Kick-Ass

Title: Kick-Ass
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Actors: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plazze, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage

Wow. Just wow.

I had high expectations going into this movie. However, due to the recent bombs I've wasted money on, I was prepared for disappointment.

I did not get what I was expecting. Like, at all.

First of all, the entire story. It... blew me away. I was expecting a teen sex comedy action flick. Like, a mix between Superbad, Spider-Man, and Charlies Angels but with teens. What I got was a dose of reality, action, drama, comedy, blood and guts, and shock!

This movie based itself on what would really happen if real people tried to be costumed, vigil-ante, heroes. It was shocking, and insane, and real, and I loved it. There was no glamour, no miraculous saves, good guy getting up after major blows. Instead the "heroes" got their asses kicked! They bled, profusely! They were hospitalized! They failed! Yes, in the end they got the bad guy, no surprise there, but the way it was done! Oh, the way it was done!

Director Matthew Vaughn has two other titles under his belt: Stardust and Layer Cake. Stardust is one of my personal faves. Fantasy like no other! Now, I've never seen Layer Cake, but I've heard great things about it. Kick-Ass is a hard core, blood, guts, shocker, but Vaughn couldn't seem to help himself. The ending is where it's at. It's the big finale, the final showdown. And to make it totally kick ass, Vaughn let in a bit of fantasy. I'm soooo not going to give it away though. But I will tell you that I laughed and laughed and totally wanted to stand up and applaud.

Now to characters and the actors that portrayed them. Stellar cast.



Nicolas Cage gave his character depth and with every word and every gesture gave parts of himself away to the viewers. At first you weren't really sure what kind of character he was. Was he a vigil-ante just because? Was he brought up in the lifestyle the same way he was bringing up his daughter? You wonder if he's just an eccentric kind of guy. Finally, you realize that he's... well... kind of crazy. For real. A very deep, very real hatred, of the bad guy and of himself, combined with inconsolable grief drive him a little bit nuts and turn him into the obsessed man you see on screen. I'm going to go ahead and say that this is Cage's best performance ever. And he totally stole the show. Kudos to you Mr. Cage.



Next up we have Aaron Johnson, the titular (hehe titular) character, Kick-Ass. I can't believe this but the dude's English. So, very good job on the accent. Johnson gave his character humanity. We saw him hurt, scared, determined, righteous. Brave. And Johnson let the character grow. I can name the exact moment in the movie when Kick-Ass went from being a teen in a costume to an adult. (For those of you who see the movie: when he goes into the bathroom to wash his face and he looks at the mirror. You'll know it when you see it.) The character gets hurt, is tired, and doesn't know what he's doing. But he never really gives up. Especially when it counts. Johnson did an excellent job portraying the character. Plus he actually looked good in that ridiculous costume.

The rest of the cast did good. Mark Strong, the bad guy, was truly scary. And he wasn't going to play it like a teen movie bad guy. He felt real. And scary. Did I mention that yet? The kid playing Red Mist was intriguing and quite funny. I wanted to punch him and make out with him at the same time. I really can't go into the character much because he's kind of surprising. So, I'll leave it at that.

All in all: it's one kick ass movie. What ever you're expecting, I guarantee you won't get it. And I can't guarantee you'll like it, but I'm pretty sure you'll respect it.

WARNING:
Just an added note: I wouldn't take kids to this unless they're mature for their age. And, since it is quite shocking, it's definitely not for everyone. As an example: Big Daddy shoots his little hun-bun in the chest; that same little hun-bun has the mouth of a much older, dirtier girl; her action sequences take some getting used to (pretty disturbing shit coming from a young girl); and did I mention the blood and guts? Cause there be some pretty grody blood and guts.

Otherwise, enjoy!

Clash of the Titans

Title: Clash of the Titans
Director: Louis Leterrier
Actors: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton

LOL!!! Clash of the Titans! LOL!!!

This was one hyped movie. It was supposed to be the beginning of the blockbuster season. Boy did it disappoint.

I stuck with the 2D version. For 3D you have to shell out more money (which I don't want to do) and you have to have a stronger tummy than me. I'm prone to motion sickness, so this whole 3D era is one I'm going to have to sit out. Sitting through the movie, it was quite obvious that it was intended to be seen in 3D. I'm sure some of the scenes would have been impressive had I had those goofy glasses on. As it was, I spent most of the time trying desperately to stifle inappropriate giggles.

I actually almost walked out of the movie in the beginning, that's how bad that part was. It was disjointed, stilted, and totally not cohesive. The characters were unappealing, even though the director tried really hard to make them so. When Perseus' family died... I was actually confused. They wen't from being on deck, watching a battle, to being trapped inside the hull when the ship was sinking.... Apparently Perseus was the only one who didn't magically transport himself inside at the right moment. At some point he was rescued. By whom, we don't know. And instead of just dropping him off in the city, his rescuers felt the need to take him to the castle and meet the king. And suddenly everyone knew his name and the fact that he was a demi-god. No clue how that happened. These jumps in knowledge without any kind of explanation continue for a good twenty minutes or so. I really wanted to walk out at that point. But, I was with someone and they wanted to stay.

After the first seriously bad act, we are led by our noses on a journey. Perseus, a lifelong fisherman, is taught to fight in a 2 minute scene where he bests a lifelong soldier. After that he is an expert soldier, bravely (read foolishly) going headfirst into battle. I guess my complaint here is that he was one cocky SOB for having just picked up a sword for the first time in his life. Also, not one ounce of believability.

I wish I could say that I cared about the characters, but I really didn't. They were flat, had absolutely no depth, and showed no development through the course of the movie.

All that being said, I give major props to the designers involved in the project. The special effects and makeup were amazing. The only two actors I recognized were Liam Neeson and Sam Worthington, despite the fact that the cast was full of actors I've seen and liked on previous occasions. Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace and St. Trinians) was mesmerizing. She was lovely and had the most to work with as far as character went. I didn't recognize her at all despite having watched her movies recently. I also didn't recognize Ray Fiennes, that's how good costume and makeup design was. Completely unrecognizable. So major props to those guys, whoever you may be.

All in all: You might as well go see it if you can stomach 3D (and the price). I'm sure it will amaze the senses. However, don't expect much. I laughed inappropriately (Sam Worthington and ninja skills with a sword from the gods; Hades and a creature having a near guy on guy makeout moment; up-skirt shots on the men). I can bet you that all involved watched the final product and went, "Oh no..."