Being Kicked in the Rear an Oddly Pleasant Feeling

Kick-Ass

About a week ago there was a story of a robbery that briefly dominated the various media outlets. A 79 year-old man was mugged by two young thugs on the local subway while the majority of the other passengers watched. Although one individual did bring the mugging to the attention of transit officials, much of the talk in the media focused on why no one else tried to help the man, or even call the cops. Depending on which side you listen to, either you believe there was nothing the passengers could do as it all happened so fast; or you believe that that the passengers only cared about their own safety. So the question then becomes: what would you do in that situation?

This is the exact question that Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) poses to the audience in the film Kick-Ass, though, cynically, he already knows what the answer will be. Dave, an avid comic book reader, questions why no one has ever attempted to be a real-life superhero. Dave knows that being a hero is not about having special abilities but rather the determination to want to help others. After being mugged on the way home Lizewski decides to create an alter-ego named Kick-Ass; and takes to the streets with his own brand of justice. Kick-Ass soon realizes that being a real-life superhero is far more dangerous than he ever imagined. Kick-Ass’ lack of experience shows when he comes across the efficient father and daughter superhero team of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chole Moretz). As Kick-Ass gains more publicity another hero, the mysterious Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), emerges into Kick-Ass’ life. Is the Red Mist friend or foe? Also what ties does Red Mist have to a local gangster, Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong)?

Based on the comic by Mark Millar, Kick-Ass is one of those films that I have hard time recommending to anyone outside of comic book lovers, hardcore cinephiles, or those with a high tolerance for onscreen violence. Even then I am pretty sure there will be people in those groups who will hate this film. Besides being excessively violent, the overall execution is uneven on every level. Similar to Millar’s last film adaptation, Wanted, the characters in Kick-Ass never plays by the rules that the picture establishes. For example, we are told Kick-Ass cannot feel physical pain, yet this only seems to apply in certain situations. He can withstand a vicious beating from a D’Amico’s men but gets easily knocked out by the wimpy Red Mist.

A lot of the inconsistencies in the film are a result of the sloppy script. Characters are constantly flipping personalities based on the given situation. On minute Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) would do anything to break off her friendship/relationship with a drug dealer, yet later she is crying because she never wanted that same drug dealer to get hurt. It is maddening moments like this that will make you question why you are even bothering to watch the film but stick with it. Despite its many flaws, Kick-Ass turns out to be a fun, albeit twisted, hodgepodge of a film.

The key to enjoying Kick-Ass is to look at it as outlandish pop culture fare. The film tries hard to break every taboo in the book but it never has the impact of say A Clockwork Orange. Partly because director Matthew Vaughn has so much fun running around with his middle fingers up in the air that he forgets what caused him to do so in the first place. Kick-Ass will not stand the test of time like other comic book flicks, but it does have enough moments to raise it far above the ranks of Tank Girl and Daredevil. The best moments come from the most controversial characters in the whole picture, Big Daddy and Hit Girl.

It becomes evident early on that the most interesting aspect of the plot is not Dave’s/Kick-Ass’ plight to be a hero; but rather the father/daughter duo looking for revenge. To be honest, the film probably would have been better without Kick-Ass or Red Mist at all. As they merely serve as buffers for the darker, and more disturbing, content in the film. Both Cage and Moretz are exceptionally good in this film. Nicolas Cage gives a hilarious Adam West’s 1960’s style performance as Big Daddy. In the scenes with Moretz he tows the fine line between loving father and raging sociopath. Chloe Moretz brings the perfect mix of sweet and vinegar needed for a character as complex as Hit Girl. Now it is hard to fully praise a story arc that has a forty year-old man mercilessly beating up an eleven year-old girl, yet without Big Daddy and Hit Girl the film falls on its face.

As I mentioned earlier, the film is very flawed but I still found myself enjoying the film more than I anticipated. Unlike Wanted, Kick-Ass actually made me interested in picking up the comics just to see the similarities and differences with the source material. Again, Kick-Ass is not a film that I would recommend to the masses but for those willing to take a fun, and very twisted ride, for a few hours then you may want to give the film a shot.

My Parisian Love Never Developed

From Paris with Love

James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is the personal aide to U.S. Ambassador in France. Despite being good at his job, Reece dreams of becoming a secret agent. One day James finally gets the break he is hoping for when his boss orders him to drive an American agent, Charlie Wax (John Travolta), around the city. If Reece can successfully pull this task off, not to mention survive Wax’s shoot first ask questions later style, he will become a true agent. Unfortunately for Reece, Wax’s unorthodox methods may cause him to rethink the whole secret agent entirely. As the two men travel around Paris dismantling a drug ring, they stumble upon a terrorist plot that may just cost James Reece everything he holds dear. That is, of course, if Charlie Wax does not kill him first.

On the surface From Paris with Love had all the makings of a great “guilty pleasure” action picture. First you have Luc Besson, the man behind action cinema classics such as La Femme Nikita and Leon: The Professional, overseeing the production as producer. Add director Pierre Morel whose last film, Taken, was my top guilty pleasure picture of 2009. Finally, sprinkle in a little over-the-top John Travolta and you have yourself a rather tasty dish.

Sadly, and somewhat surprisingly, the ingredients never melt into a satisfying meal. The question then becomes who is to blame? The answer to which is not quite as simple. Luc Besson and Pierre Morel have proven, with their work on District 13, they can offer up action packed junk food that will fill you for several hours. The action in From Paris with Love, though uninventive at times, pretty much delivers fights and explosions you expect it to. The one of the good things about Morel’s movies is that he takes time to actually show the hand-to-hand combat. Instead of opting for fast paced cut scenes like many directors working today.

If you eliminate Besson and Morel, then the axe would fall on John Travolta but even picking on him is too easy. Sure Travolta is not at that outrageous, but entertaining, level that he was in John Woo’s flicks, Face Off and Broken Arrow; but I will say that Travolta did not have much to work here to begin with. I think both Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are victims of Adi Hasak’s awfully dull screenplay. I understand that you do not go into this type of film expecting an outstanding plot. Majority of the time you merely hope for at least a decent tale to justify all the butt-kicking. Unfortunately Hasak blunders the one element that is basic to all action comedies, and buddy flicks in general, which is to figure out who is the straight man and who is the comic relief.

If you look at films like Beverly Hills Cop, The French Connection, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, District 13, etc. they all have various degrees of this. One partner will always be slightly more wisecracking than the other. One partner is more of a “badass” than the other and so forth. The annoying thing about From Paris with Love is that Charlie Wax often tries to be everything rolled into one. Adi Hasak spent so much time ensuring that Charlie Wax has all the best lines that he never really develops the character of James Reece properly. Reece goes from straight arrow at the beginning to bumbling sidekick for the bulk of the movie. By time Reece reaches the point where he must make a crucial decision, you have lost interest in both Reece and the film as a whole.

Speaking of Reece’s decision towards the end, this is a perfect example of a good plot device wasted. While I liked idea of the twist, in theory, it ultimately falls flat as there is nothing in the story that sustains it. Things are revealed then forgotten about for another twenty minutes. In order for the climax to have any resonance whatsoever Hasak needed to build up certain characters far more than what we are given. Although this might be asking for too much from a film that cannot even get the basic components of a buddy action film right.

Ninja's Assassination Averted Due to Dull Blade

Ninja Assassin

Dear Marvel,

How have you been? I see you just signed Chris Evans to be the new Captain America. As an avid Cap reader I am still not quite sure how I feel about the choice. I know you are thinking about the long-term Avengers franchise but I always pictured Captain America being played by someone closer to Robert Downey Jr.'s age. I just can see the Human Torch...err...Chris Evans giving orders to a much older Iron Man. Oh well, I am getting off topic...the reason I am writing you is because I would like to pitch a movie idea to you. I think it is time you seriously think about making an Immortal Iron Fist movie. Now I understand that Iron Fist is a fringe character; but so was Blade and look how successful that franchise was for you. Plus Iron Fist would be a far more interesting character than the Ant-Man movie you are currently making.

The idea for an Iron Fist movie came to me when I was watching John McTeigue's film Ninja Assassin. I will not bore you with all the plot details as the title pretty much tells you all you need to know. Raizo (Rain) is trained to be a ninja assassin from a very young age. After the girl he loves is killed by the Ozunu clan, the same clan that trained him, Raizo teams up with agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) in hopes of bringing down the ninja organization for good.

While Ninja Assassin has its moments, I could not help but think how much better the film would have been if it had the gripping story arcs and character depth that can be found in superior works like Iron Fist. If you really think about it, with the films over-the-top action sequences and relentless gore factor, Ninja Assassin feels like a comic book movie more than it does a martial arts film. Which is not surprising considering that J. Michael Straczynski , who wrote Clint Eastwood's Changeling as well as the recent Thor comic reboot, was one of the writers behind Assassin. Now I am not saying that you bring Straczynski into the fold if you do take me up on my suggestion. I believe that Ed Brubaker, who wrote the first Immortal Iron Fist story arc, should be in charge of adapting the material. Though I would suggest that you use several of the elements that worked well in Ninja Assassin.

The first thing I would keep is the way McTeigue had the ninjas spawning out of the shadows and communicating in whispers. Not only was this a cool touch, but it also created a creepy atmosphere at the same time. When you consider how large the Ozunu clan is, there are times when you genuinely wonder if the characters will make it out alive. I also like that the film actually had a villain that was more than just a figurehead for evil. Lord Ozunu (Sho Kosugi) dishes out the lethal blows with such ease that you secretly hope he will come out on top. Sure the overall ending is poor but at least the final fight scene provided some creative moments. The last positive thing I would use from this film is Naomie Harris, who would make a perfect Missy Knight by the way, as she seemed to be the only credible actor in the entire cast.

Feel free to scrap everything else. If Ninja Assassin is supposed to be Rain's big Hollywood coming out party, then he may not want to blow out the candles just yet. There is very little in the film that sells Rain as a plausible leading man. While he does show brief flashes of charisma, the lack of a proper script really exposes the limitations of his range as an actor. This is probably why the film relies so heavily on the excessive death sequences. Sure the opening scene was fun to watch but after awhile you realize that there are only so many decapitations a person can sit through before it gets stale.

As mindless entertainment Ninja Assassin is passable at best. Yet it lacks an engaging story, like the ones in the Immortal Iron Fist comics, to keep you interested after the twentieth limb goes flying across the screen. Anyways, the ball is now in your court Marvel. You can make an Iron Fist movie and rake in a Blade-style haul. Or you can sit by and watch lesser works like Ninja Assassin steal the comic-style martial arts market.

Your pal,
CS

Eli's Book A Satisfying Read

The Book of Eli

As a general rule I try to avoid reading reviews for films I am interested in until after I have seen the film for myself. Once and a while, as was the case with The Hughes Brothers latest film, The Book of Eli, I will scan a few reviews to see what the general consensus is. Unfortunately, The Book of Eli has been scoring very poorly with both critics and bloggers. I am not sure why the reviews are so harsh? Personally, I found The Book of Eli to be far more engaging than most give it credit.

At some point in the future a war is fought and it serves as the catalyst for the apocalypse. The who and how are not important, all you need to know is that a "white light" engulf the world and everything collapses into a anarchic state. Eli (Denzel Washington) is one of the few people on earth who remembers what life was like before the "big flash." He has spent the last 30 years walking west scrounging for food while trying to avoid both hijackers and cannibals along the way. Eli’s travels take him to a town in where a man named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) rules with an iron fist. Carnegie owns everything in the town including his blind lover Claudia (Jennifer Beals) and her daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis).

Despite being as wealthy as a person can be in a post-apocalypse world, Carnegie knows that he can be overthrown at any minute. So he desperately searches for the one thing that can secure his reign…the Bible. During the war, all copies of the Bible were burned as a strategic measure to ensure that no one would be inspired to rise up against the new world order. Carnegie knows, that by using the Bible, he will able to come up with the rhetoric he needs to give his people hope. Not hope in God mind you, but hope in the God that Carnegie sees himself as being. Once Carnegie realize that Eli has the last known copy of the Bible in his possession, Carnegie is determined to get his hands on it by any means necessary, even if this means prostituting Solara, to get it.

The Book of Eli is an even mix of action and religious discourse. While the stylized action sequences offer many enjoyable moments, it the film’s approach to religion that keeps the film interesting. The Book of Eli is not a preachy movie, but it does not shy away from the topic either. Although the religious symbolism is not subtle, especially towards the end, it is never hinders the tale. Mainly because a lot of the things mention in the film are relevant today. Mankind's obsession with technology and excess superseeding our faith in a higher being or each other for that matter. If you really think about it, having the Bible as the ultimate source of strength in a devastated world is not far fetch at all. Just look at the coverage of the earthquake in Haiti for example, a lot of the things currently going on in Haiti echo some of the stuff in this film. Yet unwavering religious faith has given many of the Haitian people the strength they need to go on despite the awful circumstances.

One of the questions that the film poses is whether the Bible can be used for evil just as easy as it can beckon for good? Carnegie knows the power of the Bible's words and formulates how to use it for his advantage. The majority of Carnegie’s men, including right-hand man Redridge (Ray Stevenson), constantly question why all the fuss over a mere book. Yet in a land where the majority of the population cannot read or write, knowledge of words is far more valuable a tool than anything else Carnegie can offer. The idea of the Bible as a weapon, let alone an evil one, is an interesting idea to ponder.

I suspect the aspect of the film that will really divide audiences is the twist towards the end. It is not really necessary but, when you look at the film as a whole, you are subtly prepped for it the entire way through. The Hughes Brothers are constantly proving clues in both the quite scenes (such as the mouse eating cat meat) and in the action sequences (being able to smell the hijackers).

Speaking of the action sequences, there are a number of good fight scenes along with one really great shootout sequence. In the shootout scene, The Hughes Brothers have the camera track some of the bullets as they go back and forth between the house and Carnegie’s crew. It is a visual treat to watch, extremely over-the-top, but fun nonetheless. The Book of Eli may not be the best movie to come out this year, but it is better than the reviews it has been receiving so far. The film has enough entertaining, and at time thought provoking, moments to at least warrant a viewing.

New 3D Avatar Come in Familiar Packaging

Avatar

In a future were Earth’s natural resources are scarce, humans must acquire resources from other planets. One planet in particular, Pandora, is has a wealth of resources that Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and his shareholders hope to make a hefty profit on. The problem is that Pandora is inhabited by the Na’vi, giant blue creatures that have a unique link to the planet. The humans eventually find a way to make their own Na’vi clones (known as Avatars) that are piloted by human brains. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic Marine, is offered a chance to have his own Avatars so that he can provide assistance to Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) as she conducts her research on the planet. Through his travels Jake meets Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), one of the Na’vi who is not fond of outsiders. When word back gets to Selfridge and Colonel Miles Qauritch (Stephen Lang) that Jake has made contact with the Na’vi, the two men see this as an opportunity to broker a deal to acquire the resources they need. Yet if Jake is unable to successfully get the Na’vi to leave their land in time, Qauritch and his soldier are more expedite things by any means necessary.

Technically speaking, Avatar is truly an amazing accomplishment! Keep in mind this is coming from a person who is not a fan of the recent 3D explosion in Hollywood. Director James Cameron has made a career out of being a head of his time in regards to special effects and this film is no different. The live action scenes are equally as mesmerizing as the animated portions. Best of all, the technology actually compliments the film instead of overshadowing it. This allows you to really immerse yourself into the world of Pandora and the characters that inhabit it. Regardless of whether it is the natural beauty of the planet, the human/Na’vi characters, or the epic battle sequences, Avatar keeps you hooked all the way to the end.

As exciting as the overall Avatar experience is, the one downside is that there are no real surprises from a story standpoint. If you have seen films such as Dances with Wolves or The Last Samurai, just to name a few, then you have pretty much seen Avatar. As a result, there are never any moments of real tension in the film. When I think back to last year’s event film, The Dark Knight, I can recall at least seven scenes where I was literally on the edge of my seat. Even when I was sure I knew what was coming, the rug was still pulled out from under me (e.g. racing to save Rachel but finding Harvey instead, etc.). Avatar has no such moments, which makes the story feel like it was a “paint by numbers” project. You know exactly which characters will rise up for the side of good and which characters will only have their own interests in mind.

It also does not help that James Cameron had this story on the shelf for such a long time. Since Cameron had to wait for technology to catch up to his vision, he used snippets from the Avatar script in many of the other films he directed up to this point. Several of the elements that should “wow” the audience come off more as a reminder of Cameron’s extraordinary canon of work (e.g. The Abyss, Aliens, Titanic, etc,). While this is not necessarily a bad thing it does take away a bit of the newness from the whole production.

To James Cameron’s credit, he did manage to bring out genuine emotion out of this all too familiar tale. There are some scenes in Avatar that are clearly designed to pull at the heartstrings and they do just that. The pain and sorrow conveyed by the Na’vi in Avatar is far more gripping and real than a bulk of the movies released this year. Zoe Saldana and the rest of the cast who played the Na’vi did a great job of providing their characters with distinct personalities and emotions.

As far as “event” pictures go, Avatar is definitely a must see in 3D. While I think the film will hold up well in regular format, this is really a production that must be viewed in the director’s original vision. Despite the predictable plot, Avatar is a film that delivers on both and entertainment and technological front.