Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass

While mainstream superhero movies seem to have taken a break this summer - with the exception of Iron Man 2, which resoundly failed to meet expectations - the underground comic scene has kicked back against the mighty heroics of DC and Marvel.

2010 has been the year of geek supremacy, and the nerdy double-whammy of Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has given the genre yet another high-octane twist. While The Dark Knight and Iron Man were all about undeniably cool heroes striking out against only-slightly-less-cool supervillains, the new breed of superhero is just as likely to be your average kid in the street, with a secret spandex fetish. Gone are the days of the gadget-powered crime-fighting millionaires - all hail the rise of the ass-kicking supergeek.

Kick-Ass walks a fine line between comic book homage and superhero parody, and it's a line that confused many critics upon its initial release. Many opted to ignore the dichotomy altogether and struck out against the film's cutting profanity and gory violence instead, but those who did really missed the point of this laugh-filled love affair with vigilante action. Next thing you know they'll be ripping into Jerry for braining Tom with a flatiron.

Kick-Ass really can't be judged by the same criteria as the other superhero movies that have gone before it, and its savvy blend of comedy and comic-book geekery has secured it a strong cult following now that it's finally available on DVD. If you've ever fantasized about wearing spandex tights and an extra pair of underpants, then this is the movie for you.

Relative unknown Aaron Johnson plays the lead role, a high school kid called Dave Lizewski. Dave is shy, socially inept, and spends most of his time buried in a superhero-filled fantasy world. It's little wonder that he yearns to break free from this depressing reality.

It's when Dave makes the decision to buy a superhero costume on eBay and fight crime in his spare time that his life, and the face of modern America, suddenly changes. Dave's alter-ego Kick-Ass has no special powers, and very few regular ones, but his honest enthusiasm quickly wins him attention as his exploits go viral on YouTube. It's Kick-Ass's brazen heroics that encourage father-daughter superhero combo Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) to come out of the closet too, as they pursue a personal vendetta.

Dave's actions also bring him to the attention of criminal mastermind Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), however, and with the help of his equally comic-obsessed son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) he sets about bringing Kick-Ass down.

Johnson is suitably strong-but-silent as social outcast Dave, but it's the over-the-top heroics of Cage and Moretz that truly steal the show. Nicolas Cage parodies Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight perfectly, giving one of his funniest performances since the Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona, while 11-year old Moretz is by turns shocking and hilarious as foul-mouthed preteen assassin Hit-Girl. The gore and profanity may be wildly inappropriate, but that's half the fun.

Kick-Ass occasionally falls foul of the superhero movie's need to explore creation stories in excessive depth, but once things truly get swinging it becomes a pantomime-like romp that trumps anything Iron Man 2 had on offer. Like low-budget drama Special, it roots our superhero myths in something approaching reality, milking them for plenty of laughs and more than a few homespun truths.

If nothing else, Kick-Ass cements the superhero story as modern society's most pervasive and enduring myth, one that's so deeply embedded in our cultural identity that it's perfectly ripe for parody. It remains to be seen whether they can repeat the trick with Kick-Ass 2, though.

4/5

Film Review: KICK-ASS (2010)

RATING 7.5/10

BOTTOM LINE: Entertaining and fun with some slick action sequences, “Kick-Ass” bring a real ‘kick’ to the superhero genre to pardon the pun, although the profanity and violence employed by the child characters may offend some who cannot see the humour in it.

THE GOOD: Superhero movies have been done to death with seemingly just about every comic book getting its own film these days. In this sense “Kick-Ass” is no different, however, the feisty and witty nature of the characters and story, not to mention that the heroes in this case are teenagers at their oldest who manage to inflict some violent harm and swear profusely make this a different kettle of fish altogether. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a geek who wonders why no one has tried to be a superhero given all the publicity afforded these heroes in the fictional universe. He decides to try and be one with surprising results. Despite almost getting killed in his first attempt to defeat bad guys, he quickly develops an internet following as ‘Kick-Ass’ and finally gets the girl of his dreams Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca), albeit in a round-about way. However, he quickly becomes embroiled in a fight with crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) and discovers that there are other superheroes out there, but ones who actually know what they are doing. Much fun is had with the character of Dave, as well as his interactions with other superheroes Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), with the latter just about stealing the show with her action-packed, no nonsense character that manages in the end to demolish most of D’Amico’s goons in a fantastic finale, albeit with the help of Kick-Ass. The action sequences in this film are top notch, and are arguably better than what you would see in a $200 million superhero film, despite the fact that this film came nowhere near to costing that much. “Kick-Ass” is a feisty, action packed fun ride that manages to show up many films of its ilk.

THE BAD: The film has generated controversy, particularly with the 11-year old character of Hit Girl, for its use of profanity and violence. I can see that some people might be offended by what they see in this film, but then, they are probably missing the point. If anything, the film seems to be satirising this aspect of our culture of a rowdy youth influenced by these things in our society. One excellent example is when Hit Girl uses night vision goggles to take out D’Amico’s bad guys in one particular scene. As we see her point of view, it feels like a first-person shooter game which seems to mirror the game playing of a lot of kids of violent video games. However, people who cannot see in to these things in the film will just write it off as a disgusting and reprehensible film which is a shame because the film is a lot of fun and reflects aspects about youth, culture, violence and yes, profanity in society.

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Kick Ass: Don't fall for the hype.

Being a superhero is as close as a fictional character can get to becoming a celebrity. Many people forget the names of actors and actresses, but nobody is going to dig through their mind trying to remember who the guy in the bat suit is. This easy notoriety is the reason so many of us /</igspan id="SPELLING_ERROR_0-spelling-corrected"/>/igfantasize</span> about having superpowers (and don't pretend that you don't). So, how come nobody has tried to be a superhero? This is the exact question Kick-Ass' protagonist Dave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1-spelling-error">Lizewski</span> asks his two nerdy friends as they hang out in their local comic book store. If you ask me, it's to prevent movies like Kick-Ass from being made.
Dave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2-spelling-error">Lizewski</span> (Aaron Johnson) is a textbook nerd. He has big glasses, a cracking voice, and is utterly invisible to the popular crowd at school. His favorite hang out spot is a comic book store with his two friends that do nothing to improve his image. Fed up with being useless in a world run by crime, Dave decides that what we really need is a superhero. Equipped with absolutely no combat skills, a green wet suit, and some clubs, Dave assumes his alter-ego as Kick-Ass. Little does Dave know that he is not the only superhero on the block. After narrowly being killed by thugs, Dave is saved by Big Daddy and Hit-Girl (Nicolas Cage and Chloe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3-spelling-error">Moretz</span>), a father-daughter team set on seeking vengeance for a past atrocity by crime lord Frank <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4-spelling-error">D'Amico</span> (Mark Strong). Soon after, Dave discovers that being a superhero may not always be worth the fame.
Kick-Ass is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Mark <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5-spelling-error">Millar</span>. I have not read the graphic novel, but I have no doubt that it was much better than this film. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Kick-Ass because of Chloe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6-spelling-error">Moretz's</span> role as Hit Girl. There is apparently something about a 13 year old sporting a trucker's foul mouth and a tendency towards bloody violence that just did not sit right with most parents. Well, I'm no parent. Hit Girl was one of the only good things about this movie. As a source of several of the few laughs to be had, Chloe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7-spelling-error">Moretz</span> does an apt job of keeping this otherwise lackluster film afloat. But the real treat was seeing her interact with her character's father, Big Daddy, played brilliantly by Nicolas Cage. Cage and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8-spelling-error">Moretz</span> bring undeniable chemistry to the screen, and are an absolute delight to watch. The best scene in the entire film comes when we first meet Big Daddy and Hit Girl as their plain clothes selves, Damon and Mindy <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9-spelling-error">Macready</span>. Former cop Damon is teaching his daughter how to deal with pain...by shooting her in the chest while she wears a bullet proof vest. This scene gave me hope that this movie would have many more brilliant scenes to come. Unfortunately, this movie was not called Big Daddy and Hit Girl. It's Kick-Ass. So let's discuss the titular hero.
Do you know how fun it is to watch somebody who cannot fight, try to beat up a group of criminals? You may think it's kind of funny for a few minutes, but after a while it just becomes kind of sad. Well that is how I felt watching Kick-Ass. First of all, the character of Dave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10-spelling-error">Lizewski</span> was one that I had no feelings towards. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11-spelling-error">Aaraon</span> Johnson was not doing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12-spelling-corrected">enough</span> to create a main character that was worthy of my sympathy. I did not care about him. Because of this, my interest in the character was void. There may have been some hope when he became Kick-Ass, but I soon discovered another problem. It is just no fun to watch somebody flail their arms around in a green wet suit. I understand that his inability to fight was the point, but that doesn't make it a good point. Every film has two basic sides: the point (message, theme, etc) and the entertainment (emotional responses). You can have effective entertainment without having an effective point, but you can NEVER have an effective point without effective entertainment. You can make a film about the most important subject ever, but if I don't like the way you tell the story, than why should I care? Sadly, Kick-Ass does not gain fighting skills throughout the course of the film, so any scene with him is just as monotonous as Johnson's <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13-spelling-corrected">voice over</span>.
Well maybe Kick-Ass shouldn't be graded on its performances. After all, it has been advertised as a high-octane violence fest. Surely, the action sequences are top notch and worth the films downfalls. Well, don't be so sure. There are actually relatively few fight scenes in Kick-Ass, and there are even fewer that are actually fun to watch. The best fight in the film belongs to Big Daddy. It was well choreographed and excellently filmed. Unfortunately, it lasts only about 20 seconds. The majority of the fighting in the film is done by Hit Girl, and though her moves are eye-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14-spelling-error">poppingly</span> exciting the first few times around, they became rather stale near the end. I felt like I was watching the same scene over and over again.
Kick-Ass is a movie that should have remained a graphic novel. It's protagonist did not transfer well to the screen, and neither did it's style. Perhaps if the film focused more on Big Daddy and Hit Girl it would have been a lot better, but that probably would have upset the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15-spelling-error">fanboys</span> of the graphic novel. I cannot recommend this film to anybody over the age of 30 or under the age of 17. This film is perfect for the college crowd but will not sit well with anyone else. And I have a feeling that in a couple of years, not many people will even remember it. My rating (4/10)

Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass - Co-written and directed by Matthew Vaughn, starring Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Nicolas Cage - Rated R

(I apologize in advance for how cheesy this wordplay is, but I can't resist): "Kick-Ass" kicks ass.

Comic book movies are a dime a dozen these days, but Kick-Ass is a bit different. It’s a comic book movie that acknowledges comic books. The self referential factor allows the film to be much funnier than its typically serious counterparts. This doesn’t mean Kick-Ass is a flat out comedy. It still features plenty of vicious action and extreme vulgarity, and I loved every minute of it.Kick-Ass is about Dave Lizewski, a comic book reading high school kid who dares to ask, “Why hasn’t anyone ever tried to be a superhero?” Obviously, Dave decides to try it out himself, so he creates the alter ego Kick Ass and “tries” to fight crime. The only problem is that Kick Ass isn’t very good at his work, but that doesn’t stop him from becoming an internet sensation which propels him into some serious crime fighting.

The serious crime going on involves a mobster running drugs through a lumber business front. The mobster himself (Mark Strong in yet another good performance) and his son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin’) are interesting enough, but it’s their nemeses that are the real stars of Kick-Ass.

Big Daddy (played with great fun by Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) are doing some vigilante work of their own, but they are a bit more serious, and deadly, about it. This is the aspect of the movie that might rub some people the wrong way. Hit Girl is actually a little girl…and she cusses like a sailor while she kills dozens of bad guys in increasingly inventive and gory ways. The character didn’t bother me, but then again I’m not easily offended by movies. Kick-Ass, though rated R, is a relatively lighthearted movie. In other words, it’s not to be taken very seriously.

Hit Girl is a very entertaining part of the film, but it’s Big Daddy that stole the show. Cage is a well known comic book geek and he gets to let his inner geek shine through in this one. Big Daddy is not just a well trained killing machine; he is also an amateur comic book artist, which makes him a little bit of a dork. When he’s in his costume, he talks in a stilted serious tone, his attempt at sounding like the heroes he idolizes. In fact, Cage was doing an Adam West impression to go along with his
Batman-like costume. Some might find it weird, but I found it hilarious.

The film hinges on one performance, though. How good could Kick-Ass be if the title character was played by a terrible actor? Thankfully, the filmmakers chose Aaron Johnson, who is perfect on every level in the role. He was completely convincing throughout the entire film, especially in the non-hero moments. A good portion of the movie is about being a teenager. The dorky teenager plot has been done to death, but Aaron Johnson, along with his buddies (the amusing Clark Duke and Evan Peters), keeps things amusing. I expect Johnson’s star to rise even more in the near future.

The filmmaking is quite impressive as well. Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) took this on as a passion project, getting the financing on his own because he knew that no studio would put up the cash for it. His love of the source material is evident through the entire film. Vaughn’s style conveys the tone of the comic book perfectly. He also proves that he can handle action scenes in creative ways.

Usually, a film establishes an action style early on and sticks with it. That’s not a terrible thing, but it can make a film kind of boring. Kick-Ass mixes things up a bit. Sure, there is a fairly standard, though brutal, style used throughout, but there are also more creative moments as well. My personal favorite was the scene in which Big Daddy singlehandedly takes out a warehouse of goons. The camera movement coupled with the jarring vibrations with each gunshot made for a very cool sequence. There are other examples, but the point is that this film tries a bit harder than most to be visually interesting and it succeeds.Kick-Ass is one of the best comic book movies I’ve ever seen, but mainly because it’s aware of other comic book movies, if that makes any sense. I imagine all dorks, a term I regularly apply to myself, will love the film. But you don’t have to be well versed in the comic book world to enjoy it. It still has all the regular elements of the comic book movie blockbusters; it just has a sense of humor, and a great one at that. Kick-Ass is a flat out crowd-pleaser and unless you have hang-ups regarding foul-mouthed murderous little girls, you will probably love it.

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Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

Last updated: 2010-05-08 08:30:54 by user06

Kick-Ass: The Movie that really kicks...butt.

Plot:  Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a nerd whose only real passion is comic books.  Wondering why no ordinary person has ever tried to become a super hero, Dave takes on the mantle of “Kick-Ass,” whose only power is taking a beating.  Despite getting his ass kicked, he gains a YouTube following, meets some real bad ass vigilantes, and becomes the target of a mob kingpin.

Kick-Ass is really…no, I won’t use that joke.  But I will tell you that Kick-Ass is a damn good movie.  First and foremost, this is a comedy, but it has the right blend of super hero elements to make it a real compelling movie rather than just a simple parody.  It has a very interesting structure.  The first act is a comedy.  The second act is a mix between comedy/action.  And the last third is pure action and violence.

What makes Kick-Ass so interesting is that it begins as a run of the mill teenage comedy.  Dave is a geek who fantasizes about sleeping with his teacher and he hangs out at comic book stores with his two nerdy friends.  He endures the normal OMFG problems that only occur in high school.  The dialogue is snappy and funny, and the characters likable.  The comic book elements come into play early, but they are all subtle knocks at the genre.  They work well together.  It’s not until Dave puts on the Kick-Ass garb though that the movie starts to get real good.  Because they set it up as a typical high school movie where Dave is a typical high school kid, it makes you really fear for his life when he goes out to fight crime.  The second half really is a different film, which works for it and against it.

Kick-Ass eventually moves towards a more traditional super hero tale.  The film loses its original focus and gets especially whacky and over the top towards the end.  They also gloss over some pretty serious moral dilemmas.  A lot of bad stuff happens as a result of this guy becoming Kick-Ass that they don’t dwell on or explore.  But I understand the director (Matthew Vaughn) wanted to keep it lighthearted, and the stuff in here is just too damn good, so I have to let it slide. 

The real heart of the movie though is the colorful characters.  The actors bring their A-game.  Nicolas Cage was my favorite part, playing Damon Macready, also known as the vigilante Big Daddy.  What the director does brilliantly here is that you don’t see very much of Big Daddy fighting, but when you do, it’s a spectacle!  He really makes you salivate and want more.  I would also be remised if I didn’t mention his daughter Mindy Macready (alter-ego Hit Girl).  She is played brilliantly by Chloe Grace Moretz.  Not only does she take out a gazillion mob guys in the span of 2 seconds, but Moretz plays the character to perfection in and out of the costume with a maturity level beyond her years.  She is probably the most fascinating character.

Speaking of mob guys, Mark Strong plays the main baddie Frank D’Amico.  Now this easily could have been just another cliché and interchangeable Mob Boss, but it’s not.  There is enough flavor and spunk to this guy that I actually got invested in his character.  He is very much written like a generic crime boss, but there is something about Strong’s performance that keeps him fresh.  To be able to play such a tired role and keep it interesting gives Strong an A+ acting job in my book.

If you like super heroes and comics, you will love this movie.  There is a lot of violence, but it’s not ridiculous with blood splashing all over the screen.  It’s a great dose of both bad ass and comedic action.  That’s the biggest strength of this film; it mixes genres successfully.  Along with a great score and a very memorable final line, Kick-Ass is really…you know.

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Great)

Kick-Ass

So i saw Kick Ass Thursday night at a 10:00 showing, so pre midnight,  crowd was pumped in the small line for it, and i was ubber pumped, being  a huge fan of the comic. Were there changes> Yes, of course, but  they were pretty good i thought.

Film begins much like the comic  with a lone individual attempting to fly off a building only to land on  a car, if you've seen most of the the trailers, you've seen the spot.  The camera pans and shows the license plate, revealing the title of the  film, from there it just gets better with a comic book font in the  corner of the screen.

We meet Dave(Aaron Johnson) a high school  geek who does geeky shit with his two friends Marty & Todd(Clark  Duke & Evan Peters), being ignored by chicks at school and reading  comics after school, that when he comes up with the idea to live out his  fantasy's and become a super hero.

He gets a wet suit, and goes  on the look for crime, while trying to stop a car jacking he gets  stabbed, but he soon gets better and returns to school. While back, his  crush Katie(Lyndsy Fonseca), begins to befriend him, thinking he is gay.  Dave goes along with it in an attempt to get close to her. One night he  goes on the look for a cat only to wind up saving a man from a mugging,  the incident was recorded and posted online, which leads to huge fan  fare for Dave;s new alter ego, KICK ASS!

We also meet Mindy &  Damon Macready(Chloë Grace Moretz  & Nicholas Cage) aka Hit Girl  & Big Daddy, a daughter, father combination whose love is very  tough, as Damon shoots Mindy in the chest with a gun(her in a bullet  proof vest of course). Damon used to be a cop(something that was in the  comic but reveled to be a little different in the comic), but was framed  & sent to prison due to crime boss Frank D'Aminco(Mark Strong),  while there his wife overdosed but luckily teir child was unharmed).  Once released he swore revenge and trained Cindy in to becoming a  vigilante killer!

Frank is a cocaine king of the city, alot of  his group are taken out by Big Daddy & Hit Girl(though he & his  syndicate believe it is Kick Ass), including Hit Girl's debut saving  Kick Ass from a gang of thugs, in a very brilliant string a  decapitations & stabbings! Franks gets pissed at all this and wants  Kick Ass taken down, so his detached son Chris(Christopher Mintz-Plasse)  comes up with a plan to become a superhero himself, named Red Mist. He  sets up a trap at  his dad's warehouse but Bid Daddy get there before  anything goes down and kills off all the goons & sets the place on  fire. Chris shows his dad a surveillance tape and a new plot is set up  to take out Big Daddy. ''Dave admits to Katie that he's Kick Ass &  not gay, they gets turned on and asks him to stay the night(the comic  would have a rougher end to his confession). Another plan is set, and  this one almost works, Red Mist turns on Kick Ass by by shooting Hitgirl  and letting Big Daddy & Kick Ass get kidnapped. THe two get  tortured & beaten until the lights go out & HIt Girl goes all  Predator on everyone by sniping them out before making the final  save(but with a loss of course).

Kick Ass & Hit Girl agree  to seek revenge, she slaughters more, he uses a jetpack, and a final  showdown between them & the D'Aminco's is on resulting is Frank  being shot by a bazooka. Dave & Marty both wind up with some pussy,  Mindy begins to go to school,  and Red Mist is shown plotting his own  revenge.

The cast is just right, Aaron Johnson is in the same  vein as Jesse Eisenberg & Michael Cera(though Cera isn't nearly as  good as Eisenberg). Nicholas Cage is fucing awesome yet again, after Bad  Lieutenant 2 i knew Cage was on the right track, and i fucking loved  his Adam West channeling he did. Christopher Mintz-Plasse  is no longer  McLovin after this, he's Christopher Mintz-Plasse. And Chloë Grace  Moretz steals the show, everytime she appears as Hit Girls she's either  being a badass smartass or giving the audience geekgasms by going  Beatrix Kiddo on everyone, he scenes are so well built, pure  awesomeness. The music choices are great aswell, and you'll notice some  spaghetti western sounds aswell as the kick ass(no pun intended) 28  Days/Weeks Later score. I've seen the film twice, twice in 24 hours, i  loved it both times, it may not be better than Shutter Island but it's  just as enjoyable, as those are the only films i've loved so far this  year(along with Hot Tub Time Machine). Read the comics, check the film  out, hope for a sequel, oh and btw, this was an independent film! Smoke  on that Spider Man.

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Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn, 2010)

THE SCOOP
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Plot: Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.

Genre: Action/Comedy/Drama
Awards: -
Runtime: 117min
Rating: M18 for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving children.

IN RETROSPECT
Has anyone tried kicking their own ass? It’s technically very difficult and requires a skillful contortion of the foot. I can’t do it, but I think it feels good to have your ass kicked once in a while. That is why Matthew Vaughn’s latest film is such a welcoming presence. Kick-Ass kicks ass and it is your ass that is on the line. Leave your ass there. Be kicked and enjoy the show.

Vaughn’s film is a roaring delight. It is a decent popcorn film that will mostly please the male demographic. But it is also a film that finds itself riding too much on clichés and references from the comic book-cum-superhero genre. Actually, that is part of the fun of watching Kick-Ass. But during parts when the film goes “original” and tries to develop its main characters and plot, it works out as quite flat and uninspired.

Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski. Dave is a college student who leads a normal (read: boring) life. He is plain-looking, doesn’t have luck with girls, and like any comic book geek, he fantasizes of becoming a superhero. No big deal. Until he dons a green wetsuit with a mask and calls himself Kick Ass. He gets into the thick of action and tries to prevent crime and finds that he is not at all ready for the responsibility, if any, bestowed upon him by himself.

In a parallel story, a father-daughter partnership wreaks havoc against the brutal Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) and his men. Their motive is revenge. Nicholas Cage plays Big Daddy and Chloe Moretz plays Hit Girl, superhero wannabes who actually have an array of destructive firepower at their disposal. Ever seen an 11-year old girl violently slaughter a gang of hitmen? If Quentin Tarantino ever decides to make a superhero movie, this would be it – violent, vulgar, and a hell lot of fun.

Vaughn has made an entertaining parody of a popular genre. There’s no doubt about it. If I may be kind, the film’s high amusement factor distracts viewers from the paper-thin characters. You may not feel it during the film, but when the final shot suggests a possible sequel, ask yourself this: Are you going to watch that sequel because you had such a fun time with the first? Or is it because Kick Ass and Co. have so little character development among themselves that you desire to know more about them? Maybe it’s both.

Vaughn’s track record has been commendable thus far. His first two features were Layer Cake (2004) and Stardust (2007). Comparatively, Kick-Ass ranks as a minor disappointment. But it is still compulsively watchable. And the fact that kids aren’t supposed to be allowed to watch this adds to the oh-so guilty pleasure.

SCORE: 7.5/10
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Recommendations: Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962), The Visitor

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Last updated: 2010-04-24 11:28:37 by eternality_tan

Kick-Ass

As I quietly made my way into the theatre, knowing full well I was going alone to a movie based off of a comic book that only hardcore comic enthusiasts have heard about, I couldn’t help but feeling extremely torn about this movie. On the one hand I had Roger Ebert’s review trashing Kick-Ass swirling around my head and on the other all of my friend’s positive reviews of the film.

Kick-Ass follows the life of high school loser Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who, after reading too many comics and getting mugged one too many times, wonders why no one has ever donned a superhero costume and fought bad guys. To which his friends reply, “Because you’d get your ass kicked.”

Dave ignores his friend’s words of wisdom and orders himself a superhero costume that makes him look like a teenage mutant ninja turtle without a shell. He sets out to fight crime, gets promptly stabbed and hit by a car. His injuries were fixed with metal plates and left his nerve endings so shot that his ability to feel pain is almost gone. He starts to actually have success as a superhero and becomes a New York City phenomenon.

In his travels he encounters Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), a knife-wielding, fun sized hero trained to kill people by exactly the kind of person you would expect to teach an 11-year-old girl that sort of thing. Yes, I am talking about Nicholas Cage, who takes on the role of Big Daddy, who is 20% Batman and 250% Punisher. Together they are out to stop crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong).

With a title as subtle as “Kick-Ass,” the audience is expecting at least one thing: there better be some ass kicking. Kick-Ass has some pretty good action sequences, all shot in a comic book style that is easily recognizable and isn’t vomit inducing. There is no shaky camera running around the scene like a squirrel with epilepsy. And the climactic end battle is epically brutal and deliciously satisfying.

That said, Kick-Ass is a little long and every scene needs to be rescued from its main character. Mostly by the likes of Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fogel from Superbad), and even Nicholas Cage, who is surprisingly not annoying and works well within the film.

The main problem with Kick-Ass is that it doesn’t really know what it is. Is it a satire of superhero films? Is it supposed to be serious? If so, how should I react to an 11-year-old girl killing everyone in sight? And, how hard can it be to be a superhero if you have more guns than the U.S. Army?

I expect that all the people that were going to see Kick-Ass already have, but if you are looking for mindless fun that delivers exactly what you’d expect, give Kick-Ass a try.

2 and a half four stars

-Christopher O’Connell

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Kick Ass (Spoilers)

Kick Ass is based on a comic book, (that  was written about the same time as the film’s screenplay, oddly enough)  and asks the Watchmen-esque question, what if someone really decided to  be a superhero. Interestingly enough, it opens with a kid in suit,  leaping off the Empire State Building, falling to his death.

The main character is Dave Lizewski, a dorky comic book reading loser  teenager. His mom died of a brain aneurysm, and he lives with his dad,  who has some kind of job where he works nights. In his first few scenes  we see he has nerdy friends, isn’t respected at school, is ignored by  girls, and whacks off to his middle aged English teacher. This about  exactly how the first Spiderman should have opened (except for the  comics and masturbation).

He and his friends hang out at Atomic Comics in New York city. (I  think there really is an Atomic comics in Pheonix AZ.) This comic book  store has an area that looks like a diner, where kids hang out and drink  milkshakes, etc. I’ve never seen a comic book store that has that. Also  there’s lots of Marvel comics present on screen. Kick Ass is a Marvel  comic, though not set in the Marvel Universe, and it’s not a Marvel  Studios film.

Anyway one day they’re sitting around the comic shop having a drink  when Dave wonders aloud why someone hasn’t really tried to be a  superhero. Comic book heroes have been around for decades, how come  someone didn’t really try it? His friends chip in that a real costumed  hero would get their ass kicked and might die on the first day. Later  they get mugged, and there’s a Kitty Genovese-esque scene where someone  watches from their apartment and does nothing. Dave wonders why people  don’t stand up and do something.

Dave then buys a scuba suit and thinks of the best name a kid would  think of, Kick Ass. After some funny shots of him training (reminding us  of the first Spidey film) he patrols the streets with two billy clubs  strapped to his back. Realistically enough, he gets stabbed on his first  outing, and then accidentally hit by a car. He begs the paramedics not  to say anything about the suit, and they don’t. The Doctors put some  metal plates on different parts of his body, which Dave remarks make him  seem like Wolverine.  It’s also mentioned that something’s off with his  nervous system so he’s less sensitive to pain. This tiny stretch of the  imagination let’s us believe that he can take the punishment he later  gets in the movie.

A rumor gets out that Dave was found naked when taken to the  hospital, leading to speculation that he’s gay. This makes his crush at  school comfortable to talk to him, leading to a funny romantic subplot.

Giving hero-ism a second try he fights off three thugs who are gang  beating somebody, while someone video tapes it and puts it on youtube.  In a powerful moment he says something like “Three guys are beating on  someone while everybody else watches, and you ask what’s wrong with me?”

He becomes a media sensation, with everyone wondering who it is. The  Kick Ass myspace page also takes off, and is a big plot point as it’s  how he communicates with some other characters. You could criticize the  use of myspace, as opposed to the cooler/more today Facebook, but I  always liked myspace better anyway so whatever.

In the midst of all this we get scenes of mob boss Frank D’Amico,  whose operations are being hit by some strange vigilante people describe  as being like Batman. He mistakenly thinks this is Kick Ass. Frank’s  bald like Lex Luthor, and practices martial arts, like that other NY  comic book mob boss the Kingpin/Wilson Fisk. D’Amico is the main villain  of the film.

We also have some strange scenes of Nicolas Cage playing a father who  trains his 12 year old daughter in weapons and fighting. In their  opening scene he shoots her in the chest while she wears a bullet proof  vest. This is part of her training, but we don’t get what’s happening at  first. Cage draws some comic book pages of the mob boss (which made me  think the story would turn out to be a comic or something). The pages  give some exposition. Cage was a cop who D’Amico boss set up on drug  charges. He served time in jail, had a wife who died giving birth to  their daughter. He’s now planning vengeance as a costumed hero Big  Daddy. As Big Daddy Cage channel’s Adam West’s Batman, with slow pauses  between his lines. His daughter is Hit Girl, who wears a wig like  Bat-girl of the Adam West Batman TV show.

D’Amico has a son who is also a lonely comic book reader who knows  he’s going to run his father’s empire one day, but is frustrated that  his dad doesn’t include him in more things. He offers a solution to the  hero problem by creating his own hero, Red Mist, to gain Kick Ass’s  trust. He brings the cool super car, the Mist Mobile, complete with  technology not alien to this world. Red Mist smokes a joint as he and  Kick Ass ride through town into a mob trap.

Frank’s son is a great character, but he’s slightly inconsistent at  the end. He realizes Kick Ass is just some dorky kid, and doesn’t want  to mob to kill him. It appears that he’ll turn on his father, but he  doesn’t, and fights Kick Ass at the end.

Another thing I want to mention is Kick Ass’s dad. He’s not distant  or overbearing or bad in anyway. It’s shown that he loves his son, but  he’s in the movie so briefly I think the film-makers didn’t know what to  do with him.

Frank of course meets his demise, but he never realizes who his two  enemies were, never realizes they were on a mission of vengeance.  Red  Mist survives, and, while wearing his costume, get’s the final word of  the film. Channeling Jack Nicholsen’s Joker, he declares, “Wait till  they get a load of me.”

At some parts there’s comic book panels providing narration. That was  cool. It’s a violent bloody movie, but the violence is kept in quick  shots.  There’s some controversy over Hit Girls violence and language,  but get over it it’s not a kids movie. Besides while watching a kid  fight mobsters may seem over the top, they’ve fought crime in comics  almost since their beginning. Remember, Batman’s sidekick Robin is a  kid, as is Kid Flash, Aqua-lad, the Teen Titans, etc. Kick Ass is just a  quasi-realistic look at kids fighting crime, so how could it not be  violent?

Kick Ass excels last years Watchmen in analyzing the superhero on  film (Which the Watchmen comic of course did wonderfully). We see the  ridiculousness of costumes, media exposure, merchandising, the real  possibility of hero’s getting hurt, sexual aspect of superheros, lack of  super-powers and no costumed villains. While the Watchmen film in the name of faithfulness crammed scenes  from the comic so hard they couldn’t breath, the Kick Ass movie is  allowed to be a movie. The results are superb.

I’ve enjoyed the Spider mans and X-Mens and other comic movies of the  last decade. They’re fun movies, but they’re not GREAT movies. Kick  Ass is a GREAT movie, and maybe the best comic movie ever. 9.5 out of  10.

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Last updated: 2010-04-24 09:28:52 by jemurr

Kick Ass but didn't take names...

With a title as audacious as Kick Ass, we are all hoping this movie does just that in a rather diluted superhero movie industry. While I didn’t think it lived up to its name, I did think it was a solid ‘kick butt’ experience.

Based on 2008 comic book series by Mark Millar, Kick Ass is a story about an average New York high school nerd who decides to be a the first real life superhero. Relative unknown Aaron Johnson plays Dave, a very ordinary teenage boy with very ordinary teenage problems. From a comic book induced epiphany, he courageously dons a costumed derived from a wetsuit and fights crime among the rooftops and dark alleys. Unlike most superhero origins stories, there is no mutation or freak accident, just an overly hormonal kid who is naive enough to try to help people in an unconventional way. Thanks to YouTube, he not only becomes wildly popular but also discovers a new sense of confidence and belonging. To his surprise there are secretly other heroes at work and he realizes that crime fighting is not all it’s cracked up to be. The reality of life and death hit him in the face (several times in fact) and he must soon choose to truly be heroic or return to his safe, ordinary life.



I read Mark Millar’s original before seeing the film which was good since I could see where Director Matthew Vaughn repeated or diverged from the source material. Even as an inexperienced director, Vaughn did an adequate job at telling the story and offering some interesting visuals. However, I found that when the movie was at its best when it was copying from other movies. The teen angst drama reminded me of Peter Parkers Spiderman. The swooping cityscapes and mob boss reminded me of Dark Knight. It’s obvious that the cartoonish and quirkiness was inspired from Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Even the gritty style of Watchmen show through in some action sequences. So while entertaining, there was a lot of familiarity while I was watching it.

The story also suffers in comparison to the comic. The truncated plot loses a lot of detail and you don’t get a chance to really fall in love with any of the characters. On screen, you can see the potential but you just end up falling in like, not love with them. The cast does fine with what they had but nobody really exceeds expectations. Even Nick Cage is a little boring and bland as the Adam West parodying Big Daddy.

The biggest disappointment was that this version removes all the surprises and twists from the original. The unpleasant points are nicely removed to accommodate the Hollywood mainstream crowd. I would be fine with that as long as other bold component are added, which unfortunately it’s not. The comic does not wrap up in a nice bow which is part of the charm of its story. As a new viewer, you wouldn’t know any difference but as a fan of the comic, you will find yourself wanting to do some ‘Ass Kicking’ of your own with Director Vaughn.  



We reached an interesting new era within the superhero movie genre. At one time it was about hero stories striving to find legitimacy in the industry. Now movies like Kick Ass (and Watchmen) introduce a ’self awareness’ of higher ideas associated with crime fighting. There is less emphasis on super powers and nifty gadgets but more on themes of what makes a hero, the need to sacrifice, and are there any truly noble intentions. Heroes fight for good but are they just living out their narcissistic desires? Hmmm, this might have to be a topic for a future podcast…

Back to the movie. While the end credits rolled, the low murmur of criticism began with my esteemed colleagues of BabbleOn 5. Some liked the live action version better than the comics, some didn’t. I was one that didn’t. While the movie was entertaining, I thought the comic book was far superior especially the ending. I would recommend reading the comic book first since the movie will spoil some of the twists since they are not present in the film.   



It’s unfortunate that it only hit #2 in the box office this past weekend with a meager $19 million. It was much hyped at Comic Con last year and I thought the legion of comic book fans would come out to support it.  But please note that this is a hard ‘R’ with plenty of graphic violence and vulgarity. Don’t be fooled that while kids star in this film, they shoudn’t be watching it. For adults though, it is a fun movie and worth seeing. Hopefully with positive word of mouth and a slow month of April, it will gain some momentum over the next few weeks.

Read more of my reviews at www.BabbleOn5.com

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Last updated: 2010-04-21 14:10:26 by tonybkim

Kick-Ass: Living Up To Its Title

Let me just start by saying how irritating has always been for me to see Nic Cage waste his talent on subpar movies or roles that just don't do him any favors. I know he doesn't really care, but no matter what anyone says, he's really a good actor, whenever he wants to be and accepts a good role, as he does in KICK-ASS.
I haven't read the comic, and I know some people have thought of it as less than what we were promise, not as cool, not as funny, blah, blah, blah. I personally thought it was rather awesome.  I don't think it tries to be THE DARK KNIGHT or anything like that.  For a fictional movie, it does a pretty decent job of what it would be like if someone did indeed set out to be a vigilante in real life, well the first half of it anyhow, though of course there's comedy to be have, out of it.  What I liked the most was that it really sets itself apart from your other comic book turn movies, and that, was something the movie did promise us.

It may be called KICK-ASS but the movie is an even split between our titular hero and the daddy-daughter combo duo of BIG DADDY & HIT GIRL, and it is them, that the movie belongs to. At one point a character in the movie says he's in love with HIT GIRL and that he would save himself for her, and that's exactly how you feel about he, she's fucking awesome!! I can't say enough about how Nic Cage is good in that Nic Cage doing voices and giving his characters tics and quirks kinda of way. Aaron Johnson, does a very good job playing the nerdy kid that somehow is dumb enough to forgo his fear and stand for justice, even as he experience the dangers of being a real-life superhero.  Mark Stong, whom you should know is one of my favorite character actors out there, once again gets stuck playing bad guy, but, like anything Mark Strong does, he's so good at being bad, that you don't care this is his gazillion evil role in the last ten years.  The only person that sort of doesn't stand up, even though he should, was Chris Mintz-Plasse's Red Mist character.
I'm not going to go into the whole, meaning of the movie, or whether is too violent or profane blah, blah. It's 2010, if you can't see a popcorn movie and get past it, without pointing fingers and try to blame it for whatever is wrong with society (with the exception of anything Michael Bay makes), instead of looking in the mirror and stop blaming shit that need not to be blame or take a face value, then you need to stay home watching PBS. Grade: B+

Last updated: 2010-04-28 11:05:28 by Nate13

Kick Ass

Kick-Ass
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz and Nicholas Cage
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Director: Mathew Vaughn
Rated: R
 

 Dave Liewski is a nobody in highschool, who is really into comics. He wonders why nobody has become a superhero and decides to give it a try.
 
 
One day while patrolling the streets pretending to be a super hero which he has named Kick-Ass, Dave gets caught up in a street fight, while battling off the attacker’s he is video taped by bystander’s who upload the video to the internet. The video goes viral and Kick-Ass becomes a pseudo celebrity. 
 
Things quickly spiral out of control for Kick Ass, when he is blamed by local gangster Fank D’amico (Mark Strong) for the work of a Father/Daughter team known as Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) who have been systematically knocking off Frank’s goons.
 
Kick-Ass is a really fun film to watch that doesn’t take itself to seriously Nicholas Cage delivers his best performance in ages as Damon Macready/Big Daddy who teaches his protégé daughter Mindy/Hit Girl how to be a lethal killing machine.
 
The dialog in the film is spot on with Dave and his friends Todd (Evan Peters) and Marty (Clark Duke who is on a roll after Hot Tub Time Machine) speaking how teenagers speak, while Hit Girl speaks like a superhero three times her age (There is something extremely hilarious and never gets old about a young girl having the foul mouth of a sailor). Hit Girl truly holds the entire film together.
 
The Violence is graphic and non-stop and is exactly what this Comic Book world needed where the superheroes have no super powers.
Kick-Ass is a brave film to come out in our current uptight PC culture, Kick-Ass thankfully didn’t try to water itself down to get a PG-13 rating.
It’s Violent, Funny and really enjoyable.
 
 
 Grade-90
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Kick-Ass Kicked Ass!

Kick-Ass truly kicked-ass.

There were mixed reviews by some guys on Twitter but I'm glad I ignored all the chatter and caught this one for myself. It's definitely a must-watch if you're a Tarantino fan cos' Matthew Vaughn has got a Tarantino-isque moment or two in this violent superhero flick. There are some very cool moments in the movie and even if superheroes don't interest just watch it for some of the gags.

Aaron Johnson does a great job as the geeky Dave Lizewski; high-school student in the daytime, superhero at night. What Kick-Ass loses in terms of power he more than makes up with heart (and blood, a lot of blood). I must make mention of Chloe Moretz who is my favourite in the movie. She's uber-cool as the 11-year old Hit-Girl and you've gotta catch this one for yourself to see her performance in this one. Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage as always and Mark Strong comes off strong as the villain in this piece. Newcomer Lyndsy Fonseca is really pretty as Katie; Kick-Ass' love interest... *sighs*. On the whole, the cast is a strong & entertaining one and the movie just pulls you in. There was never a dull moment cos' the movie mixes up action, violence and emotional bits & pieces to create a very, very entertaining piece of celluloid fiction.

I really enjoyed the movie but it's definitely not for the kids with all the swearing and violence. I've yet to read Mark Millar's original work in a Kick-Ass comic yet but I suspect it's a great adaptation of the book. I expect sales of the book and tradepaperbacks to pick-up over the next month or so as the movie generates interest in the property.

Expect to see a sequel to this one.

Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)

Check out my blog for other reviews and more - http://wengyuen.wordpress.com

Kick-Ass Movie Review

April 17, 2010 
Kick-Ass is a fun, stupid, honest and an over-the top gigglefest for all the women in the audience.  Guys, take notice.  The ladies think a little schoolgirl killing machine is bloody hysterical!       
      
One Word Movie Review: Unbelievable

Kick-Ass accomplished something I've never experienced in a theater in my life; women laughing at ultra-violence on the screen.  In fact, the girl behind me tried to apologize to her date between giggles, "I'm sorry, but I can't stop laughing!"  This remarkable reaction by the women in the audience was sparked by watching an eleven-year-old girl (Hit Girl, played by Chloe Grace Moretz) kicking ass, killing bad guys and doing so in a spectacularly gory and ruthless fashion.  Now, in all other cases of violent ninja screen bitches (think Uma Thurman in Kill Bill), it is the guys in the audience smiling as the blood spurts and knives fly.  In Kick-Ass, it is the women in the audience getting delightful enjoyment watching this charming little girl gut the bad guys.    
I watched this movie opening night in a suburban theater close to the university, with the seats filled with students hanging together.  Not really date couples, but crowds of young people out for a night of shared entertainment.  Bottom line, the ladies in the audience laughed hysterically while watching the acrobatic Hit Girl in action.  Now I can appreciate the juxtaposition of character stereotypes and the gratuitously bloody fight scenes were "shake-your-head" cool, but I wasn't laughing at the three tough guys cowering around the corner, holding machine guns and a bazooka, shaking with fear at the thought of facing the little girl in the next room.  No, it was purely a moment for the women in the audience to enjoy and did they ever.
Kick-Ass in unique in the way it twists the superhero genre on its head.  It portrays the sexes, teenagers and children in this fantasy world as unreal on one level and yet honest to our formula-trained minds fueled to expect a certain behavior by so many similar films.  It is rare for a movie to surprise you both on an outrageous level and in the subtle details as well; from the opening dive from the skyscraper roof by "some Armenian guy" to the final rocket flight of our hero through the city like Spider-Man. 
This is a date movie, a group outing for friends and a must-see for comic book and superhero fans of all ages.  It is both a tribute to comic superheroes and a fable about fans who dream of being just like the characters they worship.  It is also the first movie in a long time in which the line, "I'm getting the bazooka!" seems totally in character.

The Story

The story parallels two characters converging on a common enemy.  Kick-Ass is narrated by Dave, a high school awkward adolescent who wants to feel good about himself by wearing a costume and fighting crime.  He shifts from fantasy to reality," like every serial killer already knows", when he becomes the superhero Kick-Ass by confronting the neighborhood thugs.  He pays dearly for his efforts, ending up with some superpower-like medical re-constructions which increase the metal content and pain tolerance of his body.  He'll need these later on in the story.
The second character is the darkly comic, madly psychotic "Big Daddy", played by Nicholas Cage.  He has a back story which we eventually learn through comic book flashbacks, but suffice to say that Big Daddy and his young daughter Hit Girl are the real thing when it comes to kicking ass.
The off-kilter plot weaves mobsters, dominated rich kids, introverted nerd friends, quirky bad guys and young love into an escalating conflict of egos and vigilante revenge.  On one side are the mobsters worried about being perceived as the "biggest bunch of pussies in New York" and the superheroes trying not to be "a stupid dick in a wet suit".  Everyone has something to prove, insurmountable obstacles to overcome and plenty of oddball situations to milk for laughs.    
We end up in the grand finale, seen so many times before with the slow-motion assault on the criminal HQ, this time using a deceptively innocent schoolgirl uniform, a jet pack, a pair of shoulder-mounted Gatling guns and, of course, the aforementioned bazooka.  Not to give too much away, but the escalation gets so high that the introduction of Elvis singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic seems a perfect backing track for the action on screen.
The ending sets up a sequel and probably a whole new career for Hit Girl and the very likable Chloe Grace Moretz, if she can keep a "normal" childhood perspective now that's she's a Hollywood star. 
The Genre
This comic fantasy superhero adaptation has been a reliable moneymaker for Hollywood for some time.  Comics have been a rich source of visual storytelling and when well done, provide a refreshing new take on old formulas.  We've come a long way from the campy Batman movies and sterile Superman films of the 80's. 
Kick-Ass embraces the comic book world as part of the story (the characters hang out in a comic store) and pay homage from the first "flying through the clouds" montage to the ending obligatory "unmasking" scene.  This is a superhero tale made by people who love the genre but want to shake it up and re-invent the conventions.
 
The Overall Quality

The director, Matthew Vaughn is British, with a history which includes producing several Guy Richie movies and directing Layer Cake, starring Daniel Craig.  He also co-wrote the screenplay and adds a touch of satire and an ear for dialogue to the film.  He casts fellow Brit villain du jour, Mark Strong, late of Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla and the upcoming Robin Hood.   Mark Millar wrote the comic book as well as 2008's adaptation of Wanted, another violent tale with a strong female character.   
Much has been made in the press of Hit Girl's cursing, using all the bad words you can possibly think of, but if you're going to have a little girl shoot and slash her way through a few dozen hoodlums, she would probably have a mouth on her as well.  Her character drives the story, as she is the only one with anything like real "super" powers and she loses the most on a personal level by the end of the movie.  Her role is controversial without the cursing anyway, so I agree with the filmmakers to go for it and get it out of the way early. 
The use of the Internet in the plot, from the viral popularity of our hero through a web video to the final crisis scenes is a smart way to link the everyman theme to the real world experience of instant celebrity.  Today, fame and heroics are just a click away via some goofy video of a cat using a IPad or some guy in a hoodie playing piano on ChatRoulette.  Everyone can be a superstar, if not a superhero these days, with a video, Facebook page or a sexy blog.

Movie/Market Analysis

MarketBOB’s sentiment indicators, the GQS (Genre, Quality, Story) rate Kick-Ass an emotional BEAR.  This movie is an anti-hero fable about the difference between fantasy and reality.  We are living this every day as we get more detached from our institutions of authority and government, as our trust is eroded and our feeling of helplessness is reinforced by daily events.  The head gangster's office is decorated with Warhol's gun prints (check out here), twin icons of worship in his command center.  You leave the theater thinking how difficult it is to be a hero and how everything is decided by ultra-violent extremes.  The chorus of giggles from the women in the audience is unique in my movie experience, unsettling and perhaps ominous in that it may reveal a deep-set desire by the fairer sex to reap bloody vengeance. 
If anyone else has opinions on why women find Hit Girl so hysterical, I'd love to hear about it. 

Craig Forgrave (MarketBOB)
For the latest reviews and analysis of movies and their impact on market psychology, go to www.marketbob.com. 
My novel about the Devil harvesting sinners in advance of the end of the world, Devil Jazz is available from the publisher, ENC Press on Scribd at:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/15627287/Devil-Jazz

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Last updated: 2010-04-17 02:42:49 by marketbob

Kick-Ass: A Disturbingly Violent Yet Immensely Accurate and Entertaining Take on Mark Miller's Comic Series

Anyone who is familiar with comic book writer Mark Miller’s work will know that his Marvel comic series Kick-Ass would be a difficult piece to bring to life on the screen due to its original concept, brutally violent scenarios, and above all gripping dark humor. It seemed the fate of Kick-Ass might take the Hollywood plunge along with the horrid adaptation of Mark Miller’s graphic novel Wanted, which was unfortunately demolished by creative freedoms from the producers and directors. However, because of the unfortunate fate of Wanted, a film that Mark Miller plans to fix later on, Mark Miller seemed to get more involved with the adaptation of Kick-Ass, which is helmed by director Matthew Vaughn who is known for his gritty British crime drama Layer Cake. Safe it to say Kick-Ass might be the most accurate adaptation of a known comic series produced as of yet matching even the stylistic achievements of Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City. Kick-Ass is entertaining, funny, and violent but also seems to capture the vulnerabilities of the teenage years as well as a psychological reasoning for possessing the naïve urges of being a superhero. The dedicated script from Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn is successfully captured by Vaughn’s creative directing and given life by a clever cast filled with familiar faces and new comers making Kick-Ass the best and most entertaining blockbuster this year.
            The basic story in Kick-Ass involves an excessively shy nerd named Dave Lizewski who contemplates the glamour and awesomeness of being a superhero and ends up giving it a try with drastically negative outcomes. His determination and heart are products of fantastical idealism as well as being at the brunt end of receiving bullying and armed robbery, where a man sits idly by and does nothing while he is mugged. The catalyst is sort of on the scale of commentary equal to the Kitty Genovese case, where a woman was stabbed to death while people living in the apartments around here did nothing despite hearing it. However, this vigilante will take a stand against the existence of what he deems as actual evil and once we are introduced to our antagonist Frank D’Amico it gives the audience a realization that there is someone to really fight against. Dave Lizewski takes on the name “Kick-Ass” and after becoming an internet sensation realizes he isn’t the only one fighting crime when two professional superheroes, “Big Daddy” and “Hit Girl,” cross Dave’s path. Each character possesses complexities that are only slightly revealed, which is forgivable considering its based on the first segment of many in a comic series, but ultimately the script does flesh out many of the characters personal intentions. “Big Daddy,” played extremely well by Nicholas Cage, has a dark past and vengeful past that is introduced to us in an animation segment done by the actual Kick-Ass animator John Romita Jr. who also makes a slight cameo on one of the scenes. This film captures the realistic risks of being a superhero whole embracing the idealistic dream of wanting to selflessly help others by actually making a difference on their own accord. The script is accurate to the comic series in story, scope, and biting humor, which makes for a guaranteed entertaining experience.
            Matthew Vaughn was a risky choice despite his credentials in the gritty and realistic field of filmmaking because of a strange off shoot film entitled Stardust, which was beyond reasonable comprehension as to why such a film was bothered to be made. But here Vaughn proves that he can balance humor, teenage awkwardness, violent action, and varying character intentions with a tightly directed and intriguingly shot film that is practically a frame by frame adaptation. This looked as though it was a fun set to be on and the relaxed state of the filming really resonated with the actors and the finely edited sequences that flowed very well. Vaughn also has the rare ability among modern directors to allow his violence to not only be shocking but also mesmerizing. At times the shock value can drive people away but here it is used as a satiric exaggeration of realism to ultimately convey humor at its ridiculousness while also cautioning those with any ideas of duplication that it can have serious consequences. Even the music adds a level of humor, to the classical pieces during times of torture or brutality while using rock segments to compliment the more fast paced action sequences. Legs get chopped off, knives impale chests, people burn, bullets fly, and rockets get fired making every action sequence an entertaining chaotic experience. Compared to the horrid adaptations of graphic novels and comic series in the last decade, including butchering V for Vendetta, The Watchman, and Wanted, it seems as though Kick-Ass will be the first comic adaptation to learn that sticking to your source makes for an enjoyable, visually mesmerizing, and relatable film experience.
            All of this wouldn’t have worked if the casting wasn’t done well and there are no complaints in this department. Aaron Johnson not only makes the awkward teenage years seem painfully familiar but his comic book fantasy world that he immerses himself into with horrifically drastic consequences seems quite believable yet also humorously tragic. While Nicholas Cage has never been a horrible actor, just an easy script choosing sort of fellow, here he embraces a complex, determined and extremely funny father hell bent on revenge while also training his young daughter to being a killing machine. And that is where there is an exceptional performance to be witnessed and that is from Chloe Moretz as the brutal foul mouthed action machine “Hit Girl.” Known for being the unbelievably mature younger sister in (500) Days of Summer, Chloe Moretz shines in this off beat physical performance as a gun slinging, obscenity yelling, innocent enough looking girl, which makes for great humor while remaining a tad bit vulnerable. The cast doesn’t lack the inventiveness or liveliness that was needed to deliver this project well and while some aspects of the film aren’t flourished out enough, a weakness that isn’t the fault of the delivery but rather because the story continues, Kick-Ass is definitely an original take on the superhero genre and makes for full throttle entertainment.
            Some people might find Kick-Ass a tad too shocking for their tastes and granted there are many moments that would make that feeling understandable. However, look past the graphic violence and focus on why it was used and it’s used in many ways either for humor or to accentuate the risks and harshness the world has to offer. Vigilantism isn’t actually something looked upon with great favor but then again The Dark Knight broke box office records and was solely about taking matters into one’s own hands. Kick-Ass addresses the idealistic superhero within us all and shows how difficult the path of helping others in a world full of palpable evil can actually be. The film is all at once an action film, a satire, and a reflection on doing something about helping others instead of standing idly by. It is a guarantee that those who are fans of the Kick-Ass comic series will be pleasantly surprised with the accuracy this film has in comparison to its source, but has enough dark humor, gripping action, and relatable characters to keep anyone interested and hooked on this fun superhero film.

Recommendations: Red Riding, Fish Tank , Mystery Team

Last updated: 2010-04-16 04:22:43 by GenerationFilm

Kick-Ass

/</gih3/>/gi<big>Kick-Ass: Review</big></h3>

Hollywood watch out, the British are coming...

Two words: Matthew Vaughn. Produced Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, directed Layer Cake which arguably launched Daniel Craig into the stratosphere, and then followed up with Stardust, the fantasy epic. But Kick-Ass is a whole 'nother freakin' experience.
Yes it's a comic book film, and yes its not as if this type of thing hasn't been done before. But the simplicity of the story allows Vaughn to concentrate on other things, namely character and pacing. It all fits together so well. The fact that no studio wanted to produce this film just made things better. Going outside of the studio system where there are no movie-execs breathing down his neck, telling him to cut the bad language or violence allowed Vaughn completely free-reign.
Co-written by Jane Goldman (Jonathan Ross's wife), Kick-Ass is about loser Dave Lizewski- excellently played by Brit Aaron Johnson, with a near-flawless American accent-invisible to women, average student who after getting mugged wonders why no one takes it upon themselves to be a superhero vigilante.
After ordering a hero-suit off the internet, he takes his one man army on to the streets to fight crime. But after a disastrous confrontation with a man with a knife and a speeding car, he ends up coming out of hospital with metal in his body (a nice nod to wolverine) and shattered nerve endings. He uses his new ability to take a beating to the criminals of New York.
Soon he is an internet sensation, capturing the watchful eyes of vigilantes Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (a scene-stealing Chloe Moretz).
Sounds ridiculous so far, but after attracting the attention of a mob boss, who mistakenly blames the recent death of his men on Kick-Ass, Dave realises he is on over his head.


Bad-guy duties fall to Vaughn regular Mark Strong, who also played the villain in Stardust. He plays mob boss Frank D’Amico, and adds menace to a roll that could easily have turned out cliched. Playing his son is Mclovin' himself Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who's turn as Red Mist shows he's not the typecast geek we thought he was.
Nicholas Cage is excellent in his role as batman look-alike Big Daddy, and his scenes with Moretz playing his daughter dazzle with chemistry and are genuinely funny. Daily Mail readers will pounce on the foul language 11 year old Moretz uses ( watch out for a scene when she addresses a roomful of grown-ups by saying 'Okay you c**ts let's see what you can do now') but who cares? Its so incongruous to watch that word come out of the mouth of someone so young, but it fits perfectly with the tone of the film. We see limbs get chopped off and knives disappearing into stomachs- all the work of Hit Girl.


This may be the only negative point of the film, as Moretz as Hit Girl steals any scene she's in, and kicks more ass than Kick-Ass himself. Soon you'll forget that Dave is meant to the be the star of the film, but this is a minor gripe. The action sequences, accompanied by a terrific soundtrack (watch out for strobe lighting!), and dialogue scenes bursting with character development and sly references to other comic book heroes combined with terrific performances from Moretz, Cage and Johnson, makes this the action film of the year.
Unsurprisingly, after the over-the-top final showdown, Vaughn has left it wide open for a sequel. His sublime directorial skills are now up for grabs as he has now surely stormed his way on to the A list, handling action, comedy and displaying a mind bursting with creativity- talents all the big studios will be looking for.

<big>☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆</big><big>10/10</big>

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Recommendations: Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

Kick-Ass

"It physically reels you into the action sequences, which totally make up for it's flaws."

Directed by
Matthew Vaughn

Writing Credits
Jane Goldman screenplay
Mark Millar comic book series
Matthew Vaughn screenplay

With
Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz. Dave Lizewski.

Dave Lizewski(Aaron Johnson) is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan with a few friends and who lives alone with his father. His life is not very difficult and his personal trials not that overwhelming. However, one day he makes the simple decision to become a super-hero even though he has no powers or training.

What we have here is a film which is insane but also with a close grasp of reality at the same time. We have something created on screen which every geek fantasizes about: ‘Being a superhero’. So yeah, all of us comic-fanatics have dreamt about it -getting kitted up with a crazy-ass costume and going out there and dealing out our own form of punishment. So the obvious answer initially is that this isn’t going to work and you’re going to get slashed up by the first thug you dare to challenge and that’s exactly what happens. This film seems to make it a funny spectacle to shoot someone in the face and we all laugh with content, I’m sorry but not me, that crosses a line. This is one of the bad points for me, seriously, think what you’re doing here, you’re marketing a film which looks very close to something being aimed at a ‘younger’ market, even the name is going to draw younger viewers in plus the fact that its fuelled with amazing action sequences. I will give it credit there, it physically reels you in to the action scenes which totally make up for its flaws and are truly breathtaking, it did almost make me forget its bad moments. I just can’t help but look at this film in context to what your actually seeing on the screen, yes this is comic-book fantasy but what we’re actually seeing is Mark Strong beating kids in the face (Who coincidentally has now distanced himself from this film by a mile ) ultimately if the cast take the money and run it pretty much shows it’s no work of art to be proud of.
Don’t get me wrong I was looking forward to this film and being an avid comic book fan I thought it would be pretty good even without knowing massive amounts of what it’s about. I must admit the posters scream massive appeal. It does have some good memorable moments and Christopher Mintz Plasse & Aaron Johnson (Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging)  fuse together well and provide some comedic moments; they do genuinely have quite a good on screen presence together. Nic Cage is good in his usual Nic Cage way and he gives the film some of its funniest moments.

Going back to what I said before, my main concern about this film is the fact it shouts “Hey! ...look I’ve got all the fun and action from Spiderman but you know what?? You actually get to see people being shot in the mouth, 12 year olds saying the ‘C’ word and hear the sound of someone’s head squishing on the floor(see also American History-X)... it really is so much fun”.

Of course there are much more violent films out there, it’s nothing in comparison to say; David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, but with Lynch you know what you’re getting - what I’m saying is there’s something so irresponsible about the way this is done here – who is this film being aimed at?
In my experience of Kick Ass I would deem it as totally action-fuelled but at the same time ‘irresponsible’.

Kick Ass is released 26 March 2010 (UK)
Running Time: 95 Minutes

http://robinollysays.blogspot.com

Last updated: 2010-03-27 18:29:46 by Robinolly

My Review After Preview

Well where I can begin. I was invited to view the preview and write a short review over this movie KICKASS. I must say I entered the theatre with a very sceptical approach (i was assuming i would rate the movie 4/10), the tag line for the film did not appeal to me and I expected the aimed audience to be for teenagers.

I was shocked to see unique character chemistry between nick and his little one (you will find out when u watch it people). This film is very exciting and I ended up giving it a rating of 7/10 because I must say I have not seen a movie like this before. I actually enjoyed this movie very much....after half way. But none the less it was very well choreographed with the fight and action scenes with good but rare humour. Is this film violent......YES! Is the film straight to the point with the action....YES? Is this film worth watching.....YES! Was I impressed....YES I must say I proudly flaunted the idea to my friends that I had the opportunity to see it first.

But it took to long to start..."the film" if you know what i mean

I'm not a film critic hehe although I was sitting next to one at the time and he mirrored my feelings towards the movie.... He said at the end "Well!! Did u like it?" I replied..."hmmm very different and I would watch it again although it was slow paced to begin with" He replied..."yeh could do with a bit of snipping, and then it would be just fine!" And we talked over and over the scenes we couldn't get enough of, which I think every person will feel is the same after watching this movie.. it is like a modern day 300 hehe

So don't expect me to be deep in detail because I am to busy saving the world right now.

rating 7/10 people get out there and watch it!!

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Vincent Snavely

Movie Review - Kick-Ass

Genre: Superhero, Black Comedy
Director: Matthew Vaught
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong
Running Time: 117 minutes (plus trailers)

“With no power comes no responsibility”

Dave Lizewski doesn’t have super strength. Nor does he have accelerated healing or the power of flight. And he certainly doesn’t have enormous stockpiles of money, martial arts training, a two-ton rocket-powered tank and an English butler who doubles as a field medic. What he does have is a diving costume, a MySpace page, an encyclopedic knowledge of comic books…and a dream of becoming a superhero. Not dissuaded like so many would be by his total lack of combat training or intergalactic ability, this bespectacled teenager dons a makeshift uniform, fashions himself a weapon and takes to the streets as “Kick-Ass”, an amateur masked avenger for determined to protect the unprotected But after word of mouth of Kick-Ass’s exploits reaches the real life criminal underworld, Dave finds himself caught up in a frenzy of genuine heroes, genuine villains and genuine and deadly violence. Not to mention some very inappropriate language.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) from a series of graphic novels from Mark Millar (Wanted, Superman: Red Son), Kick-Ass was sold as a superhero movie with a difference: a bloody, profane, adults only version of the comic-book origin story we have seen so many times before. For my own part, the moment I saw a trailer that showed us a ninja-sword wielding eleven year old swearing like a sailor, I knew Kick-Ass was a movie I wanted to see. I even went so far as to call it my most anticipated movie of 2010. In this regard I suppose I was setting myself up for disappointment, although to be fair, the movie does deliver everything the marketing material promised; there’s tons of violence, plenty of black humour and that little girl does say “fuck”. A lot.

While I left the theatre a tad disappointed, this is a very fun and very entertaining movie, thanks mostly to the supporting characters. Nicholas Cage plays Big Daddy, a caped crusader whose costume reminds us of Christian Bale’s Batman but whose speech pattern is undeniably Adam West. Now I think a big part of why his character works is because you know it’s Nicolas Cage under that mask and glue-on moustache, but he is great all the same. So too is Mark Strong as sleazy gangster Frank D’Amico, a man who microwaves his henchmen and has a vendetta against the masked vigilantes threatening to bring down his criminal empire. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is also entertaining as another costumed hero, although he’s doing nothing to escape his Superbad persona; “Red Mist” is basically McLovin in a cape.

But as we all hoped, it is thirteen year old actress Chloe Moretz as miniature warrior woman Hit-Girl who steals this film from its stars. Every moment she is on screen is an absolute blast; most of the movies wonderfully ridiculous action centres around her, and over the course of the film she stacks up a body count more than the rest of the characters combined (and this includes the villains). Kick-Ass proves that Moretz is going to be one of the best actors of her generation, and any sequel film should be focused around her rather than this film’s title character. No discredit to Aaron Johnsons, who does do a good job as Dave, but Kick-Ass as a character simply is no match for the outlandish father/daughter duo of Hit-Girl and Big Daddy. This movie works best when it’s in full blown live-action cartoon mode, guns blazing and blood spraying, all to the sound of its ironically, almost irritatingly upbeat and infectious soundtrack.

What I was hoping for in Kick-Ass was for some kind of revolutionary superhero film; I wanted it to really offer me something I’d never seen before. But for all the severed limbs and C-bombs throughout, it ultimately doesn’t do that. In fact when you look at it, this movie is basically Spiderman. Dave’s journey; his home and school situation, hopeless love life and early days as a superhero essentially mirror those of Peter Parker. Now admittedly the Kick-Ass screenwriters have added their own little twisted twists; Peter Parkers first confrontation with bad-guys doesn’t end with him getting stabbed; nor does Mary Jane only want to hang out with him because she thinks he’s gay. But while the content is definitely amped up to what is well beyond politically correct, (including a marijuana smoking scene that seems to exist solely to push that one remaining boundary – I object not on moral grounds, but simply because it felt totally pointless) the plot itself covers very little new ground.

Still, it’s probably a little unfair of me to expect Vaughn and co. to totally reinvent the genre; it’s impressive enough that they managed to put together $40 million to make this film without studio backing (ironically the reason no one would finance it is because they found Hit-Girl too extreme). This movie is definitely entertaining and I recommend checking it out before it leaves theatres; I think the reason I couldn’t quite fall in love with it (aside from overhyping it in my own mind before hand) is because it seems to be trying to offer both a believable superhero story through Dave and an unashamedly absurd Kill Bill style splatterfest through Big Daddy and his purple haired princess. It absolutely succeeds at the latter, and so I must conclude that the thing really holding Kick-Ass back is Kick-Ass himself. Show me the Hit-Girl movie and I’ll have no reservations.

Rating: 7/10

Recommendations: Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Kick-Ass Lives Up To The Name

Wrote this for my school paper. Originally wrote a review, hated it and decided to redo it. Here is the second version. It’s still not my best, but it’s definitely better than the first one.

In the film Kick-Ass, one dedicated comic book fanboy asks his friends one day, “how come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” The very idea is met with justified ridicule from his friends, who claim that being an actual superhero is impossible. This doesn’t stop the film’s main character, Dave Lizewski from deciding to live out the fantasy held by him and virtually anyone with even a passing interest in superheroes.
 
Despite the fact that Dave has no powers or training and is little more than an average high school student, he grows tired of witnessing crime and no one having the courage to stand up to it. Dave first attempt at crime fighting fails horribly, resulting in massive injuries on his part. A few months later, he returns and successfully defends a man from three attackers. The exploit is caught on video and becomes an internet sensation. Kick-Ass merchandise suddenly starts appearing and Dave finds himself edging toward becoming a real superhero.

However, the brutal reality of becoming a masked vigilante is soon demonstrated. Dave visits the home of a drug dealer and soon finds himself staring down a loaded gun. He is saved, however, by the timely arrival of a little girl in costume, who effortlessly dispatches all the men in the apartment. She calls herself Hit-Girl. She introduces Kick-Ass to the bigger world he’s entered as she and her father, also costumed hero who calls himself “Big Daddy,” seek to stop a corrupt and powerful drug dealer.

The film at first is based in realistic portrayals and this realism is shown in brutal intensity at times. The titular character’s first attempt at crime-fighting ends with him stabbed and run down by a car. Obviously, attempting superheroism could have dire consequences. However, upon the introduction of Hit-Girl, “Kick-Ass” begins a derailment from its initial promises of showing the consequences of an average citizen taking the law into his own hands.
The actions of Big Daddy and especially Hit Girl steadily push the viewer’s suspension of disbelief further and further, eventually resulting in Hit-Girl demonstrating outright absurd fighting skills. For a film about “real” superheroes, watching Hit-Girl pull off moves that would put Batman to shame seems out of place. In general, the young girl steals the show right out from the feet of Kick-Ass and is easily the movie’s most memorable character.

Much of this indelibility stems from the girl’s incredible feats of crime-fighting, but more so from the profanity that constantly spills from her mouth. This mouth that would put most sailors to shame is at the center of much of the film’s controversy. Hit-Girl, in her first costumed appearance, even goes so far as to utter the most taboo word in the English language. However, all of the foul language, as well as  most  of the frequent blood and gore, is played for laughs.

“Kick-Ass,” in the end, is a comedy, though a dark one at times. Outside of a few touching moments, the film just wants to make the audience laugh. The issue of whether it’s moral for an eleven-year-old girl to kill dozens of men isn’t even addressed outside of one short scene, but that’s not the point of the film. Suspension of disbelief goes flying out the window in the movie’s final act as the main character’s fanboy fantasies are finally fully realized.
At its heart, “Kick-Ass” doesn’t portray an entirely realistic portrayal of costumed vigilantism. More than anything else, it simply seeks to provide laughs and succeeds in that department. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart or sensitive folk. Hit-Girl’s mouth and the violence definitely earn “Kick-Ass” its R-rating. Ultimately, the film is an escapist fantasy and for those willing to suspend their disbelief, the movie provides an entertaining two hours. “Kick-Ass” more than lives up to its name.

For more movie reviews and other interesting topics visit thechez.net

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Last updated: 2010-04-23 07:05:41 by TheChez

Kick Ass

Although I’m a huge comic book fan, I never got around to reading the original comic book version of “Kick Ass”, so I can’t review this movie from that perspective, only on its own merits. And this movie merits a ton of praise.
 
The story centers on a shy high school geek who decides that the best way to attract girls and attain meaning for his life is to dress up in a costume and fight street crime as the superhero “Kick-Ass”.
 
The movie starts out feeling like a small, quirky, high school comedy with a healthy dose of realism regarding the practicalities of trying to be a superhero in the real world. But little by little, the movie has more money thrown at it until it becomes a hugely explosive action-fest in the last third of the film.
 
A number of other heroes and villains enter the story and help to flesh out a small but interesting “comic book world”. The movie does not seriously attempt to create a realistic depiction of superheroes in the real world, but contains far more realism than any mainstream superhero movie.
 
The performances are a strong part of this movie. Aaron Johnson plays the title roll and it fits him like a glove. His awkward personality and breaking voice made me forget I was watching an actor many times. Nicolas Cage flexes both comedic and dramatic muscles well enough to make me literally both laugh and cry. (He also has some really cool superhero moments!)
 
The actor I walked away most curious about was 11 year old Chloe Moretz, who played the ninja-like “Hit Girl”. Her acting chops are very good for her age and she pulled off some incredible action choreography, not counting what may or may not have been handled by a stunt double.
 
The song selection in the soundtrack of this movie is very clever and added to the already brilliant execution of the visual material in a way that made me want to jump up and applaud. Not since “Iron Man” have I had this much fun watching a movie in the theater.
 
The action is fun and at times crazy-cool in the way it is choreographed and displayed. In more than one scene I laughed out loud for the sheer joy of watching the action unfold.
 
The story is funny, but also very touching at times. Of particular interest is the relationship between Hit Girl and Big Daddy. Although their introduction is strange and off-beat, as their back-story is revealed their subplot becomes a very touching part of the movie’s core.
 
I have to shave a little off my score for this film for the use of some brief, sexually themed humor that was a little overstated and wasn’t necessary for the kind of story being told.
 
Justice is the undercurrent of this movie, although it never quite makes it to the surface as a purposeful theme. Still, the problem of evil is presented well and it is extremely satisfying to see the bad guys get their due.
 
What I thought would be a fun, quirky little movie turned out to be a fun, emotionally involving, intense and funny ride with some added thrills and extremely cool action that I never expected to see.
 
 
Quality: 9.5/10
 
Relevance: 8.0/10
 
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