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DrDroog Gets KICK ASS!!
Merrick here...
...with a look at KICK ASS from AICN reader DrDroog. I liked that he caught the...pacing dip...'towards the middle of the film. It's definitely there, although it didn't impact my overall love of this movie. Doesn't sound like it phased DrDroog too much, either.
Here's DrDroog...
There was a special screening of Kick-Ass in Mesa, AZ tonight and I was lucky enough to get invited. Atomic Comics is featured heavily in the film, and this screening was primarily for the Atomic Comics Phoenix staff members. This will be a spoiler-free review so feel free to read without fear.
The movie opens up just like the comic book, with a random person jumping off of a building in an attempt to fly like a super hero. From there it moves right into the creation of Kick-Ass and how Aaron Johnson’s character goes from normal high school kid, Dave Lizewski, to the vigilante Kick-Ass. I expected this part of the movie to be somewhat slow like how many super hero origin stories are, but it moved along quickly with humorous parts at key intervals to keep the audience entertained.
This is the first time I’ve seen Johnson outside of his small role in The Illusionist, but I was impressed. His actions and words as both Dave Lizewski and Kick-Ass did not feel forced or misplaced. The transformation from a nerd who can’t even talk to girls, to a confident crime-fighter was perfect. I felt his confidence as Kick-Ass, and cringed as he tried to hook up with the primary love interest in the movie.
Lizewski’s two friends, played by Clark Duke and Evan Peters interacted well with Johnson. Peters didn’t say much, but he added just enough to each scene he was involved in. Duke, even as a secondary character, nearly stole the show. It’s easy to see why he’s getting more and more roles. When he interacts with Johnson it really feels like what a smart ass kid would say to his friend. It felt convincing and added significantly to the flow of the movie, especially in scenes that would’ve been slow and dull without the natural interaction between Duke and Johnson.
If you’ve watched all of the red band trailers, you’ve seen most of the early scenes of Nicolas Cage’s Big Daddy and Chloe Moretz’ Hit-Girl. Unfortunately, there’s a brief period in the middle of the film that begins to slow down. I found myself starting to lose interest, but these two quickly bring you back and keep you in your seat for the remainder of the movie. Every line out of Hit-Girl’s mouth is pure gold, and the audience was reacting to her more than any other character. Her acrobatic fight scenes were also some of the best parts of the movie.
Nicolas Cage does not disappoint either. And while he’s outdone by Hit-Girl, he was convincing every step of the way. There’s a scene just before the turning point of the movie where Big Daddy shows us a completely different side than what we’ve seen previously. Cage pulls this transition off flawlessly. He’s usually hit or miss for me, but he was definitely on point this time around.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse turned in a solid performance as Red Mist, but he’s beginning to get type-casted. Every time he was on screen I couldn’t help but think of McLovin or Augie Farks from Role Models. He did his job, but he was probably the weakest link in the main cast.
Even the minor roles in Kick-Ass were played to perfection, with solid laughs coming from Nelson Frazier Jr. as a body guard, and Jason Flemyng as a door man. Mark Strong as mob boss Frank D’Amico turned in an average performance, making D’Amico really feel like a typical mob boss. With virtually everyone else showing us their A-game, it was a bit disappointing to see a mob boss who was average at best.
I won’t spoil the end of the movie (which has changed since early drafts of the screen play), but it was an impressive end to a highly entertaining film. As a former video game reviewer, I’ve become fairly critical of both games and movies, but I was thoroughly entertained by Kick-Ass. Even the small stutter around the middle of the film was easily overlooked by how outstanding the rest of the film was. I just hope the general public feels the same way so we can get the sequel that’s clearly setup at the end.
KICK ASS will be in theaters April 16.
The movie opens up just like the comic book, with a random person jumping off of a building in an attempt to fly like a super hero. From there it moves right into the creation of Kick-Ass and how Aaron Johnson’s character goes from normal high school kid, Dave Lizewski, to the vigilante Kick-Ass. I expected this part of the movie to be somewhat slow like how many super hero origin stories are, but it moved along quickly with humorous parts at key intervals to keep the audience entertained.
This is the first time I’ve seen Johnson outside of his small role in The Illusionist, but I was impressed. His actions and words as both Dave Lizewski and Kick-Ass did not feel forced or misplaced. The transformation from a nerd who can’t even talk to girls, to a confident crime-fighter was perfect. I felt his confidence as Kick-Ass, and cringed as he tried to hook up with the primary love interest in the movie.
Lizewski’s two friends, played by Clark Duke and Evan Peters interacted well with Johnson. Peters didn’t say much, but he added just enough to each scene he was involved in. Duke, even as a secondary character, nearly stole the show. It’s easy to see why he’s getting more and more roles. When he interacts with Johnson it really feels like what a smart ass kid would say to his friend. It felt convincing and added significantly to the flow of the movie, especially in scenes that would’ve been slow and dull without the natural interaction between Duke and Johnson.
If you’ve watched all of the red band trailers, you’ve seen most of the early scenes of Nicolas Cage’s Big Daddy and Chloe Moretz’ Hit-Girl. Unfortunately, there’s a brief period in the middle of the film that begins to slow down. I found myself starting to lose interest, but these two quickly bring you back and keep you in your seat for the remainder of the movie. Every line out of Hit-Girl’s mouth is pure gold, and the audience was reacting to her more than any other character. Her acrobatic fight scenes were also some of the best parts of the movie.
Nicolas Cage does not disappoint either. And while he’s outdone by Hit-Girl, he was convincing every step of the way. There’s a scene just before the turning point of the movie where Big Daddy shows us a completely different side than what we’ve seen previously. Cage pulls this transition off flawlessly. He’s usually hit or miss for me, but he was definitely on point this time around.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse turned in a solid performance as Red Mist, but he’s beginning to get type-casted. Every time he was on screen I couldn’t help but think of McLovin or Augie Farks from Role Models. He did his job, but he was probably the weakest link in the main cast.
Even the minor roles in Kick-Ass were played to perfection, with solid laughs coming from Nelson Frazier Jr. as a body guard, and Jason Flemyng as a door man. Mark Strong as mob boss Frank D’Amico turned in an average performance, making D’Amico really feel like a typical mob boss. With virtually everyone else showing us their A-game, it was a bit disappointing to see a mob boss who was average at best.
I won’t spoil the end of the movie (which has changed since early drafts of the screen play), but it was an impressive end to a highly entertaining film. As a former video game reviewer, I’ve become fairly critical of both games and movies, but I was thoroughly entertained by Kick-Ass. Even the small stutter around the middle of the film was easily overlooked by how outstanding the rest of the film was. I just hope the general public feels the same way so we can get the sequel that’s clearly setup at the end.
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No, really, I am.
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What i get for reading the goddamn plant review.
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I said "suck it!"
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then I wrote this post, which I felt was good.
Jesus, step away from the Xbox and interact with some humans will ya -
in the "jumping off the building" scene
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I think this might be a pretty successful hit.Christopher Mintz-Plasse being type cast...Is that totally unavoidable? Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Michael Cera, Jona Hill and the like, I think they might all be able to do more than their type casts and have a broader range, but I'm not sure how they could/should do it. That is what was cool about Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love and Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; you got to see them in more serious, meaty roles. I'd like to see what somebody like Christopher Mintz-Plasse could do if allowed a/o pushed to really push himself and grow in a more serious role (not necessarily drama, but different). Same with Cera, although I liked him in Juno quite a bit but would like to see him open up his range a bit.That said, Kick-Ass sounds like a lot of fun and better written/produced than I had initially hoped.-Cheers
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I'm skeptical about the whole thing, to be honest
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as they're all home made - that's the point.
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Can't wait.
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So hordes of Talkbackers can instantly decry it as "lame" , "stupid" , and "not as cool as everyone says it is" . When did it become chic to put stuff down?
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Of course in its own way. A warped individual on the trail of a mystery, and along the way, his brain elects him President of the United States. LONG ISLAND GOO SPEW on YouTube(keylimeproductions) http://www.youtube.com/user/keylimeproductions
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I remember a line in Homerpalooza that summed it up.Teen1: Oh, here comes that cannonball guy. He's cool.
Teen2: Are you being sarcastic, dude?
Teen1: I don't even know anymore.
I think it was somewhere around there. People are just jaded these days.I think it will be pretty good and a fun movie. I'm not expecting Citizen Kane, but should really enjoy it.-Cheers -
Should not be worried about this movie being good
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He wanted to be Superman, tried to be Ghost Rider, and now this p*ss poor, batman knock-off. With bad facial hair. Why Nick, WHY??
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Have you seen the test shots of a long-haired, shiny-plastic costumed Tim Burton abortion that would have been Nick Cage as Superman? This is a huge step up from what that would have been.-Cheers
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Wow, that's pretty harsh. Have you seen the movie? I'll freely admit I haven't, but so far the early news appears good.
I think I'm going to wait until box office numbers hit before I decide how far Cage has actually fallen. It's not like he was THAT high up on the movie star list to begin with, and now is not a good time for well-known names. We're all craving talented unknowns anymore. -
So I'd be curious if the movie deviates from that.
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Every scene in the trailers with Hit-Girl using her sword look like bad blood/stabbing cgi effects, and do they really use the Joan Jett song Bad Reputation in the movie? To me that song really undermines the tone of the scene, at least for me and how I imagine it should play out.
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Does the blood effects look better in the actual movie?
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Wow, how embarrassing is that? They were horrible though, weren't they? You're right though. I saw it and just clicked off right away, but I'll be dipped. I think the reason I was inclined to believe it at first sight was Kevin Smith's accounts of what they wanted to do with Superman back in the day. I don't know, I still think it would have been a trainwreck with what they allegedly had planned and all, even without the terrible Photoshopped design. Nick Cage was better off not being in what they wanted to do with Kal-El back then.-Cheers
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"Phased" is what microwave arrays or Captain Kirk's victim are. Someone who is unruffled by something is "not fazed" or "unfazed."
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I hope I'm not building this up too much in my mind because this film looks tailor made for what I want a film to be.It's like if I went into a Hollywood Producer's office and said "You know what would be really fuckin' cool?"
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Is there a less natural screen actress than Chloe Moretz? She was irritating in 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, playing a 30-year-old in a 10-year-old's body, and now she's doing the same in an action film. Who the hell is she related to?
But GODDAMN, how annoying is Chloe Moretz? With every single line delivery and smug face she pulled in that trailer, I cringed. Man alive.Where do they get these 12-year-old girls that act like they're 30? The fanboy community are going wild for this Hit Girl character, but fuck, she's annoying.
"Let's see what you can do." FUCK OFF, you jumped-up little shit.
The whole premise of the film is, "What if ordinary teenagers dressed up like superheroes and fought crime?" But then they stick this martial-arts expert, wire-fu, foul-mouthed 12-year-old girl in there -- the likes of which have NEVER BEEN SEEN IN REAL LIFE, EVER -- and it completely destroys its own set-up. They might as well have given one of them the power of flight. -
Atomic Comics is my local comic shop and I also got to see Kick Ass last night thanks to owner Mike Malve. The movie ROCKED. Go see it!! It was so cool to see my favorite comic book store featured prominently in a movie on the big screen. Even cooler that the movie STOMPS!!!!
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I'm as psyched to see this as much as The Watchmen last year (which I loved) and was amazed at the negativity.
Why do I have the feeling this situation will be repeated again this year? -
The whole premise of the COMIC was supposed to be "What if ordinary teenagers dressed up like superheroes and fought crime?"
But they abandoned that very very quickly. Just like the movie. -
Mar 04, 2010 11:37:56 AM CST
DrDroog -- You've got it wrong. Chloe Moretz is the
by iliketopostsometimes
one who is being type-casted. She's essentially playing the "wise beyond her years", adult in a kid's body character in every role.
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just said what I was trying to say.
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cuz hit girl is there and the character in the movie is exactly like the character in the book
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That's the problem - they DON'T look homemade. I wish they'd have done that.
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i like swearing and i like comic books. this movie will satisfy my diverse interests.
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Seems to be channeling his inner '80s Kurt Russell, which is to say he's all over the place in project selection a la Russell in the crazy Carpenter films and something like Overboard.
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When you fuck a whore, she'll tell you your cock is big, no one has ever made her cum like that, she doesn't do this with other guys, there haven't been other guys, and yes she's open to a 3 way.
They fucking lie. -
Although I did see them filming 'The Kingdom' at the end of the 202.
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You left out the part about loving to give BJ's.
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Yes. Never trust the word of someone who types 'casted'.
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Except it's unfair to say that only whores will tell you they love BJ's.
I think most single women would claim that, in order to land the man of their choice. -
in years. I avoid opening weekend because of the bullshit "open wide" model. But this I will support.
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I'll wait and see what the overall critical reaction is after being out in the theaters for a couple of weeks. I got burned going to Watchmen opening weekend. Not letting that happen again.
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but you've forgot the common line of: "I've always thought about trying this but never felt like actually doing it until I was with you" before she lets you slip your man meat in her rumphole. They all like it, some just don't know it yet.
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...I own the graphic novel, and yes, I realize that the movie Hit-Girl seems written very close to the Millar version. However, it's more Chloe Moretz herself that I take issue with -- she plays essentially the same damn precocious, smugger-than-thou 12-year-old character in every damn movie she makes.
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How can she play the same character in every movie she makes when she is only 12 years old? She hasn't really BEEN in anything yet. And Jodie Foster did the EXACT SAME "schtick" in the early days of her career. The EXACT SAME. Guess we will see if she has any range when "Let Me In" comes out later this year.
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In all fairness to Leto, Chloe's been in the Following: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, (500) Days of Summer, Bolt, The Poker House, The Eye, and a few others. So he CAN make that statement.
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Mar 05, 2010 3:04:51 PM CST
SOMEONE TELL ME THAT HITGIRL STILL SNORTS COKE IN THE MOVIE
by maceodkat
and that Big Daddy gets his
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Sorry, but from all the masturbatory hype this thing is getting, I can already tell it's gonna be another overly promoted web thing, where online geeks jerk off to it while the actual average film goer won't give a shit. I've seen the trailer 3 times now with different movies and audiences, and every single time it played flat and the audience was basically mumbling "What the fuck was THAT bullshit?" The geeks will help it to open to an "okay" mid-to-low number, and then once they've shot their load off in the theater, like I said, no one else will care and KICK ASS will immediately die at the box office. I mean REALLY fast. So anyone thinking they're going to get a sequel is seriously deluded.
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