Already this year, I've see a candidate for not just the best comic-book film of 2010 but the most entertaining one.
Acting: Aaron Johnson, who plays the eponymous Kick-Ass is likable as an everyday nerd(and pulls off an American accent well - something Sam Worthington never could even if his life depended on it), Nicholas Cage delivers his lines with an intentional deadpan, soap-opera staccato that's quite humorous in places, Mark Strong(who seems to be continuously cast as villains) is really good and brutal as a drug lord, Christopher Mintz-Plasse is amusing as Red Mist, with a high-pitched voice but the person that steals the scenes is Hit Girl.
Chloë Moretz plays her character as a precocious, resourceful, foul-mouthed (when she niftily dispatching her victims) and basically a kid assassin with attitude. Her incongruous behaviour(for her age) stems from this being a comic-book film, so she's wholly from a skewed version of reality, therefore should not cause any offence to informed individuals who understand this.
Plot: There is a clear homage to Spider-Man here, plot-wise, but it's subversive in how it plays out, despite the familiar elements. It also works on different levels: a social commentary(on passive bystanders of crime), instant celebrity, responsibility, vengeance and as a entertaining action comedy. There's all sorts of in-jokes with references to comic-books here (as well as telly, film and video games), with a very tongue in cheek tone(with even serious scenes having some laughs from characters making amusing comments). I would've liked to see scenes where characters suffered the consequences of being injured more, but to a certain extent, it's cartoony style(that doesn't linger too long on bloody violence) works for it's tone it's going for.
Cinematography and SFX: A colourfully pleasing look, with a dynamic, fast-paced style of choreographed violence that is rapidly edited and focuses more on the inventive skill of the heroes. I loved the 3D-looking animated comic book strip.
There's a video-game inspired action (FPS influenced in one scene in particular) that are easier to follow than any Bay-directed action sequence. Those prone to photosensitive epilepsy should note a brief strobe lighting sequence.
Score: The title song by Mika is an empowering, catchy pop song that captures the drive of the masked vigilantes in the film. Others songs used fittingly to create the right tone this film's going for - lively and no-nonsense. The score uses recognisable tracks from Sunshine and 28 Days Later.
Overall: Like giving the middle-finger to conformity, Kick-Ass wears it's punk rock tone proudly, and addresses the dangers of playing dress up to fight crime while acknowledging the reasons such people could have for doing so. While I'm not inspired to become a masked vigilante anytime soon(the occupational hazard is just too high :D), I was very entertained by this and surprisingly even my middle-aged Mum(who the Daily Mail though would be enraged by such rebellion) loved it. A cool, moderately humorous experience indeed and a definite must-see at a cinema near you as it does exactly what it says on the tin and delivers it with panache - 7.5/10
Acting: Aaron Johnson, who plays the eponymous Kick-Ass is likable as an everyday nerd(and pulls off an American accent well - something Sam Worthington never could even if his life depended on it), Nicholas Cage delivers his lines with an intentional deadpan, soap-opera staccato that's quite humorous in places, Mark Strong(who seems to be continuously cast as villains) is really good and brutal as a drug lord, Christopher Mintz-Plasse is amusing as Red Mist, with a high-pitched voice but the person that steals the scenes is Hit Girl.
Chloë Moretz plays her character as a precocious, resourceful, foul-mouthed (when she niftily dispatching her victims) and basically a kid assassin with attitude. Her incongruous behaviour(for her age) stems from this being a comic-book film, so she's wholly from a skewed version of reality, therefore should not cause any offence to informed individuals who understand this.
Plot: There is a clear homage to Spider-Man here, plot-wise, but it's subversive in how it plays out, despite the familiar elements. It also works on different levels: a social commentary(on passive bystanders of crime), instant celebrity, responsibility, vengeance and as a entertaining action comedy. There's all sorts of in-jokes with references to comic-books here (as well as telly, film and video games), with a very tongue in cheek tone(with even serious scenes having some laughs from characters making amusing comments). I would've liked to see scenes where characters suffered the consequences of being injured more, but to a certain extent, it's cartoony style(that doesn't linger too long on bloody violence) works for it's tone it's going for.
Cinematography and SFX: A colourfully pleasing look, with a dynamic, fast-paced style of choreographed violence that is rapidly edited and focuses more on the inventive skill of the heroes. I loved the 3D-looking animated comic book strip.
There's a video-game inspired action (FPS influenced in one scene in particular) that are easier to follow than any Bay-directed action sequence. Those prone to photosensitive epilepsy should note a brief strobe lighting sequence.
Score: The title song by Mika is an empowering, catchy pop song that captures the drive of the masked vigilantes in the film. Others songs used fittingly to create the right tone this film's going for - lively and no-nonsense. The score uses recognisable tracks from Sunshine and 28 Days Later.
Overall: Like giving the middle-finger to conformity, Kick-Ass wears it's punk rock tone proudly, and addresses the dangers of playing dress up to fight crime while acknowledging the reasons such people could have for doing so. While I'm not inspired to become a masked vigilante anytime soon(the occupational hazard is just too high :D), I was very entertained by this and surprisingly even my middle-aged Mum(who the Daily Mail though would be enraged by such rebellion) loved it. A cool, moderately humorous experience indeed and a definite must-see at a cinema near you as it does exactly what it says on the tin and delivers it with panache - 7.5/10