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Kick-Ass: Mostly aptly named film since Superbad

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  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    From what I read the Hit-Girl parts where the original focus of the story. Seems the writer didn't think it was enough to carry the story and added Kick-ass character to refocus the story later. Its true that the Meta parts where carried by Kick-Ass while the comedy parts where carried by Hit-Girl and thats weakens the movie.

    I for one would have loved to see a story focused exclusivly on Hit-Girl and the child abuse she goes through to become a Superhero. Because thats what it is: abuse of a child. Its would also have been a nice deconstruction of all those "top-trained olympic champions dedicating their life to fight evil" heroes out there.

    Kipling217 on
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  • LanlaornLanlaorn Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I don't think it was anymore abusive than people who train their daughters to be 12 year old Olympic gymnasts or figure skaters. It was certainly much more immoral since gymnastics and figure skating are essentially extremely athletics forms of dance while being an assassin is, well, killing mans.

    Plus she had a great relationship with Big Daddy and we don't even know if she'll ever come to regret her murders. In the case of justified killing in the "line of duty", i.e. military service, police duty or even self defense, the odds of being traumatized are much lower.

    Lanlaorn on
  • Duchess ProzacDuchess Prozac Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Lanlaorn wrote: »
    I don't think it was anymore abusive than people who train their daughters to be 12 year old Olympic gymnasts or figure skaters. It was certainly much more immoral since gymnastics and figure skating are essentially extremely athletics forms of dance while being an assassin is, well, killing mans.

    Plus she had a great relationship with Big Daddy and we don't even know if she'll ever come to regret her murders. In the case of justified killing in the "line of duty", i.e. military service, police duty or even self defense, the odds of being traumatized are much lower.

    Except, you know, he puts his little girl's life on the line for his own selfish need for revenge.

    That seems pretty abusive to me.

    Duchess Prozac on
  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Elki wrote: »
    That was a lot of meh. What highlighted how conventional the film was were all the hints at unconventionality. Listen to the narrator. See the first ass-kicking Kick-Ass gets. Wonder what comes next. What happens when ordinary people put on costumes and take to the streets to fight crime? Apparently the same ol' comic book film, with dressing. I guess it starts of as some deconstruction of the super-hero, and some meta look costumes, and then promptly gives up and gives as a straight of a story as it can manage, with some twists. Everybody loves those.

    Now to jump straight to a different point, and that is that I hate precocious children in film. Even when precociousness is disguised as adorably-dangerous; it's the same lame shtick, and it's still not cute. Oh, she said cunt. I'm gonna roll on the floor and laugh. Oh, just tell me when you'll stop. My tummy thanks you for doing something funnier. Like, you know, an old lady cursing. Oh, how hilarious that would've been.

    The We're Doing The Ironic Music Thing Now, OK bits were tolerable. Which reminds me of something; watching this I just kept thinking of Tarantino and Kill Bill. Somewhat random, I suppose, but that man knows how to dance on that fine line of music.

    Nicolas Cage was pretty great. I did not know he was in this.


    Remind me never to take you to any movie ever.

    Godfather on
  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Godfather wrote: »
    Elki wrote: »
    That was a lot of meh. What highlighted how conventional the film was were all the hints at unconventionality. Listen to the narrator. See the first ass-kicking Kick-Ass gets. Wonder what comes next. What happens when ordinary people put on costumes and take to the streets to fight crime? Apparently the same ol' comic book film, with dressing. I guess it starts of as some deconstruction of the super-hero, and some meta look costumes, and then promptly gives up and gives as a straight of a story as it can manage, with some twists. Everybody loves those.

    Now to jump straight to a different point, and that is that I hate precocious children in film. Even when precociousness is disguised as adorably-dangerous; it's the same lame shtick, and it's still not cute. Oh, she said cunt. I'm gonna roll on the floor and laugh. Oh, just tell me when you'll stop. My tummy thanks you for doing something funnier. Like, you know, an old lady cursing. Oh, how hilarious that would've been.

    The We're Doing The Ironic Music Thing Now, OK bits were tolerable. Which reminds me of something; watching this I just kept thinking of Tarantino and Kill Bill. Somewhat random, I suppose, but that man knows how to dance on that fine line of music.

    Nicolas Cage was pretty great. I did not know he was in this.


    Remind me never to take you to any movie ever.


    Tell me about it. You know what was awesome about Kick-Ass? Fucking wall jumping and slicing people head off!

    Casually Hardcore on
  • gauchegauche Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Greatest movie ever created. Ever.

    gauche on
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  • UEAKCrashUEAKCrash heh Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Oh, I found out why my local theater didn't have Kick Ass when I went to see it.

    Apparently they never did.

    It was considered to controversial for them to show.

    UEAKCrash on
  • Just Like ThatJust Like That Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    In retrospect I'd say that the most interesting thing about this movie is the intertwining of reality and absurdity. It doesn't seem to care much about reconciling the two, either. But I think it works anyway. It's main goal is entertainment with an irreverent, edgy style, and everything else is secondary.

    Also I think you're a bummer if you didn't like it.

    Just Like That on
  • President RexPresident Rex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Do you live in Amish country?



    Also for complaints of "I didn't get a movie about a super hero in the real world!" ...that's because
    he'd have been killed in that gang's apartment if there wasn't some deus ex puella thing going on. Alternatively, perhaps there could be a montage of him drinking through a straw for 10 years before he can 'wiggle his big toe' and then tries to cope with being a 30 year old who was incapacitated for half of his life due to starting a fight with 10 armed gang members.

    You can stop watching the movie there if this bothers you, I guess.

    President Rex on
  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited May 2010
    Do you live in Amish country?



    Also for complaints of "I didn't get a movie about a super hero in the real world!" ...that's because
    he'd have been killed in that gang's apartment if there wasn't some deus ex puella thing going on. Alternatively, perhaps there could be a montage of him drinking through a straw for 10 years before he can 'wiggle his big toe' and then tries to cope with being a 30 year old who was incapacitated for half of his life due to starting a fight with 10 armed gang members.

    You can stop watching the movie there if this bothers you, I guess.

    The complaint is not: "I didn't get a movie about a super hero in the real world!" I'll watch whatever movie I get.

    The complaint, shortened, is: "I got a bunch of arcs in 2 hours that don't fit together for shit."

    Elki on
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  • GodfatherGodfather Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Do you always bitch about movies like this?

    Sheesh.

    Godfather on
  • President RexPresident Rex Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    See the first ass-kicking Kick-Ass gets. Wonder what comes next. What happens when ordinary people put on costumes and take to the streets to fight crime? Apparently the same ol' comic book film, with dressing. I guess it starts of as some deconstruction of the super-hero, and some meta look costumes, and then promptly gives up and gives as a straight of a story as it can manage, with some twists. Everybody loves those.

    Complains of the fact that the initial 'Kick-Ass getting his ass kicked' storyline transformed into a (somewhat) normal super hero movie. Which comes back to the point I made earlier about how there's not much more they could have done with it in the framework they set up.

    I suppose I could see the argument that the movie consists of multiple discrete story arcs, but I don't condemn it for that. Many movies break into seemingly inane plot deviations (random example: Terminator 2 'Get John Connor to Safety!' -> 'Blow up Cyberdyne!'). It'd be nice if the first 'Teenager becomes a Hero' eased in better with the later 'Bring down the Mob Boss' (arguably there's a 'This is why we want REVENGE!' bit as well).

    A better screenplay would have meshed those storylines early on better than one scene in a comicbook shop. The disconnect for Kick-Ass may be the fact that you don't get to know Hit Girl and Big Daddy aside from one scene near the beginning. I'm not really sure what twist you're talking about either, since nothing's really that twisty.

    President Rex on
  • XtralifeXtralife Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    You know, I enjoyed the movie... but I couldn't get into it as much as everybody else. I mean, yeah, the fight scenes were awesome, and in all it was mindless fun. I still had some problems with it, though, and I couldn't put my finger on it until I saw a review/vlog by this dude named "Spoony".

    Watch it here. The other half of his vlog is about wrestling, though, so stop about at that point unless you're a fan of it. And then you should actually go and watch his other non-vlogs, because when he actually has a script and has something planned out, he's pretty funny.

    Xtralife on
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  • CokomonCokomon Our butts are worth fighting for! Registered User regular
    edited May 2010
    Xtralife wrote: »
    The other half of his vlog is about wrestling, though, so stop about at that point unless you're a fan of it. And then you should actually go and watch his other non-vlogs, because when he actually has a script and has something planned out, he's pretty funny.

    Yes, go watch his 11-part review of Final Fantasy VIII. It's almost as in depth, time consuming and entertaining as the RedLetterMedia Star Wars reviews.

    Cokomon on
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  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    I spent roughly an entire goddamn weekend with those RedLetterMedia videos, but that was nothing compared to some guy I found who uploads playthroughs of entire games. And not, like, 2 hour games. I'm talking fucking MGS4, Infamous, shit that takes 60-80+ 10 minute videos.

    Not like I watch them raptly, they're often on as background noise or on one monitor while I peruse the web/play games on the other.

    Mostly I'm just saying oh god another waste of time!

    Forar on
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  • surrealitychecksurrealitycheck lonely, but not unloved dreaming of faulty keys and latchesRegistered User regular
    edited May 2010
    he'd have been killed in that gang's apartment if there wasn't some deus ex puella


    I have to say, I laughed.

    surrealitycheck on
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  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited May 2010
    See the first ass-kicking Kick-Ass gets. Wonder what comes next. What happens when ordinary people put on costumes and take to the streets to fight crime? Apparently the same ol' comic book film, with dressing. I guess it starts of as some deconstruction of the super-hero, and some meta look costumes, and then promptly gives up and gives as a straight of a story as it can manage, with some twists. Everybody loves those.

    Complains of the fact that the initial 'Kick-Ass getting his ass kicked' storyline transformed into a (somewhat) normal super hero movie. Which comes back to the point I made earlier about how there's not much more they could have done with it in the framework they set up.
    Framework, film, same thing.
    A better screenplay would have meshed those storylines early on better than one scene in a comicbook shop. The disconnect for Kick-Ass may be the fact that you don't get to know Hit Girl and Big Daddy aside from one scene near the beginning. I'm not really sure what twist you're talking about either, since nothing's really that twisty.

    Twist as in 'new twist on an old thing'. Like, "hey, here's your training for revenge story, but this time it's with a little girl." Crystal Pepsi, not M. Knight.

    Elki on
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  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited May 2010
    Godfather wrote: »
    Do you always bitch about movies like this?

    Sheesh.

    Probably. Especially when they remind me of Uptown Girls.

    Elki on
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  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I thought it was a good film. The whole disconnect thing you folks seem to be hung up on doesn't stick out for me, atleast not as badly. Hit-Girl and Big-Daddy exist in that same 'realistic' world as Kick-Ass, they're just behind the scenes and good at covering up their tracks. Made clear by the end when Red-Mist guy tells his dad not to kill KA, fact is no one knows BD because he's kept himself hidden.

    The only 'hur-dur' moment is the Jetpack. Because..... really? HG wasn't much of a disconnect and far fetched because let's face it, a child can be programmed into becoming whatever you want it to be. Athlete, mathematical genius, artist, killer. It's all possible if you start early.

    lastly, it's a comic book film, isn't supposed to be a little OTT anyway?

    Big Classy on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    This comes out early next month for home release

    It's a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack

    I love that shit

    UnbreakableVow on
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I hate to be that guy, but Elki, if you saw a single preview of Kick Ass before you watched it, you should have damn well known what was going to be in it. If you hate precocious kids, why the fuck did you go to the movie? They never made any attempt to hide her.

    Zombiemambo on
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  • Robos A Go GoRobos A Go Go Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I usually hate precocious kids, but I thought Hit-Girl had enough genuinely childish moments to prevent her from simply being an adult voice in a young body. It also helped that she wasn't giving relationship advice to a downtrodden man who just doesn't understand love, like most precocious movie girls do.

    I'm looking at you, 500 Days of Summer.

    Robos A Go Go on
  • Toxic ToysToxic Toys Are you really taking my advice? Really?Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    This comes out early next month for home release

    It's a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack

    I love that shit

    Fuck yes.

    Toxic Toys on
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  • HeatwaveHeatwave Come, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I might hold off until the director's cut is released.

    Heatwave on
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  • GreeperGreeper Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    Geez guys.

    Elki's very very very right about this, I loved this movie more than anything else in the world but it's actually impossible to argue with him about the first point.

    This movie turns into the kind of movie it starts off deconstructing. Whether or not that bothers you is your own business, but it definitely does.

    Greeper on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    That deconstruction would be very short

    The film would have essentially been those first 45 minutes

    Kick-Ass is stabbed and killed

    The end.

    There is your deconstruction of the superhero genre. Guess what? That's not entertaining.

    UnbreakableVow on
  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    This movie was terrific. It did everything the comic did right and avoided the typical Mark Millar syndrome that polluted the written work ("Oh, everything is always dark and terrible all of the time always! All people are bad and evil! ANGST! GLOOM! BE DEPRESSED!"), which wasn't realistic to begin with (it was a hyperbolic cynicism-gasm. OH YEAH THAT GIRL IS GOING TO HAVE HER BF BEAT UP THE DOWNTRODDEN PROTAGONIST, WHO THEN WILL COME HOME TO FIND POPS BANGING SOME HOOKER! THAT HAPPENS LIKE ALL THE TIME RITE???).

    The fight choreography rivaled the best of Tarantino's work, which is saying an awful lot, the casting was spot-on and the protagonist was such an awesome everyman. The whole thing just clicked.

    The Ender on
    With Love and Courage
  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    This movie turns into the kind of movie it starts off deconstructing. Whether or not that bothers you is your own business, but it definitely does.

    ...Except it wasn't deconstructing anything. The antagonist is a flat-out monochromatic supervillain, Big Daddy is a flat-out Batman-trope superhero. Kick-Ass himself is just sort of caught-up in the big fight.

    If you want a deconstruction of the superhero archetype, read or watch Watchmen.

    The Ender on
    With Love and Courage
  • WarcryWarcry I'm getting my shit pushed in here! AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I just saw this today and I have to say, it's been a while since I saw anything as well directed as this. The highlights for me were definitely Big Daddy's warehouse scene and the Hit-Girl rescue. The music used in both scenes was from other movies, but god damn it worked well. Hit-Girl annihilating the thugs in the strobe light was just great.

    Something struck me as really odd, though. I was always expecting this to be a parody of sorts, like one of those so ridiculous it's awesome movies, like Crank. But the music choices gave it a much more serious tone, and it actually worked. It wasn't realistic at all, but it was believable (with the exception of Hit-Girl reloading the pistols) and more importantly, it was goddamn awesome. I say Hit-Girl was believable, because she was death incarnate until she got unarmed. That fight at the end with D'amico reminded you that she was still just a little girl. Speed and incredible gunfighting skills were the only things that allowed her to stay alive. Once those were gone, she was just an angry little kid.

    Great movie, I'd give it a 9/10. Most entertaining thing I've seen in ages.

    Warcry on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    I actually searched for that tune that plays during the HG fight toward the end. The one she uses the strobe light. Found out it's called Adagio in D minor and is also used in Sunshine. Funnily enough I actually rented that movie the next day because it had the same track :lol:

    By John Murphy I think. Fantastic tune.

    Big Classy on
  • WarcryWarcry I'm getting my shit pushed in here! AustraliaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2010
    Big Isy wrote: »
    I actually searched for that tune that plays during the HG fight toward the end. The one she uses the strobe light. Found out it's called Adagio in D minor and is also used in Sunshine. Funnily enough I actually rented that movie the next day because it had the same track :lol:

    By John Murphy I think. Fantastic tune.

    Yep. One of my favorite tracks ever. I thought it was called Capa's Jump though.

    Warcry on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2010
    I can't find that song, is it comercially available?

    DarkWarrior on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    Yeah it's on the Sunshine official soundtrack. But it's kinda different tbh..... Actually alot different, it's more guitar riffs I think, whereas the kick-ass version is piano. Not sure if Kick-Ass OST is available though. Should be.

    edit: Warcry, I was referring to it's name on the kick-ass credits.

    Also, kick-ass ost is indeed available. Amazon have it.

    edit2: Adagio in D minor is listed as 'Kaneda's Death' on the wiki for Sunshine. Weird, was it used twice?

    Big Classy on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2010
    Well it is but it doesn't feature that song, its stuff like Omen and Make Me Wanna Die.

    DarkWarrior on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    Well that's shit. :(

    Big Classy on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2010
    Yep, because I want that song.

    DarkWarrior on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    If they're not selling it could you not just get it off youtube and extract the audio somehow? Surely that isn't considered the 'P' word?

    Big Classy on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2010
    Would depend if its clean or not. If its just from that scene, its going to be very corrupted with the atmospheric sounds. It'd just take some research and backtracking to find out who made it and what exactly its named but it might just be that its one of those 'made for movies' songs. I remember Legacy Of Kain: Defiance had this ridiculously awesome song on one of its trailers but it was made explicitly for advertising and it was impossible to get a hold of comercially.

    DarkWarrior on
  • Big ClassyBig Classy Registered User regular
    edited July 2010
    Big Classy on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2010
    Ah cool, so its nicknamed Strobe.

    DarkWarrior on
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