Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass does not kick ass. It fucking demolishes it. I haven't had this much fun at the movies since Iron Man. Based on the Mark Millar comic of the same name, it gets better treatment than the other Mark Millar original Wanted. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Wanted, but Kick-Ass makes Wanted look like Sense and Sensibility. Its vulgar, its violent, its hilarious, and it makes no apologies.

It is certainly a deconstruction of the super hero film, and formula. Kick-Ass, aka Dave Lizewski is not Peter Parker, or Bruce Wayne. He's just a comic book geek who didn't have any other calling in life. So, fuck, why not try and be a superhero? What did he have to lose? Well, he nearly lost a lot of teeth at first. In fact, Kick-Ass is probably the least effective, and least skilled titular superhero I've ever seen committed to celluloid. But, when he has to, he can kick ass.

Now, the world we're introduced to, is essentially the real world. Kick-Ass is really the first "real" superhero. That is, he's the first popular one. After Dave dons the green wet suit, the film progresses more and more, into that just left of reality place, where somebody can be a real superhero. The real superheroes for most of the movie, are Hit-Girl and Big Daddy. A father/daughter team that take killing and vigilante justice as casually as soft ball practice. Even at his sternest, Big Daddy, played by Nicholas Cage in a return to form, doesn't even raise his voice. There's an odd sweetness to the pair and their grisly father daughter activities.

There are differences from the comic, but I won't even mention them, because, they would be spoilers. I enjoyed the movie too much to really go on too much more, and I want the casual comic fan that might not have read Millar's book, and even people who just like stuff that's sublimely awesome, to just go in carte blanch and enjoy themselves. So, get your ass to the multi-plex and watch a 12 year old girl, a 17 year old dork, and a murderous, yet doting father KICK ASS.

iRate it: A+

Clash of the Titans

First off, I'll say this, I did not see the film in 3D, as I heard that it looked awful, also, the film was never meant to be 3D in the first place. So, I saw it in glorious 2D, and it actually looked, pretty damn cool. The set designs, creature designs, and so forth, were pretty cool. Though, the witches looked like they were borrowed off the set of Pan's Labyrinth. I'll also give Louis and crew credit for the action and pacing being full speed ahead. This is not the same movie I fell asleep in during in middle school (and another time in high school).

The hero's motivations are completely different this time around. Perseus isn't the wavy haired, smiling demi-god, wannabe full god. This time he's an angry Australian with a buzz cut. Now, to part with many, I don't mind that change in dynamic all that much. In Greek mythology, the gods are total dicks, and people getting tired of their shit only makes sense. The problem is, the ham-handed way it all goes down, and is explained to you. The script talks to you like your the 8 year old you were when you saw the first movie. I won't get into much more detail to avoid spoiler territory.

Overall, the movie's biggest strength is its biggest weakness. Its pace keeps you entertained enough to not get nearly as glazed over in the eyes as you would during the original. However, it has to go so fast to fit in that 90 minute target, that histories and dynamics are established so fast you hardly care. Additionally, the non-demi supernaturally enabled characters are kind of whiny, pissants, except for the princess Andromeda who's stupid hot and has liberal guilty conscience. So in the end, your like: "Who the fuck cares about these people in Argos? They piss off the gods on purpose, then act all surprised when they send a giant crotch tick to come wipe their asses of the map! Fuck 'em."

So to summarize before I ramble on too long. The good? It's fast, the action's ballsy, and you at least have fun with the visual spectacle. The bad? Its so fast, all character development is explained to you as it happens, and there's a couple of stupid changes from the original that were ultimately a mistake. I won't say Sam Worthington ruined the movie, since, all I know, he could have actually rescued it from being total total crap. Because what we've got is, an ok movie with crappy parts.

iRate it: C+