Kick Ass Review
As a self-aware comic book film, Kick-Ass knows the genre conventions, even highlighting them via narration, and works within them. Adapted from Mark Millar's comic book, which hadn't even finished its run while the film was in production; the roots and the characters are the same, though they both go off in slightly different tangents (the film has a slightly more upbeat ending). On comic book paper, it looks like one of the best films ever. As an actual film, it's a rare gem of complete and utter lunacy that comes out of nowhere and screws the competition without a rubber.
As seen in Mark Miller's previous adaptation Wanted, we witness the lead character, a nobody, here typical teenager, Dave Lizewski (Johnson), suddenly turn into a somebody. He asks, "Why hasn't anyone tried to become a superhero?" Costuming himself with a wetsuit bought online, his question is answered during his first crime-fighting attempt, where he is beaten, stabbed and hit by a car. Weeks of hospital treatment involve Dave requiring metal plates in his bones (can you say Wol-ver-ine boys and girls?), and the nerve damage means that he can withstand pain.
Undeterred, his second attempt has him intervening in a gang fight outside a diner. Not only is it a success, it's filmed by onlookers and uploaded online, turning Dave into a star overnight. Naming himself Kick-Ass, his activities attract the attention of costumed vigilantes Big Daddy (Cage) and his 11-year-old daughter Hit-Girl (Moretz), both working to bring down the local crime lord, Frank D'Amico (Strong). However D'Amico's son, Chris (Mintz-Plasse), becomes a superhero himself, Red Mist, except he has an ulterior motive.
There have already been films that play on the superhero motif with Mystery Men and The Incredibles. Kick-Ass, on the other hand, is quite the sophisticated smart-ass - a truly postmodern spin on the comic book genre. With a multitude of references and in-jokes, this is the Scream of comic book films. There's a Batman nod every few minutes, Watchmen just so happens to be one of the comics Dave is reading when in hospital, and it even name drops Scott Pilgrim.
Frighteningly, director Matthew Vaughn shot the film without a confirmed distributor, because the blind pimps running the studios turned him down. Essentially a blessing in disguise, it spurred him on, having the meteoric balls to make the film he wanted without any interference, raising the budget independently. Vaughn revealed that had he relented to their demands, the character Hit-Girl might have been played by an older actress, or cut altogether.
Kick Ass as a postmodern text
It may be obvious, but I call Kick-Ass postmodern because it constructs itself in so many different ways, and some of them are mutually contradictory. I think, when you evaluate the film, they tend to interfere with one another: how do you evaluate the quality of a film if it’s trying to do so many things at once, and the success of each goal is contingent upon the success or failure of the others?
First of all, it’s an action movie, full of action choreography, quick, gory fight scenes, melodramatic speeches, posturing, one-liners, and acting talent obviously cast for on-screen presence, rather than nuance. As an action film, I think you could argue it’s very successful, because the action is often fun and gratifying, and it leaves the casual watcher empowered at the end, in the tradition of Hollywood action movies.
But then, somewhere in Kick-Ass is the seed of a concept movie. Like Watchmen, Kick-Ass tries to construct a comic book universe that’s highly self-aware, wrapping it in some conventions that move toward realism (brutality, references to current events, the cynicism of the first half), and in other conventions that intentionally move toward self-conscious stylization (the video game sequence? WTF?) If it sounds non-committal, that’s because it is.
One of the subtexts of the “deconstructive” aspect of Kick-Ass is its statement on the “reality” of crime and the vigilante lifestyle. It wants us to see that a masked super-hero would probably be completely inept in fighting crime (a la Kick-Ass’s first fight sequences, his helplessness in the drug dealers’ apartment). It also wants to show us that to be a truly successful vigilante, you would have to be inhumanly brutal and even psychologically abusive (a la Big Daddy and Hit-Girl). If evoking this hypothetical “reality” of crime-fighting is a goal, the movie ultimately crashes and burns, because these interesting, contextually-positioned characters eventually become superhero cliches. The comic book might do better with this part… I haven’t read all of it.
Kick-Ass’s incohesive aesthetic could be seen as a merit or a flaw. Is the 11-year old murderer just a stupid shock tactic, or is she justified… either as a statement, or simply as an awesome character? Does the movie sabotage itself by setting up some expectations for “concept” and then betraying them for the sake of cheap thrills? Or is all my intellectualization above disingenuous, and better abandoned in order to look at Kick-Ass in terms of the short-term satisfaction of a fun, cheap action flick?
Disney's Enchanted
It is as good as its name. It is one of the best postmodernist fairy tale to grace the big screen. This shimmering pastiche is obvious, but inescapable. Under director Kevin Lima's inspired helm, this heart-winning musical comedy is a new breed of fairy tale that pokes fun at Disney's animated classics without any hurting. There are no cheap or vulgar jokes or any treacle of whatever kind. As a sweet, lighthearted antithesis to what is commonly shown in cinemas nowadays, this sardonic fairy tale unites animation and live action, fantasy and realism, practicality and dreaminess, and CG effects and hand-drawn elements all suitable for kids and adults alike. Essentially postmodernist and deconstructionist, the film indulges in all the dreams of fairy tale romance while making some 21st century adjustments. It equally sprinkles fairy dust to its world of traditional fairy tale animation and its contemporary New York counterpart. As an expert blend of comedy, romance, and adventure, it proves that a motion picture can be light and frothy, yet still intelligent and emotionally rewarding.
Enchanted takes its "enchanting premise" and prances away with it, and in turn, holds the audience happily captive. An irresistible blend of screwball comedy and fairy tale musical, it manages a warm, charming story that makes itself much more than a simple satire. It successfully recasts the traditional, sugar-spun Disney fairy tales into a winning, modern-day opus spinning its story with the needed puffiness as provided by its sharp and clever script, enchanting direction, and charming performances.
Postmodernism and Cinema
Postmodern Movies and Jean Baudrillard's theory.
Baudrillard The Matrix and Blade Runner Simulation, Hyperreality and Hyperidentities from Alleyn's School Media Studies Department
How is Moulin Rouge Postmodern?
My Definition On Postmodernism
It is generally agreed upon that postmodernism has no single or easily-identified definition. It is more of an idea or concept rather than a specific term. As a result it has become easier to define ‘postmodernism’ through examples rather than words. Considering this fact, between class discussions, personal observations and opinion, I have come to the conclusion that something (technology, books, architecture, etc.) can be placed in the category of ‘postmodern’ if it has one or more of the following characteristics: a critical reflection on the society in which it was created; a creation of something new from one or more things that already exist; and an abstract or concrete presentation of what could be, which usually presents itself as the future. A comparison of the two films, Brazil and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will give an illustration of what it means to be postmodern through their use of the aforementioned characteristics.Dystopia
DYSTOPIA (dystopic): An imagined universe (usually the future of our own world) in which a worst-case scenario is explored; the opposite of utopia. Dystopic stories have been especially influential on postmodernism, as writers and film-makers imagine the effects of various aspects of our current postmodern condition, for example, the world's take-over by machines (The Matrix); the social effects of the hyperreal (Neuromancer); a society completely run by media commercialism (The Running Man); the triumph of late capitalism (Blade Runner); bureaucratic control run amok (Brazil, 1984); and so on.Tim Burton - Modernism meets Postmodernism
When we look back at the past few decades of filmmaking there is one voice that stands out among the rest, the voice of Postmodernism. From Taxi Driver to Terminator and beyond we are enveloped in a constant barrage of postmodern films characterized by the revisiting of old genres in different contexts. It is no surprise that the idea of the "failure of the new" is so prominent among our society today. We are a media consuming people whom after years of Television, Radio, Film, the Web, and all our many media resources have become accustomed to and expectant of certain characteristics that define each of these mediums. Beyond this, however, we have developed specific tastes for and understandings of what defines the narrative film as a whole and the genres that have inundated the silver screen throughout the past century. We have been to the depths of the narrative's soul and resurfaced into a world where there is essentially nothing new, nothing innovative, nothing defining, only the revision and redefinition of the classical ideals. In a similar manner there are no hidden tools with which a Director can forge new ground in filmmaking.
There are, however, still directors that manage to breach the postmodern cycle and ingeniously touch upon classical Modernism. Tim Burton is one of the exceptional Directors whom define Postmodernism with a hint of Modernism. He accomplishes this through the use of Modern ideals, values, and characteristics in contrast to the dark Post modernistic style and tone of his films. In order to understand this brilliant contrast we must first touch upon the themes and style of Tim Burton.
Tim Burton is that he has a strange obsession with the macabre and the supernatural. Many of his films portray a dark and dreary world overtaken, uprooted, or infiltrated by death or supernatural phenomena such as ghosts, witches, extra terrestrials, or anything strange and unusual. This abstract worldview is often enhanced by his cartoonish (yet brilliant) use of color, the use of unusual structures such as castles, mansions, and windmills, as well as the utilization of oblique high and low angle shots that enhance the mise-en-scene. After setting the stage of the cruel, dark world Tim Burton takes characters that are generally naïve outsiders (in one way or another) and throws them to the wolves, so to speak, in which they endure an embrace/shun cycle in the community. This fish-out-of-water approach is usually carried out in a small town community, while at the same time challenging the conventions and ideals of big city infestation in which the evils of suburban living are far more terrifying and almost insuperable. This is where Modernism meets Postmodernism, because the main character or characters are not merely one of the average population, they retain uniqueness and mysteriousness, while the culture and atmosphere within which they interact remains very much Postmodern.
Another of Burton's endearing Modernistic traits lies in his partialness to the subjectivity of narrative in his films. He draws upon all facets of his life to create a pastiche and offer a window into his soul, which give his films an unprecedented personal touch. In this manner his films often include animation, being that he started out as an animator and other elements from his life such as a childhood love of cemeteries, horror films, the circus and clowns, and classic macabre actors such as Vincent Price. Tim Burton also adds a postmodern yet unique touch of nostalgia to his films, however his idea of nostalgia is not merely a glimpse into the past but more a reminiscence upon his biographical past and his views, interests, and obsessions. Along with this postmodern nostalgia Burton includes a curiosity toward technology and the inner workings of mechanical components and other gadgets. These are only a few examples of the style and themes that permeate the cinema of Tim Burton, however, in order to grasp these concepts we must analyze the use of these characteristics in his films; specifically Beetlejuice, Batman, and Edward Scissorhands.
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