by admin on March 13, 2010
Having spent almost three straight days in Hall H last July sorting through the wheat and the chaff of the geek world, I admit that I was one of the first in line to champion the preview footage from Kick-Ass as a highlight of the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con because, well, it kicked ass. It seemed tailor-made for comic book fans, exploiting their fantasies about becoming caped avengers, while at the same time offering enough foul-mouthed, visceral action to stop even the most jaded moviegoers in their tracks. And of course it featured Chloe Moretz‘ Hit Girl, a potty-mouthed preteen destined to become a pop culture lightning rod thanks to her equal dexterity with four-letter insults and flying jump kicks.
Unfortunately, as a full-length film, Kick-Ass is a great comic book come to life, but not much else. A faithful recreation of the rhythms of episodic funny-paper storytelling, Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita’s 2008 series gives greater scope to the set pieces shown in clips and trailers, but never quite finds enough cohesion or dramatic clarity to become a fully satisfying film.
Filed under: SXSW, Lionsgate Films, Theatrical Reviews, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Continue reading SXSW Review: Kick-Ass
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You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://www.cinematical.com/2010/03/12/sxsw-review-kick-ass/
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by admin on March 13, 2010
As I livetweeted The Deer Hunter, I started to wonder: Could this film exist today? Would it even be made today? I wasn’t wondering about the subject matter, and whether viewers would care about hard-working men who are shipped off to Vietnam. Nor was I thinking of an Iraq-based version. Rather, I wondered if the modern moviegoer would sit through all three hours of The Deer Hunter. I wondered if they would allow themselves to go on this slow-moving, but infinitely rewarding journey.
Times have definitely changed. With our easily distracted modern attention spans, few if any filmmakers dare to let a story slowly build. We don’t have the patience to rest inside a scene, not only absorbing information that moves the plot forward, but simply experiencing the life of the characters we’re watching. These days, the most we get is a plot that builds slowly to increase tension and pluck at our nerves. Not one that simply rests in the moment. Not one that takes 3 hours to tell its story slowly but surely. Not a war movie ready to linger on the happiness of a wedding and the easy-going nature of everyday life.
Filed under: Fandom, Home Entertainment, Columns
Continue reading Cinematical Movie Club: The Deer Hunter
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You can find the original article and other great content at this URL: http://www.cinematical.com/2010/03/12/cinematical-movie-club-the-deer-hunter/
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