This is probably an old movie by now for most of you but we went and caught a screening of Kick Ass tonight. It was a private screening Mr Redteekal and myself had the whole theatre to ourselves. First time in ever in the 13 odd years we've been seeing movies together!
Anyway I wanted to recommend this film to my flist. That kind of surprises me because to be honest I was pretty much prepared for a mediocre entertaining film. This film really grabbed me and I think it was because it took a fairly different slant on the whole superhero theme by throwing in some fairly gritty realism that goes with the whole concept of the average joe trying to be a superhero - the ones without any super powers who still try to do good.
The story was well told (nothing new - it definitely had echoes of Luc Besson's The Professional or Leon) and the characters interesting. Dave - the main protagonist was very much a typical teenage boy who rapidly comes to grips with the harshness of a reality where an ordinary person tries to do good, fight evil, save the day.
It didn't pull any punches and the violence at times was reminiscent of some Tarantino type scenes so probably not for the faint of heart when it comes to the blood and the beatings. It had some very funny moments too - the main antagonist played evil well, again reminding me of Gary Oldman's character from Leon or any of the more well known cinema Mafioso bad guys.
Performances were good (especially from the girl who played Hit Girl), fights scenes very well choreographed and the soundtrack did indeed Kick Ass. It was subverting the conventions of the superhero genre enough for me to be concerned about whether the ending would be happy.
All in all a thoroughly unexpectedly entertaining film and well worth a look.
It also meant we caught the trailers for the movie of Tomorrow When the War Began (one of my favourite novels by John Marsden) an Australian production that looks good, The Losers (goddamn Papa Winchester looks so very fine in that one - very appealing), The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington and a trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine which looks hilarious - will it be as funny as The Hangover though?
All four look to be worth shelling out a ticket price for and that's rather unusual these days with my cinema going experience.