cforartist

I enjoyed your podcast review of the film "Kick Ass", which I was able to see this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I had already read the comic version, so I was prepared to enjoy it in the way that I enjoyed the books. Yet, this film exceeded my expectations in ways that I didn't quite expect. I leaned over to my friend before the movie started and told him, "this movie, at it's best, will be a three (out of four) star movie, mainly based on my reaction to the comic- and knowing that the filmmakers were going to stay very faithful to the material- I felt that this would probably be a fun popcorn movie, and not much more. As the movie progressed I realized that I was correct in my estimation- this was an awesome popcorn movie. However, with a few added lines and moments that were not in the book, Matthew Vaughn and company managed to draw out an emotional and thematic core absorbed this viewer into depths that I never anticipated this film could tread. As one example the line "Three guys beating up one, while everyone else stands around watching- and you call me crazy?" (or something to that effect). I thought this simple line was a great example of the small touches that drew out some very socially aware themes relevant to the modern state of apathy in this culture, that I didn't get as much from the book.

I applaud your collective extolment of this film on the site as well as in your podcast. I also agree with a comment you made that this film was better than the book, though for reasons that you couldn't quite put a finger on. I believe that the reason lies in the inherent Nihilism and cynicism present in much of Millar's work, that the movie does a great job of toning down. I believe it is also due to the thematic depths that the film is able to reach better than the book did. So for my final rating, I am pleasantly surprised to give "Kick Ass" Three and a half stars (out of four). 

On a small note of correction, at the risk of appearing overly scrupulous. One of you made the comment that the Gatling gun/jet pack reveal towards the end of the film served as a McGuffin. As a film buff I couldn't help but note that the McGuffin is Alfred Hitchcock's term for the device or plot element (an item, object, goal, event, or piece of knowledge) that catches the viewer's attention or drives the logic or action of the plot and appears extremely important to the film characters, but often turns out to be insignificant. I dare say that the Gatling Gun/Jet pack in "Kick Ass" hardly qualifies as insignificant, nor does it work as a plot driving element- it simply kicks ass. Some of the greatest McGuffin's in film include the Letters of Transit in "Casablanca", the issue of mistaken identity in "North By Northwest", or more recently the Rabbit's Foot weapon from "Mission Impossible 3".