punished because some teenager couldn't control his hormones?

Besides-no one wants me to go back to using this mug........



Well I will bring him back soon for old times sake.

In the meantime I have been watching this movie on WatchXOnline.

[Monocrom]

A wise choice.

Your new avatar would totally kill your old one in the blink of an eye.

Uh-oh, watch out ...

[StarHalo]

she's not the one who made the bone-headed decision in real life.

Just as in the movie, Kick-Ass being a dumb-ass just makes her look more like a pro..

And Biff's last movie appearance was 20 years ago anyway

[gollum]

I will have to watch this when/if I get a chance soon


at least it seems to be stirring up a bit of comment

movies have to have controversy to make it in the world nowadays

[gswitter]

I liked it. It was a lot funnier than I expected, given all the cautions in this thread. There were some absolutely hilarious lines ("What a douche!"), and I agree, it was great to see Nicholas Cage in a goofy role again.

In tone, it reminded me of Battle Royale (must have been the school girl outfit), but less serious, and not quite as good.

I'll definitely see it again when the DVD's released.

[ejot]

I went to see it twice!