So here we are again, after a week off last week, due to the fact that we went out on Tuesday to a real life show, rather than a film. Anyway enough of that and more of this;
Kick Ass!
Tonight's film was the comic book style super hero comedy thriller; Kick Ass. Yes, well where do you pigeon hole a film like this?
I won't bore you with too much detail of the story, but it follows the adventure of Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who wonders why there are no super heroes. So, he invents one.
Everybody, meet Kick Ass.
Who then gets his ass kicked within minutes. After a spell in hospital, he plots to re-launch Kick Ass and this time, he takes on a gang and wins, whilst being filmed by some locals. This footage gets uploaded to You Tube and you have an overnight sensation.
He gets embroiled with the local mob, led by Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). This is where his path crosses with Hit Girl and Big Daddy, more wannabe super heroes, played wonderfully by Chloë Moretz and Nicolas Cage.
Big Daddy and Hit Girl take the vigilante super hero persona to a different level, with all manner of weapons in their armoury.
All the while Frank D’Amico's men are getting knocked off. It turns out Big Daddy is actually Damon Macready an ex cop with a score to settle, after being framed by Frank D’Amico.
What follows is an often funny, but more than often than not, very violent and bloody romp.
At first, this was bearable comedic action, with bullets and blades flying, especially the scene where Kick Ass and Hit Girl meet for the first time. They take on Rasul and his gang. The killing spree was carried out to the theme tune of the Banana Splits, it was clearly comedy killing.
It was funny but...... there's something not quite right about an 11 year girl, dropping the "C" bomb, then taking out 8 to 10 grown men with a double ended sword.
Actually, I almost agree with the shock value of the use of the C word. It gave the scene edge and the character of Hit Girl, the right degree of gravitas. However......
After this scene, the film took a sinister twist, the comedic soundtrack made way for a more malignant and portentous accompaniment. The killings weren't from a comic book, they were from a thriller. The special effects were more at home in a first person role playing video game, than a film.
All that being said, I enjoyed the film, the story line was strong and consistent, the plots and sub plots intertwined very nicely. I particularly liked the love interest, in the form ofKatie played by Lyndsy Fonseca, it provided a very good counterpoint to the bloods and guts.
Some points of note, the screenplay of the original Mark Millar story, was written by Jane Goldman, Jonathan Ross's Wife. Who also co-produced the film.
Secondly, the last time I saw Nicholas Cage in a film, was Knowing, where I thought he was not at his best. In Kick Ass he was actually very good.
I am not a fan of horror movies. I'm not a fan of slasher movies. Action thrillers are OK, but the violence in Kick Ass was gratuitous to say the least. The 15 Rating is dubious.
However, if you can see through this and view the film purely and simply as a modern, graphic, comic book style, super hero, special effect laden, comedic thriller and know that it's not real, (although the effects try to tell you otherwise), then it's a good film.
To be sure, I will have to watch it again.
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