Kick-Ass (the movie)

[seanD]

Yes, I'm late, but I just saw it with high expectations going in. Okay, being a big movie fan, particularly violent movies, I don't want to come across as some kind of self-righteous prude here. Kill Bill series and Pulp Fiction were two of my favorite movies, but there's just not one ounce of moral fiber in this movie Kick-Ass whatsoever, or any redeeming quality to any of the characters AT ALL. Even though Pulp Fiction was over-the-top violent and immoral, it had at least SOME redeeming quality in the character Jules. Yes, he was a cold-blooded ruthless killer, but he at least felt remorse about what he did and held back from killing the two robbers at the end because of it. He was sort of the moral antithesis of his sidekick Vincent. What's worse to me is that, though Tarantino movies I feel target an older more sophisticated demographic (at least that's the impression I got watching Pulp Fiction), Kick-Ass is clearly targeting a much younger generation (a generation of gamer 4chan types). I'm sure adults 30 and older will find very little entertainment value in a movie like Kick-ass.

Also, sort of a lesser side note here, the irony to me is that it's also obviously targeting a left leaning amoral political demographic, yet it pretty was exemplified every racial and sexual stereotype imaginable. In other words, it targeted the political left, yet was basically anti-PC personified. One doesn't even have to be a Christian to complain about the movie having not a shred of moral value at all.

Being an aspiring screenwriter myself, I actually wrote a superhero movie screenplay about a black kid with superpowers living in the ghetto (sort of in the vein of Luke Cage, only as a teenager). And though the screenplay has violent scenes, I specifically toned it down a bit to meet a PG-13 category. But the main protagonist goes thorough a major character arc. Yet now I'm thinking it'll get rejected purely for the reason that there is too much redeeming moral value in my lead character. IOW, I'm thinking it's just TOO moral for Hollywood. There's a lot to say about Kick-ass, but I think Roger Ebert summed it up the best...

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kick-ass-2010

In short, I guess I don't necessarily blame the creators of the movie more than I blame the generation it was obviously targeting -- basically a generation of young, unfeeling, amoral, low attention span degenerates

[KingsGambit]

I didn't know you had an interest in screenwriting. What genre of film do you have in mind?

[TheWall]

The comic is better. Much better.

[seanD]

I didn't know you had an interest in screenwriting. What genre of film do you have in mind?

I'm into writing action adventure, simply because that's what I like. Though I have one thriller and a partially finished horror spec under my belt. I have a great idea for a romantic comedy, since that seems to have more selling appeal, and I'm trying to get myself psyched up to write it, but it's really hard simply because that isn't my genre.

[Zymologist]

I liked it the first time I saw it, but the second time I saw it I didn't even finish it. Just lost interest.

[seanD]

Yeah, it's hard for me to quantify. I don't want anyone who saw it and enjoyed it get the feeling I'm putting them down. I too have a taste for violent over-the-top movies if they're written well. It's just that there used to be an unwritten rule about screenplays. There had to be a character arc or some redeeming quality about the character, even if they were morally reprehensible, in order to attract Hollywood to your story. But I guess that's just completely changed now, and I'm assuming it's because it's catering to a certain demographic that just doesn't care about that anymore.

[seanD]

I also think the movie had definite potential. The actions scenes were pretty tight. The scene where Hit Girl is taking out the mobsters while rescuing her kidnapped father -- the way they choreographed it with the music -- was insanely awesome. I have no problem with the violent action scenes. I didn't even really have that much of a problem with the fact all the characters were morally bankrupt, though I can see where others would find that a major flaw in the movie. The core of the movie is where the problem was for me.

[Zymologist]

Nah, I think I agree with you. First time, cool. Second time, eh, this is way lamer than I remember.

The sequel was even worse.

[Zymologist]

I haven't seen it in several years, but I do remember Super being better than Kick-Ass, in terms of a violent, R-rated superhero movie. It seems pretty well unknown, so it might be worth a watch.

[seanD]

I haven't seen it in several years, but I do remember Super being better than Kick-Ass, in terms of a violent, R-rated superhero movie. It seems pretty well unknown, so it might be worth a watch.

I'm gonna check that out, thanks.

[Adrift]

I liked it. Didn't find anything particularly political or left-leaning about it. The sequel was okay. Not as good as the original, but not totally redeemless.

[seanD]

What I meant by left leaning is that it's pretty much a given you won't find many, if any, conservatives in Hollywood creating these types of movies. And I certainly don't think the movie would typically appeal to (or was made for) that many conservatives -- i.e. the violence, the sexual connotations, internet buzzwords, the cussing (using the Lord's name in vain), etc. Though I'm not saying there aren't conservatives that didn't enjoy the movie. I'm also pretty certain the writers themselves are left leaning just by judging their outward appearance, especially Jane Goldman... she's a given.

[seanD]

To clarify, I guess my point was to underscore the hypocrisy factor of the left. Here you have a film, undoubtedly made by political left leaning folks, that was clearly anti-PC. Females were crude, shallow and used as sexual objects for the most part, minorities played no roles other than stereotypical gang thugs, and there were homosexual references that the hyper-sensitive left would easily classify as homophobia in any other situation. I just thought it odd that the left lectures to us all day about PC, yet a group of leftist filmmakers would make a film about the millennial crowd, clearly targeting a millennial demographic, that was the complete opposite of PC.

[Adrift]

What I meant by left leaning is that it's pretty much a given you won't find many, if any, conservatives in Hollywood creating these types of movies. And I certainly don't think the movie would typically appeal to (or was made for) that many conservatives -- i.e. the violence, the sexual connotations, internet buzzwords, the cussing (using the Lord's name in vain), etc. Though I'm not saying there aren't conservatives that didn't enjoy the movie. I'm also pretty certain the writers themselves are left leaning just by judging their outward appearance, especially Jane Goldman... she's a given.

To clarify, I guess my point was to underscore the hypocrisy factor of the left. Here you have a film, undoubtedly made by political left leaning folks, that was clearly anti-PC. Females were crude, shallow and used as sexual objects for the most part, minorities played no roles other than stereotypical gang thugs, and there were homosexual references that the hyper-sensitive left would easily classify as homophobia in any other situation. I just thought it odd that the left lectures to us all day about PC, yet a group of leftist filmmakers would make a film about the millennial crowd, clearly targeting a millennial demographic, that was the complete opposite of PC.

hmm. As a hardcore movie nut, I'm the first to admit that Hollywood leans left, and often inserts left leaning subtext throughout their films (not counting John Milius), but I don't watch every film assuming it has a political agenda, or actively conscious of the politics of the film's creators. When I see political/social themes in action/adventure films, say, like, the lgbt persecution/rights subtext in the X-Men films, I think it's fairly obvious. But I don't go into every film (especially a genre film) expecting that film to have some political subtext, or think the creators are hypocrites for not endorsing, or creating something that's against their particular political ideology. Some films are just created in the realm of fantasy, and I imagine are largely unassociated with one's social/political views.

I don't think there's anything particularly shocking or hypocritical or subversive about Kick-Ass. I can think of a slew of films that are far more graphic, and that are aimed at a similar demographic, especially within the last 20 years. The film is a dark comedy, and if you're not familiar with, or not a fan of dark comedies, I can see how you might find the film uncomfortable. It's not a style of film that appeals to everyone (I don't always like them myself), but it's certainly not the darkest comedy I've seen in recent years. I don't know.

[seanD]

Dude, I never made the argument the film had a "political subtext," or even attempted one. You're missing the point. But whatever.

Pulp Fiction was a dark comedy, as was Kill Bill, both of which I liked for different reasons which I tried, though I guess unsuccessfully, explained.