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Kick-Ass Blu-ray Review

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Have you seen the movie? Have you seen the Blu-ray?

Here's a little secret, I never got to see Kick-Ass in theaters. I didn't get to go to any screenings and when it opened, we were in Chicago at c2e2. The good thing about not seeing it back in April is I get to see a "new" movie at home on Blu-ray. I know the movie got mixed reviews but I try not to let that influence my opinion. I liked the comic. It may not have been the most brilliant piece of work but it was fun. 
 
To this day, I am still amazed at how clear the picture can be watching a Blu-ray on an HDTV. It's one of the reasons I love Blu-rays and this release takes advantage of the high-definition.  They did a nice job with the high school setting created for the movie. My first impression of Aaron Johnson was he didn't quite feel right as Dave Lizewski. Once he put on clothes over his costume, he started looking better for the role. Maybe it was just his hair.
 == TEASER ==
What's nice about the movie/story is the acknowledgment of comic books and the fact that there aren't real heroes. There's also the fact that Dave ordered his costume online rather than make it himself. I don't remember it in the comic but I liked the touch of Dave's nerve endings getting messed up after he first gets stabbed and hit by a car. It helps to set things up for the rest of the movie.
 

I have to admit I was a bit horrified at seeing The Spirit 3 when Dave and his friends went to the movie. I remember hearing some complaining over the 3-D comic scene. I actually thought it was kind of neat. It was a little cheesy but a nice nod to the original comic. It was also something different than a typical flashback. It may have looked a little weird but I thought it was a nice touch. There was also more of the "mob" stuff in the movie. Red Mist's secret felt like it was revealed too early. Big Daddy fight first scene was pretty cool. I have to also admit that Nic Cage did a good job channeling Adam West when he and Hit-Girl approached Dave in his bedroom. Hit-Girl did a good job, even it it's still kind of creepy seeing a little girl in the role. The blood in the movie looked kind of weird. The movie had good momentum and pacing for the first half of the movie. The second half got a little muddled down. It could have definitely been shorter. I wasn't crazy about the tweaks made at the end. Some bits felt too easy with a slight bit of cheesiness.
     
What about Special Features? 
  • Ass-Kicking Bonusview Mode. Entire movie but commentary
  • Audio Commentary Matthew Vaughn
  • A New Kind Of Superhero: The Making Of Kick-Ass. Four features running just under two hours. "Pushing Boundaries""Let's Shoot This F**KER!" "Tempting Fate" "All Fired Up!"
  • It's On! The Comic Book Origin Of Kick-Ass (20:36)
  • The Art Of Kick-Ass: Storyboards, Costumes, On-set Photography, Production Design, JR JR Art For The Film (pencils)
  • Marketing Archive: Theatrical Trailer, Hit-Girl Redband trailer, North America Campaign, International Campaign    
 
Overall I liked the movie. The special features didn't get me excited and make me jump up and down. This release also included the movie on DVD as well as a digital copy for your computer or iProduct. Giving this a rating, I'd say the movie and this Blu-ray release gets a solid 4 out of 5. This movie was not meant to be like The Dark Knight or Iron Man 2. It was simply a fun and entertaining, almost spoof on superhero movies. While not perfect, it did a nice job living up to the comic version and provided some moments of entertainment.
Filed under:
Kick-Ass
Hit-Girl
Big Daddy
The Red Mist
John Romita Jr.
Mark Millar
44 Comments
Posted by Icon

Loved the movie, and the series even more. 

Posted by Craig Lovecraft

Never read the series, but I enjoyed the movie.

Posted by IronSpidy-Rooney

The comic and the movie were brillant  
Balls to the Wall this October 

Posted by MrMazz

Kick Ass was a awesome movie extras are ok but defiantly buying blu ray since i get 3 copies for the price of 1

Edited by AmazingSpiderMike

I just saw the movie last night, sorry not on blue ray. But I felt the same as G-man did in his post. I thought that the movie could have been a little shorter and I did find it a little creepy how an older male kicks the crap out of a little girl. But then again is she didn't want to be put into that position then she should be playing with dolls or something to that nature. But I have to say that Hit-Girl did steal the show throughout the film.  Definite 4 out of 5.

Posted by Ms. Omega

The movie is pure awesomeness

Posted by IrishX

Kick-Ass is great. Loved Hit-Girl and Big Daddy in the warehouse was sick.

Posted by Bruiser

I work at a video store, and I rented it when we recieved the shipment, days before it went on shelf.  I have to say, it was amazing.  Kick-Ass took an honest and realistic view of the superhero culture, especially incorporating the measly crime-fighting into Dave's lonely yet busy high school life.  As much as I do love Spider-Man and X-Men films, this truly did show that anyone could become a superhero "with the right combination of optimism and naivety."  As of the overall feel of the film, I was not sure if it was a comedy, action, or drama, but I guess that's the point.  It had elements that strongly push genre boundaries, and I believe that's what made it so lifelike.
Matthew Vaughan was an excellent director, the writers did an excellent job with the script, and the cinematography was great. 
In terms of acting, all the leads and supporting actors did tremendous jobs with portraying their characters.  However, I was especially impressed by Hit-Girl and Big Daddy.  Having a 10-year-old cuss and shoot brains out was hilarious, and little Chloe channeled the bad-ass side contrasting with the sweet child side. Perfect.  And with Cage, never a big fan, but he was amazing!!!  He played the Adam West-like hero, and the sweet dad who wants the best for his girl.  (Check out his face in the scene where he gives Hit-Girl her birthday gift, and you'll know what I mean). 
 
Not meant to be a typical superhero movie, and it did just that, in a surprisingly refreshing way.  4.5 out of 5. 
 
P.S.  G-Man, hope you don't mind this.  Did not mean to try and steal your mantle.

Posted by Dro

Why would they put JRJR's art as a bonus on the disc? Isn't that more of a punishment?

Posted by Agent Buttons
@IrishX said:
" Kick-Ass is great. Loved Hit-Girl and Big Daddy in the warehouse was sick. "
That was my favorite scene in the whole movie. Classic
Posted by Pacperson

Loved this movie and the comic =D
 
Can't wait for Balls to the wall

Posted by DH69

the ending honestly killed the movie for me

Posted by haydenclaireheroes

I loved the movie and I can't wait for the sequel. 

Posted by danhimself

the only part of the movie that I didn't like was the end with the jet pack....that took away so much of the realism of the movie

Posted by jakob187

I really wanted to see the "Making Of" featurette for the movie, but unfortunately, the DVD version doesn't have that!  Instead, we just have the Origins of the Comic.  Nonetheless, it was cool enough to warrant a purchase.

Posted by G-Man
@Bruiser: Not at all. I love that this has given a place for a new batch of comments on the movie. The great thing about reviews is the more you have, the better idea people can get on the subject. My opinion is not the absolute one and neither is anyone else's. I've heard people say they loved this movie and others couldn't stand it. We're all entitled to our own opinion. I encourage more to share their thoughts as long as they can respect each others' views.
Staff
Posted by LittleSocrates

Haven't read the comic yet, but Wanted is probably my favorite comic ever (it's in a duel with Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth), so I'm looking forward to reading it (it's somewhere around my house right now.) After that, sounds like the movie might be worth owning if I like the comic (which I expect to.)

Posted by longbowhunter

Loved the comic and the movie!

Posted by CaptainGenisVell

I hardly ever laugh at funny scenes within films, unless it is a comedy :P, but I actually laughed out loud when I saw 'The Spirit 3' outside the cinema in the film

Posted by clumsyninja

Best super hero movie of the year. Definitely better than Iron Man 2!

Posted by harleyquinnhawkgirl

I absolutely loved the movie and I loved the graphic novel. The differences for me were noticable and there were some that I wish didnt change and there were some that I wish did.
Posted by Ender7884

Went to pick this up from Best Buy and it was sold out...never would have expected that

Posted by Mumbles

by far the best movie i've seen this year.

Posted by GraphicCasualFreak

Just watched the movie last night.  It was great fun.  But I truly hope this is the last of the normal people looking to be super hero flicks.  Watchmen was classic, Kick Ass is awesome, more would be stupid. 

Posted by undeadpool95

way better than Iron Man 2. Hit Girl and Big Daddy kick ass!!!
Posted by NowSayPillow

I actually like the movie more than the comic ... until the end. They totally shit the bed with that ending.

Posted by Staticoss
 
"Why would they put JRJR's art as a bonus on the disc? Isn't that more of a punishment? "

@Dro: I am going to kill you, noone has the right do dis his art unless they're God!!!
Posted by HaHaManHV
@Dro:
His art is far from punishment, it's a joyous gorgeous thing that you just don't appreciate
Posted by k4tzm4n

The bonusview mode is an AMAZING idea.  Completely renders director commentary audio tracks useless.
Staff
Posted by goldenkey
@HaHaManHV:
I am so with you on this comment.  JRJR's personally to me is the one style that people will be split over more then any other major artist in the business.  When you look at it, you think, "Man how simple it is, it looks so squared, and a five year old could draw.  You can almost see a diagram sticking out of the pages as his guideline.  But JRJR's work has a ton of detail if you give if some attention, he with out a doubt has a gift looking like he followed the basic rules of illustrating a "how to draw comics" and comes up great art.  The one thing I think he does that no other artist can come close to is his fist fighting drawing.  He has a gift of violence in his pics.  He draws a fight scene better then most.  He draws every single punch, and kick almost like a coreograph for a real fight.  He doesn't really draw that huge one puch that's exagerated by artists, he draws combonations of punches that make the fight gritty and how a fight would actually be.  Im a boxing fan so I see this, it's what great with the fight scene between Hulk and Sentry.  He had them T-ing off on each other instead of one good punch by one character and then a HUGE counter punch by the other. 
Posted by goldenkey
@longbowhunter:
So did I.  Just enough little tweaks in the movie to not piss off the fan of the book.  The added humor was done well also.  Loved the gay BFF line.
Posted by oiHooliganismoi

i hate the fact they cut the coke scene and u know they filmed it cause hit girl got the coke sniffles in the movie..... also no testicular touture...is  a bummer! i thought it was an R movie so why did they hold back!

Posted by Chinaski

I thought the movie was terrible and Nic Cage is  so fucking bad in it. When he does his Adam West talk thing he just sounds retarded to me. I had high hopes for this movie and it sucks that it turned out this bad.

Posted by DeadlyWolverine

The only part I liked about the movie was the little girl kicking ass. Besides that, it was a waste of time.

Posted by ninjadude853

i personally like the movie more than the comic

Posted by batmanboy11

I never saw this in theatres either. I'll probably check out the blu-ray, though.
Posted by Longevitous

Never heard of the comic but I cant wait for the sequel. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie

Posted by RavenStar

hdfqlifoewuaesfvsdfbfc dkja bfc

Posted by Cpt. Quor

Great comic, good movie, imo.
 
I enjoyed the film adaptation but the comic was a real page turner and had me grinning from ear to ear all the way through.

Posted by Bobby X

I liked this movie when i saw it in theaters...but i have no urge to ever see it again really lol so i wont be buying this.

Posted by MichaelHohman

I agree that the jet pack ruined the realism.

Posted by Graphicly

Great review G-Man.  I felt similar coming out of the theater when I saw it.  It wasn't meant to be a competitor with The Dark Knight or Iron Man 2, but fun entertainment.  It did a fantastic job of that. 
 
And although there were a lot of changes from the book, the movie did a fantastic job of capturing the feel of the comic.

Posted by Razeil

The collector's edition doesn't come out on dvd only blueray, than needs to be addressed.

Posted by ReverseNegative
@MichaelHohman said:
" I agree that the jet pack ruined the realism. "
  

Use your keyboard!

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