Kick-Ass: Vol. 1 Reviewed

A little bit ago I reviewed the movie adaptation of Kick-Ass, and the reason I saw the movie was that I caught a glimpse of the book beforehand. So after the movie I decided to grab the book to compare.

If you read my Kick Ass the movie review then all you need to know from that is that there is a similar premise established, a kid goes to to be a real life superhero, so what I won't go into those details again. Instead I will try to focus more on what is different, and what I prefer better. Warning, potential spoilers in this review.

Story: Again. Basically the same although there's less focus on Red Mist, the mafia, and the other characters and more on Kick-Ass.

Characters: Overall is the same lead cast with some differences in the smaller background and supporting roles. The biggest thing between them is that their motivations, at least Red Mist's, seem more clearly define in the book than in the film, the turn around is that we get more insight into his life than in the book too - weird both mediums have a similar problem in their own way. Big Daddy and Hit Girls origin, turns out in the end, turns out to be a sham, although at first they are virtually identical between book and film, this twist isn't really addressed in the book so you're either looking to believe it or it might have been a ruse, but given the cast overall, I would believe the twist cause it seems more likely. I actually like the Hit Girl in the movie better for some reason, and their portrayal of her and her dad's relationship. Kick-Ass pretty much remains the same although in the movie he's a little less of the loser type.

Events: A lot of similar events take place between both mediums, although what's really happening, or why it happened, varies between the two. The book has more going on while Kick-Ass learns the ropes, where as the movie is a stripped down, a tad more Hollywood polish, to it's own version. Really what this comes down to, as you'll again and again with 'trying' to compare the two, it's all down to preference and what you liked better.

Artwork. Mark Millar is not unknown to the comic world and his deception of these characters is well done and just comic book-y enough yet realistic enough to work. Believe it or not, the film's costumes look more super heroic than the book, whereas in the book it's much more simplified.

Violence/Sex: The movie was super action pack full of violence, but the book takes it further in it's depictions of decapitations and testicles on a skillet action. The book also, to my memory, has lots more sex, although there was sex in the movie, there was lesser nudity. No complaints here.

The Verdict: Like I stated before, you have to take the movie and the comic book in their own element and cannot compare because, overall, there are several key differences. So it really comes down to preference, and for me I feel I connected with the movie a lot more, probably because the performances were so well done. But the book a lot more is going on, where as the movie seem almost overly linear.

Truth: I can't chose, I chose movie for a number of reasons, cause that's my medium, but I could just as easily chose the book for another number of reasons. Honestly, stop reading this and pick up the hardcover compilation of the first eight issues, and go see the book, or vise versa, and decide for yourself. If you're a comic fan or an action fan, I don't think you'll have much to regret. Go. Do it Now!

Movie Review: Kick-Ass: The Movie

Going into this I had a general idea of what it was about; a dude decides to try to be a superhero in the real world, and inspires others to do it too, while getting in trouble with the Mafia, and chaos and superhero-esqe things ensue.

I'd been putting it off because of the vastly mixed reviews and my sad lack of interest, until the night I saw the movie I happend to pick up the first volume of the comic and read random bits out of it, and seeing how that was I decided to finally give the movie a try.

Story: It's a bare bones origin story that's brutal and has a quirky sense of humor. It's pretty straightforward if you pay attention and the telling of it is pretty good. But somewhere in the gut it feels a little chaotic, maybe it was the way it was edited, or there's the occasional loophole in logic (sublte but still there), or sometimes I feel the motivations of the characters are really shallow, that is until it becomes something more than getting the bad guy, and that's when it gets really good.

Production Values: This movie was well cared for from costumes, to setting, props, the works. It showed a love for the type of movie that was being produced. Although some of Hit Girl's fight scenes were a tad matrix-y, they wren't nearly as bad as I first thought, so I was pleased.

Acting: The quality of the acting was top notce, and I think my sentiment is the same when I say that Hit Girl just about, if had not, stolen the show from the main protagonist, Kick-Ass, and I look forward to seeing her do other things. Nick Cage was oddly charming but yet had this deep layer of hatred and insanity underneith that fatherly face.

Comic to Movie: This is where things greatly differ, and probabily center around where the film gets the most critizism. The book, oddly enough, was being written as the movie was being produced, and to keep a simple narrative had to cut out and change a lot of things from the book (i know some of these thigns because I glanced at the book before seeing the movie). Here's the kicker, take each medium by itself and you're fine - trying to compaire them is like compairing apples and oranges in most ways - the same skeletal story exists but is told in a different way.

Final Verdict: Kick-Ass was a fun action pack movie, and although most find the tender moments to be a little out of synic with the rest of the film, you have to do some critical thinking and look beyond the moment to pull in the seriousness of what's been going on in thse peoples lives, and once you do that, you get the emotional core I think they were going for. It's not Oscar winning script material, but I think the performances and production values make it a worthwhile flick in a sea of flicks that takes themselves too seriously.

Wolverine review(don't read if you don't want spoilers)

SPOILER WARNING: I feel that I am obliged to tell you that I am spoiling some moments in the movie. I don't think they actually make much of an impact but if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read this until you want to. However, I am spoiling a big part of X-Men 2.

Alright, I know that I said that I wasn't too interested in reviewing movies in this blog unless they were something special. Considering that Wolverine is my first midnight showing ever...I think it is special enough for me to review. Hopefully, future midnight showings will actually have good movies instead of disappointing ones for this is easily the worst of the X-Men movies...yes, even X3 is better but then again, I did like X3.

So I guess the plot is pretty simple. Wolverine and Sabertooth...or James and Victor...or Logan and Victor, whatever, are brothers fighting in lots of wars and then they enroll in General Stryker's black mutant ops. But eventually Wolverine grows disgusted and walks away to Canada hooking up some chick. Sabertooth eventually comes and kills her for some reason prompting Wolverine to go to Stryker and get adamantium grafted to his skeleton for vengenance. Betryal happens and Wolverine's revenge list gets longer and longer as he kills more and more.

So what went wrong? One thing, the story is way too rushed and way too cramped. Now I hear you up in your arms saying that X3's story was also too cramped and rushed. While that is true to some degree, X3 at least tried to avoid the "We need this and this and this and this guy too for some reason" trap. It didn't succeed but it does much better than Wolverine, where the opening credits(yes, they actually have real opening credits this time, instead of the production and title credits for the rest.) show Wolverine and Sabertooth fighting in The Civil War, then WWI, WWII and 'Nam. Sure they're pretty much showing the brotherhood of Wolverine and Sabertooth but in the clips, they cut to the next war just as they are about to do something awesome, not after they do it but before which is infuriating. Then the first segment with the mutant black ops is too short to appreciate cause they have to move on to the story. The quiet segments do have some room to breathe but the reason you actually want to see it, the action scenes, are afflicted with a bit of ADD editing and a lot of "Not Long Enough" syndrome...except the final fight but that's been afflicted with Tedium-itis.

Also, since it's a prequel we know what's happening. Wolverine won't kill Sabertooth since he's in the first X-Men movie but a foot taller and 100 pounds heavier for some reason. He also won't kill Stryker since he's in X2 and since he's amnesiac he doesn't kill him, Magneto does. Even when Stryker is picked up by the MP at the end, it's a hollow victory cause that didn't stop him at all. And lastly, a word about Cyclops, all he's useful for was an excuse to bring back Patrick Stewart in a short cameo where the de-aging technology went horribly wrong and he was de-aged into some Asian guy.

This also as a case of the worst special effects failure in the series. None of the CGI in the other movies ever felt so fake. The CGI felt unfinished especially the wars, the background plates for some outdoor scenes in Canada and during the final fight and Wolverine's claws. Especially when he's checking them out in an old couple's bathroom...it makes sense in context. But they look like so cartoony and not an organic part of the scene that it made me sad. Then I became sadder when Wolverine stabbed Sabertooth in the hand and it was fake that I just couldn't believe it. So I sighed and died a little but quietly, it was a full theater and I didn't want to look too un-manly.

But at least we have the acting to bring this back up. After three movies, Hugh Jackman knows what makes Wolverine tick and he's pretty good in it. He knows when to care and when to snarl and when to be awesome. If anyone can survive this...he can. Then there's Liev Schrieber who is also really good. Anyone with less talent probably would not explore the brotherly dynamic between him and Wolverine as much and/or as good as Schrieber. This creates a certain dynamic with Sabertooth which at least makes him more interesting than he should have been, even though this is probably not the movie to do this in. A few of the minor characters do quite well despite having little to do like Ryan Reynolds, that guy who played Gambit and Will. I. Am(yes that one and yes I am serious, he was good). The rest just blend into the fake scenery.

Also, the movie does employ a What Do You Mean it's Not Awesome approach to it, which is nice for a while. Wolverine wakes up from a nightmare flexing and showing his muscular veins! The opening scene is a hurricane of awesome cliches(Big No, Raising Spinning Camera, Breaking the Law...and a lot more) in a span of three minutes. Wolverine's escape from the adamantium lab starts with him in some briefs and then, inexplicably he's naked and jumping on a waterfall like Harrison Ford! Hell, Agent Zero screams like a bitch when Wolverine throws a military truck at his helicopter. It doesn't last forever and that's when tedium sets in but it's fun while it lasts.

The rubes that were also in the midnight showing did eat this up, clapping and hollering at some points. I don't blame them, it is cheesy, it is somewhat entertaining and it is somewhat funny at times. I guess if I was back in high school I would like this more than I do now. While the rest of the X-Men movies were entertaining despite their flaws, Wolverine is too flawed to be actually entertaining.

6/10