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| Kick Ass; Or, why ratings are funny | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 30 2010, 05:22 PM (205 Views) | |
| DMHowe | Jun 30 2010, 05:22 PM Post #1 |
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Do not try and eat the cake, only try and realise the truth.
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When watching a film like Kick Ass or Kill Bill or arguably even Sin City, I often find myself wondering why it is that films with lots of gore and violence get given high ratings. Firstly, it's rarely realistic. Secondly, anyone over the age of 12 who would re-enact this sh!t is the kind of person who probably doesn't actually have parents. Or needs dropping off a bridge. I digress. The point is, the film is excessively violent in places in a way that's so anarchic, it's both funny and disturbing. Watching a 10 or something year old girl stab a bunch of drug dealing fellows with some kind of staff with a pair of knives on the end raises two questions. 1) Why is this only a 15 when Sweeny Todd is an 18? 2) Why is this film a 15 when only the Japanese and anyone between the ages of 12 and 14 still thinks over the top humour is the greatest sh!t ever? (Hence why there are 18 year olds who still think GTA is good after playing it 4 years ago). I suppose I ought to talk about the film a bit. As established. The film is violent. But in a way that's so over the top and ridiculous, it almost comes across as slapstick without the removal of actual concequence. When Jerry hits Tom with a frying pan, Tom doesn't end up with his skull all over the sofa. Here, a frying pan to the head will result in the results of a frying pan to the head. I'm told the comic book is even more violent and even worse. But we can disregard that, because this is a film review. The thing about the violence though, is that in one scene, it sort of oversteps the mark. Throughout it had been somewhat slapstick, a joke. Then (spoilers), we get to see the main character beaten with knuckledusters, baseball bats and the alike whilst tied to a chair. Then the fellow with him is set on fire. Without sounding like a daily mail reader, this seems a bit extreme. Somewhat like reading "a child called it" for entertainment, watching this scene for entertainment seemed somewhat wrong. It had removed itself from humour and gone for plain shock value. Which is a shame, because the film itself is quite funny beyond the slapstick. The two "side kicks" of the protagonist continually provide a great comic duo that keeps the scenes without gratuitous violence fresh, and the romance between the lead and key woman is, whilst probably not realistic, too remains funny. Overrall, the supporting cast do a great job. I particularly admired the work of Christopher Charles "McLovin" Mintz-Plasse here, who shone as some spoilt kid turned-evil-but-not-evil-okay-just-a-bit-of-a-twit. His characterisation actually develops in a believable way, which I can't say I particularly expected from a film of this type. Usual references to pop culture. Sort of amusing. What was bizarre was the slightly preachy message at the start. Perhaps it's ironic, but when the lead is asked "why would you stand up for this guy?", or something to the alike, he exclaims "would I rather be beaten up from trying to do something, whilst everyone else watches? Yeah!". Again, along those lines. Paraphrasing. But essencially, pointing out the do-nothing nature of bystanders who don't get involved with violence, and that he'd rather at least do something. Which is fair enough, but when I'm in a cinema full of people who have come to see a film about over the top violence and the lead character says it's wrong everyone is stood watching the violence on someone helpless, only for the audience to sit watching gratuitous violence later, it all seems a touch off. Overrall then? Worth a watch. It certainly stands out as different in way violence is used and the context. For a film about people (read: a child, a teenager and a psychopathic father), putting on silly costumes, there are places it manages to come across as even grittier than say, Watchmen or The Dark Knight. There are places of real tension and danger, and that's pretty admirable. I'd give it 8/10. It's very good, very different. But I can't see myself coming back to it an awful lot. |
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| Tiptup | Jun 30 2010, 06:32 PM Post #2 |
Funk.
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Yeah, I'd say it works better as an action film than a comedy, the only thing that made me actually laugh out loud was the bodyguard and his affection for the rocket launcher, but I guess it wasnt aiming to be that much of a laugh-out-loud film. But I'm all for the guy being on fire (never thought I'd say that sentence). I thought the set up of that scene made it an interesting image. |
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| DMHowe | Jun 30 2010, 08:00 PM Post #3 |
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Do not try and eat the cake, only try and realise the truth.
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Oh yeah, the way violence is used is certainly interesting. I don't have anything against it being there. But it's like you said, it's not really a comedy, and that's the problem. |
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| picollo no. | Jun 30 2010, 09:35 PM Post #4 |
Screw the rules I'm Yuri Lowell
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I have wanted to see this film for ages and still have yet to :( I was reading about this since before anyone knew about it (well not lieterally :p ) but what do my mates decide they want to see? A crummy Jackie Chan movie where he is some super spy fighting Russian terrorists :_| Kick Ass must be infinetly more funny than that sh!t :| But it looks good and your review has definately made me want to get it when it's out on DVD. It's not too often that there is an above decent comic book adaptation to the big screen. Edited by picollo no., Jun 30 2010, 09:36 PM.
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