Kick Ass - Discussion and Grading

[Sagart]

Kick Ass had previews in the UK last weekend and opens wide this weekend. I know our US friends have to wait a bit longer but for those who have seen it, or will soon, let's hear what you thought.

Don't worry - No Spoilers here.

I saw it on Saturday night and I LOVED it!! The first hour was fun but the second half totally blew me away. It's the most fun I've had in a cinema in a long time. I'm not gonna go into anymore details yet as I know most of you won't have seen it yet but, suffice it to say, this is a strong contender for 'Film of the Year'. And Hit Girl is gonna go down as a classic movie character. Mark my words.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I thought it was very good, just shy of great. I plan on seeing it again when it's on general release. While it's entirely different I would call it this generations Watchmen to be honest.

 

[Oden]

Saw it today and the movie really lived up to its name. Yes they made some big changes from the comic so dont go in there expecting to just see the comic plastered up on the big screen. I actually feel that the movie improved a lot over the comic.

This is how you take a comic and ADAPT it to the big screen. Sam Raimi and Brett Ratner can really take some pointers from this. Everyone who is gonna make a movie based on an existing property could benefit from taking notes.

Really frikkin well done.

 

[chrisspringob]

I loved this movie. At least as fun as Matthew Vaughn's last movie, "Stardust".

Why not make this the spoiler discussion and grading thread though? There's not much we can talk about without discussing spoilers. And the movie is already out in the UK and Australia. It comes out in North America in just a few days. We can bump it at that point if necessary.

 

[stueyross]

While it's entirely different I would call it this generations Watchmen to be honest.

What? Whatwhatwhat???

I'm sorry but I just really dont see where you're coming from with that. Watchmen was an epic deconstruction of comics as a whole. Moore used the story as a means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to critique the superhero concept. Watchmen has received critical acclaim both in the comics and mainstream press, and is regarded by critics as a seminal text of the comics medium.

Now, as good as the Kick Ass comic was, (and it was fucking great) it's nowhere near what Watchmen was.

KA is a typical gritty/realistic depiction of modern superheroism with the twist of "what if it was a dude like you?" Its clever in its depiction of the characters but alot of it is done for sheer shock value. Hitgirl, the language used, the ultraviolence and the completely unrelenting piles of shit that get dumped onto KA throughout the entire story.

Now, as far as the film goes - Im a little saddened that KA got the girl in true hollywood fashion. I half expected it to fade to a dream sequence after she'd knocked him the fuck out after he'd lied to her and felt her up under his guise as Gay BFF. Generally though, not a bad film. Not as good as the comic, good to have a few beers and see with a busy theatre house.

Not great though.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^Like I said it's entirely different, but it's a story of this generation becoming mundane superheroes, aiming squarely at what the fears and insecurities are of this generation. We don't have nuclear war to fear, we're not scared of commies or doomsday, we've basically bored and want stuff to do, our fear is getting mugged and losing our stuff. And it shows fights are painful and dangerous. Basically it's not as complex or in depth as Watchmen, but then neither are the worries of this generation.

 

[stueyross]

it's not as complex or in depth as Watchmen, but then neither are the worries of this generation.

I wont hijack this thread because Im eager to see what otehrs though of Kick Ass but i'd have to argue the toss with you over the worries of this generation not being as in depth as worries of other generations.

Look at what this generation has to worry about, and Im just touching the tip of the iceberg here.

An economy on the verge of global collapse, the end of fossil fuels that for so long have been an integral part of our culture, asymmetric warfare against a diverse set of difficult to find enemies, terrorism on the home front, an increasingly lawless culture, a general lack of identity as everything starts to merge into one big melting pot.

I'd argue that the issues this generation faces focus much more on who are we, what are we here for, where do I fit in, how do I contribute than any other generation to come before.

 

[Ethros]

If we're talking about the movie here, there's obviously gonna be spoilers, so be aware...
Spoileros




Saw it on Sunday night, I really enjoyed it. Having read the comic a few weeks ago I thought it was a brilliant adaption.
But....... I really hated the fact that Dave got the girl. That whole scene where he goes to her house and reveals he's Kick-Ass and not gay, and 10 seconds later they're in bed together I was cringing through. I thought it was gonna be revealed as a dream/fantasy sequence or something. I jus that whole aspect to the film sucked ass, much prefered the comics realistic take on what happens to him and Katie

 

[Bob The Skutter]

it's not as complex or in depth as Watchmen, but then neither are the worries of this generation.

I wont hijack this thread because Im eager to see what otehrs though of Kick Ass but i'd have to argue the toss with you over the worries of this generation not being as in depth as worries of other generations.

Look at what this generation has to worry about, and Im just touching the tip of the iceberg here.

An economy on the verge of global collapse, the end of fossil fuels that for so long have been an integral part of our culture, asymmetric warfare against a diverse set of difficult to find enemies, terrorism on the home front, an increasingly lawless culture, a general lack of identity as everything starts to merge into one big melting pot.

I'd argue that the issues this generation faces focus much more on who are we, what are we here for, where do I fit in, how do I contribute than any other generation to come before.

Oh I don't mean that everything and everybody of this generation is shallow, but that's what the how a lot of it is portrayed via the media and lets face it a lot of people don't really worry too much about those things until they effect them directly. So it makes sense that it would carry that sort of perception in to the stories it informs.