woopak_the_thrill
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A 2010 superhero film based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.
< read all 29 reviewsKicks some serious ass for a super hero flick, but doesn't kick as much ass as the graphic novel.
-
Oct 15, 2011
- by Madpenguin
- posted in Speech Bubbles: Comics & Graphic Novels
Rating:
+4
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is your average high school student; he's not a sports jock, head of the class, class clown, or even a nerd. He's just an average guy with a hobby, collecting comics. He soon becomes bored with his life and wonders how come no one has ever tried to become a superhero in real life. He likes the idea of just helping people for nothing. He dons an outfit, naming himself "Kick-Ass" and soon heads out into the streets with intentions on fighting crime. But he will eventually learn there's more to being a superhero than what he's read in the comics. -summary
As usual, when coming into comic book to films I almost always try to completely ignore the original source material, and don't expect a page by page re-telling. I know there are going to be some changes here and there, even some slicing and dicing, so I normally watch the movie as a movie. It's rare for me to bash a movie just because it's different; there have to be other serious issues with it for me to come out ripping it apart. However, things are a little different with the film Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn, and is based on the graphic novel of the same name written by Mark Millar. The original source material had an in your face message, as well as a commentary on people taking these comic books way too god damn seriously. For the most part, I would say that the point wasn't missed, while on other occasions it appeared that H-Wood didn't understand the point Millar was making in the first place. Nothing new with them as we all should know by now.
Kick-Ass follows Dave as he learns that being a superhero in New York City isn't as easy as it looks in the comics(I love the bluntness in his friends rational way of seeing this and giving their thoughts on the subject). Along the way, he soon encounters two individuals who are the real deal; Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). These two are not the Superman and Spiderman types who fight crime but also try to preserve life, instead, more on the line of the Punisher as they leave all of their enemies, normally criminals, on ice in a bloody display of over the top violence. Their antics later endanger a mob boss who blames Kick-Ass for the hits on his operations.
The characters and the action are the main selling points here. Dave is very well develop as that average guy with a good heart, and there's at least one scene that truly defines him as a hero, in which, this is what sets things in motion. However, the show-stealer is indeed the young Hit-Girl, as she provides the best action scenes in the movie. Nothing is left up to the imagination here, and those who are unfamiliar with the comic are going to leave thinking they saw something cool. The action is just splendid all around and action junkies are going to feel their time was well spent. The special effects are also a plus depicting the brutal violence. The acting is worth mentioning, and the characters fit their roles very well. Hit-Girl is extremely potty mouthed, but I believe it was a perfect fit for the style of the film. This was also Nicholas Cage's most entertaining role in a long time.
Now even though I like to ignore the original source material, but I just can't find myself doing it here. There's quite a bit of fan-service that pays homage to the graphic novel, in fact, it almost felt like it followed it page by page. Some of the changes really didn't bother me, while others bothered me a whole lot. Although they looked cool, the costumes were way too stylish and tailored made for the characters, which causes the style to lose that gritty feel. The book was quite different here, as the costumes appeared as garments that were just laying around in the closet. I also didn't like Big Daddy's motive here, as it completely misses the point Millar was trying to make, in addition, it completely loses that shocking revelation found in the comic, when you learn how come Big Daddy was doing what he's doing. Someone up top just didn't understand the original story. The removal of certain dialog was an issue too. There's a very memorable line from the graphic novel, where a thug states something along the lines; "Those comics really messed up your mind kid. You can't do this Batman shit in real life!" As hilarious that line appears to me, on a serious note it sums up Millar's vision, and I feel some of the point to the story is missed.
Some people feel Kick-Ass is the best superhero movie ever, mainly due to the over the top action scenes. I won't argue with these folks, especially if they never read the comic and don't care to later. It's a very entertaining movie that I've seen several times already, and I think fans of the original soruce material will get into it. I highly recommend this to action fans, and I highly recommend reading the Kick-Ass graphic novel either before or after this movie. However, if you have something against child violence then stay away. The movie has a 117 minute run time.
Pros:
-Highly action packed, characters
Cons:
-Some of the message of the graphic novel is lost
As usual, when coming into comic book to films I almost always try to completely ignore the original source material, and don't expect a page by page re-telling. I know there are going to be some changes here and there, even some slicing and dicing, so I normally watch the movie as a movie. It's rare for me to bash a movie just because it's different; there have to be other serious issues with it for me to come out ripping it apart. However, things are a little different with the film Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn, and is based on the graphic novel of the same name written by Mark Millar. The original source material had an in your face message, as well as a commentary on people taking these comic books way too god damn seriously. For the most part, I would say that the point wasn't missed, while on other occasions it appeared that H-Wood didn't understand the point Millar was making in the first place. Nothing new with them as we all should know by now.
Kick-Ass follows Dave as he learns that being a superhero in New York City isn't as easy as it looks in the comics(I love the bluntness in his friends rational way of seeing this and giving their thoughts on the subject). Along the way, he soon encounters two individuals who are the real deal; Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). These two are not the Superman and Spiderman types who fight crime but also try to preserve life, instead, more on the line of the Punisher as they leave all of their enemies, normally criminals, on ice in a bloody display of over the top violence. Their antics later endanger a mob boss who blames Kick-Ass for the hits on his operations.
The characters and the action are the main selling points here. Dave is very well develop as that average guy with a good heart, and there's at least one scene that truly defines him as a hero, in which, this is what sets things in motion. However, the show-stealer is indeed the young Hit-Girl, as she provides the best action scenes in the movie. Nothing is left up to the imagination here, and those who are unfamiliar with the comic are going to leave thinking they saw something cool. The action is just splendid all around and action junkies are going to feel their time was well spent. The special effects are also a plus depicting the brutal violence. The acting is worth mentioning, and the characters fit their roles very well. Hit-Girl is extremely potty mouthed, but I believe it was a perfect fit for the style of the film. This was also Nicholas Cage's most entertaining role in a long time.
Now even though I like to ignore the original source material, but I just can't find myself doing it here. There's quite a bit of fan-service that pays homage to the graphic novel, in fact, it almost felt like it followed it page by page. Some of the changes really didn't bother me, while others bothered me a whole lot. Although they looked cool, the costumes were way too stylish and tailored made for the characters, which causes the style to lose that gritty feel. The book was quite different here, as the costumes appeared as garments that were just laying around in the closet. I also didn't like Big Daddy's motive here, as it completely misses the point Millar was trying to make, in addition, it completely loses that shocking revelation found in the comic, when you learn how come Big Daddy was doing what he's doing. Someone up top just didn't understand the original story. The removal of certain dialog was an issue too. There's a very memorable line from the graphic novel, where a thug states something along the lines; "Those comics really messed up your mind kid. You can't do this Batman shit in real life!" As hilarious that line appears to me, on a serious note it sums up Millar's vision, and I feel some of the point to the story is missed.
Some people feel Kick-Ass is the best superhero movie ever, mainly due to the over the top action scenes. I won't argue with these folks, especially if they never read the comic and don't care to later. It's a very entertaining movie that I've seen several times already, and I think fans of the original soruce material will get into it. I highly recommend this to action fans, and I highly recommend reading the Kick-Ass graphic novel either before or after this movie. However, if you have something against child violence then stay away. The movie has a 117 minute run time.
Pros:
-Highly action packed, characters
Cons:
-Some of the message of the graphic novel is lost
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woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
I liked this movie....but the direction should've made an approach much grimmer; it had a tonal shift from the source material by becoming upbeat and this in turn, made it lose the point. You should see "Super"...a realistic vision of superhero depression....nice review!
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
I actually feel like I rated this a + one too high. Normally I always come into these forgetting about the comic, but this is something different and its message should have never become the least bit skewered. The one thing that bothered me the absolute most was giving Big Daddy a sane reason for doing what he was doing. His reason from the comic cemented Millar's overall message. I feel the change for the movie was a clashing of points and the director just plain didn't understand the original source material. Try to picture Romeo & Juliet with a happy ending where neither one of them died, it would contradict the entire story. That's almost how I feel about the Big Daddy character's movie motive right there.
woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
I didn't like the changes to Big Daddy and the way Dave got the girl...I mean what was the point to it all? It made his descent to depression in the source material useless, I wondered if the filmamkers understood the series. I don't blame the other folks for labeling this as a glorification of child violence since it did miss the point. See "Super", they should've approached the film in that manner (yep, I reviewed it)
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
Dave getting the girl kind of didn't bother me, because she didn't come off as a real bitch like she did in the book. But it does miss Millar's point as well. Folks labeling this as a glorification of child violence.... Honestly, I can't really take that claim serious, especially since I recognize certain folks who said that about the comic on different sites under different names, or they deleted those reviews on those sites under their current name, because fans (I was one of them) let them know how they clearly missed the point in the book, despite it being better explained. Don't take all these folks claims on that serious. Especially on this site. And I saw Super, it's actually something I need to see again.
woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
See, I thought the purpose of the movie was to make people understand and reading those reviews, they did have a point since they never read the source material; it proved that non-readers could easily misunderstand, and they did which meant that Vaughn made several tonal and story mistakes. That was the point, the movie dropped the ball by diverting from the darkness in the source material, they made a totally different movie almost.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
Then I guess some of those folks were lying when they ripped the book on different sites claiming that they read it too, and they had the exact same gripes, which means the book went over their head or they never read it. And for that reason right there, I can't take ALL those claims right there serious. You have a point there, but somebody was clearly bullshittin' though. Which explains why they deleted those graphic novel reviews. And I have this mutant ability to recognize folks writing styles.
woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
Oh yeah, a lot of reviewers claimed they had read the comics which they never did; I was referring to the ones who criticized the movie for being about a kid killing people and Vaughnn made it funny but those reviewers admitted to never having read the series. Then again, a lot of folks do that reviewing things they haven't read or watched (easy to tell since the info they have is so general in scope), I wonder how someone could review all the # 1's of the 52 relaunch when NOT all has been released yet....this also bothers me a lot in some of those yahoo movie groups.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
Which is precisely my point. At least one person panning this movie had the exact same review on another site for the book as well! Which makes that persons claim on the movie less than honest as far as I'm concerned. This is the reason why my circle is so fuckin' small when it comes down to reading people's reviews. Perhaps Lunch should drop the whole friend thing, and come up with their own Web of Trust. Mine would be small like you wouldn't believe.
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Count_Orlok_22
October 15, 2011
I loved this flick. Agreed, the more serious tone of the graphic novel kind of got hijacked by the twisted humor of the director, but I think the differences between the film and book actually compliment each other nicely.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
The twisted humor actually isn't my gripe with it. See my reply to Woopak above. That will add some more of my insight. I just didn't want to add spoilers in the review.
Count_Orlok_22
October 15, 2011
Yeah, I had some issues with the way Big Daddy was dealt with too. I didn't like the Batman-esque costume and they did justify his actions in the film whereas in the graphic novel he was just a mentally imbalanced comic book geek turned psychotic vigilante. Either way, it's entertaining. The one change made to the film that bugged the hell out of me was that Dave got the girl after having lied about being gay, kept it a secret that he was Kick-Ass, and was there when the drug-dealer was killed. I wish that they had including her dumping him in the film just for the sake of realism.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
In the movie she mentioned something about how she wish he wasn't gay. While in the graphic novel I don't recall her saying anything like that ever. In fact, in the graphic novel she had a boyfriend while she was hanging with Dave, while in the movie she didn't. it's very possible that she fell in love with him, by actually getting to know him. There's nothing unrealistic about that part at all. That can be debated right there.
woopak_the_thrill
October 15, 2011
dialogue changes in the movie bothered me a lot. It totally made the source material's themes different.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
yeah it did, just take a look at the one quote I mentioned was left out in my review. It's far more important than some folks realize.
Count_Orlok_22
October 15, 2011
I would absolutely say it was unrealistic. First of all she forgives his dishonesty as though it didn't matter and then it turns out that she has an almost fetishistic attraction to him in his superhero suit. No way she would be that fickle and still be intelligent. That's why I like her more in the graphic novel because there she realizes that Dave is immature and dishonest and she proves to be just another superficial snob who doesn't like him.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
Very realistic to me since you threw in intelligence. Look at that drug dealer she was messing with. And then look at her age. Yeah, I know girls who are more forgiving than that.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
On another note, I noticed your Year One/Beyond badge. Did you pick those titles specifically? Because if not, you left out quite a few Batman titles from animation to just plain other books on here.
Count_Orlok_22
October 17, 2011
Yeah, I picked them specifically because those particular story lines have been a big influence/inspiration to films in recent years and I'm sick of people who keep thinking they know all about Batman simply because they've seen the movies (you know who I'm referring to), so I figured I'd create a badge that would help people to branch out and learn more about the books behind the films. If I included every story line from the comics, every important animated episode, or animated film, it would have easily become too overwhelming I think. I want people to be drawn in by the medium and not feel that it's closed to them or only open exclusively to the fan boys.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
heh, as far as I'm concerned, you could be referring to a lot of people. I know dozens of so-called Batman experts who's only exposure are the movies to the point where it makes me sick. And if that's your reason, then you should have focused on stories that are a little easier to obtain. The Man Who Falls has been out of print for awhile, and Nolan's films are loved by those so-called experts who are annoying the both of us; perhaps those should have been left out? Batman Shaman, The Wrath, and the Cat and the Bat would be some nice adds as well. Along with Venom, which is being re-released some time next year along with No Man's Land. But yeah, I can hear you about them feeling overwhelmed. I'm going to go on another comic rush in a few days anyway and Batman titles are going to be a part of it.
Count_Orlok_22
October 17, 2011
I loved Nolan's films for how they translated the characters and ideas to the screen without strictly adapting any singular version of the Batman mythos. I still hold that Batman works best in animated form though when it comes to adaptations. As for "The Man Who Falls", it was included with the original 2005 Deluxe Edition release of "Batman Begins" and is being reprinted in a new edition of "DC: Secret Origins" where it was first collected back in 1989. I believe the new edition will be re-colorized.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
I didn't buy that deluxe edition, but I already had that story. I wouldn't mind picking it up with a re-done look. They have several Batman stories set to be re-released.
Count_Orlok_22
October 17, 2011
DC has been pretty good about re-releasing their older books and restoring them to the way that the artists wanted them to look to begin with. I wish that Marvel had followed in their footsteps with their Essential books rather than going for black and white. I like black and white, but I want those books the way I remember reading them only without all the wear and tear on the pages.
Madpenguin
October 17, 2011
Marvel had me scratching my head on that one too. I didn't buy any of those because that wasn't how I remembered them. Then they started with the Marvel Masterworks line, and I been trying to replace my collection that went up in flames in a house fire about 10 to 11 years ago.
Count_Orlok_22
October 17, 2011
It was really too bad because a lot of those stories haven't been released together in a single collection except for in those particular black and white editions. I had considered getting a few (Ghost Rider, Tomb of Dracula, Dr. Strange, Spider-Woman, etc.) but I grew up with them in color and I just couldn't see myself enjoying them as much.
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FM_ALEX
October 15, 2011
This was a fun flick for sure a Cage really surprised me.
Madpenguin
October 15, 2011
He surprised me too.
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review by Stephanie_Smith19.
December 19, 2010
I just saw this not an hour ago and I can safely say that it is one of the best comic book films of all time. The acting is great, the story (essentially about an amateur superhero's days in crime-fighting) is great, the action is great, and it has some great humour mixed with a fair amout of gore and swearing. That being said, this movie is definitely not for everyone, especially those who aren't comfortable with a young girl swearing and killing people. There are also some reasonably … more
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***1/2 out of **** "Kick-Ass" pretty much kicks ass in every way possible. It's profane, slightly irrelevant, and equally as entertaining to watch as it was to read when it was a comic. Despite the typical art style, I personally loved reading the "Kick-Ass" comic. It isn't extremely deep, but hey. It kicked ass. Well, now there's a film adaptation, and it kicks more ass than a horse in the stable. While it will certainly not appeal to everyone (looking at you, Roger Ebert), … more
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A friend invited me to see Kick Ass and I went knowing nothing about the movie besides it was a comedy. I love seeing movies that way. I was drawn into the plot until the introduction of Hit Girl and the level of violence. This 13-year old girl single handedly kills numerous grown men using a variety of weapons, laughing much of the time. On one hand, sure, it was pretty cute to have a super hero girl. On the other, it was too … more
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Let’s get one thing out of the way; there is no way Hollywood can ever match the awesomeness that is Mark Millar’s and John Romita Jr.’s comic book mini series titled "KICK ASS" (see my review here). The comic series was just a different the way it was successful in mixing black humor, action and a dark premise about isolation and loneliness that made me doubt my insanity why I read comic books. But since Hollywood is one major money-making machine, (as … more
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review by nevershootme.
April 21, 2010
I've had my fair share of watching comic book based movies (Spider-Man, Fantastic 4, Iron Man, X-Men, Watchmen, Batman) and each of them have unique ways of presenting the super hero and their heroic actions. But Kick-Ass kinda veers the opposite and kinda reminds me of seeing Watchmen (even the promotional posters kinda relate). The reason why I reference Watchmen is that both relate to having costumed vigilantes taking down crimes on a daily basis. Kick-Ass twists things … more
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What Pompted You to write a Review? I was prompted to write this review because never has any of the comic movies I have seen in the last 5 years or so have realistically resembled the actual comic book. Most big hollywood comic book movies do not closely follow the actual storyline or have characters that are far from physically looking like the actual comic book characters this movie followed the book well. How was the Plot, Acting, Direction? … more
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Doesn't get worse nor does it get better on repeated watches. I enjoy the action and the characters, plus it has a very good soundtrack. It's just unfortunate that the essence of the comic was lost in translation. The comic is gritty and has far more depth. If you come into this, please give the comic a look as well.
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As a kid, when it came to the heroes that I liked to watch on television or the comics I read, there was always this sort of sense of wanting to be a superhero. If you were one of those really dorky kids, you made a cape and pretended you could fly by jumping on your bed when no one was there. I think most kids who admired the likes of Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, etc. did that sort of thing from time to time. This is, more or less, the basis behind Kick-Ass. Based off the … more
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Have you ever wanted to be a superhero. Kick-Ass is about four very different people who take very different paths to become superheroes. With a few exceptions, they do provide some innovative fighting scenes and hilarious moments. First, the great. One of the superheroes, Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), is a adorable 10-year old girl who has a passion for guns and slaughtering bad guys the way other young girls get excited for jewelry or dolls. Chloe is a great actress and gives … more
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review by Captain_Couth.
August 09, 2010
Kick-Ass is a cheesy fun comic book movie based on a "graphic novel" of the same name. The story revolves around some goofy teenage (Aaron Johnson) who decides to become a real life superhero (after donning a wet suit) named Kick-Ass. After a rough start, he becomes an internet sensation when he gets involved in a brutal beat down in front of a cafe. His actions and a near fatal attempt in trying to fight a local drug dealer catches the attention of a real crime fighter … more
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About the reviewer
Madpenguin
Serious gamer and hardcore comic reader.
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About this movie
Kick-Ass is a 2010 superhero action thriller based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. The film was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who co-produced the film with actor Brad Pitt, and co-wrote the screenplay with Jane Goldman. The film's general release was on 26 March 2010 in the United Kingdom and on 16 April 2010 in the United States.
The film tells the story of an ordinary teenager, Dave, who sets out to become a real-life superhero calling himself Kick-Ass. Dave gets caught up in a bigger fight when he meets Big Daddy, a former cop who, in his quest to bring down the evil drug lord Frank D'Amico, has trained his 10-year-old daughter to be the ruthless vigilante Hit-Girl.
Kick-Ass has generated some controversy for its profanity and violence, particularly for the character Hit-Girl. The film received mostly positive reviews.
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a normal teenager who wonders why nobody has ever decided to become a superhero like the ones in the comic books, so he decides to become a real-life superhero, despite having no superpowers or training. During his first attempt to fight crime, Dave is beaten, stabbed, and hit by a car. Some of Dave's nerve endings are damaged as a result, giving him an enhanced capacity to endure pain, and metal plates are placed in his skeleton to support his bones. After a painful recovery, Dave returns to school only to find out that his longtime crush, Katie ...
Cast:
Nicolas Cage,
Jason Flemyng,
Mark Strong,
Aaron Johnson,
Elizabeth McGovern,
Lyndsy Fonseca,
Craig Ferguson,
Chloë Grace Moretz,
Christopher Mintz-Plasse,
Xander Berkeley,
Yancy Butler
Director:
Matthew Vaughn
Genre:
Action,
Comedy,
Crime,
Drama
Release Date:
April 16, 2010 (USA)
MPAA Rating:
R
Screen Writer:
Matthew Vaughn,
Jane Goldman
Runtime:
117 minutes
Studio:
Plan B Entertainment,
Marv Films,
Lions Gate Films
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