When Movies Attack
[Written by: The Vern from The Vern's Videovanguard]
The latest edition of When Movies Attack. Kick Ass vs Super
Hello movie fans. I am sorry about the lateness in this article but I have been busy with trying to find a new place to live and working. This week was really difficult tying to come up with two titles that would fit perfectly here, but I think I found ones that would work. Both films listed here have the same tone and premise, but the way the story is executed is completely different. My picks for this “When Movies Attack” article will be the violent superhero comedies “Kick Ass” and “Super”
SPOILERS****** Be warned I will be discussing both movies and may give away certain plot elements.
Kick Ass Vs. Super
THE CHALLENGERS.
Kick Ass
In this adaptation of the Graphic Novel by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. A geeky teen named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides to become a real life superhero known as Kick Ass because he is a fan of them from the comics he reads. He becomes the target of a mob boss (Mark Strong) after some of his men have been taking down. The real life vigilant superheroes who are doing this work are a Father and daughter team named Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moetz). The Mob bosses’ son (Chistopher Mintz Platz) devices a plan to get close to Kick Ass so that they can capture him. Will Dave become the hero he always wanted to be or is he in way over his head.
Super
Frank Darrbo (Rainn Wilson) is a man who believes in doing the right thing. He is a morally religious person who only thinks of people being just bad or good So when his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) leaves him to go back to her ex boyfriend and drug dealer Jacques (Kevin Bacon). He becomes convinced that she has been brainwashed and vows to defeat evil beings and eventually rescue her from the grasps of Jacques. Frank becomes a superhero known as the Crimson bolt and armed with nothing but wrench. He vows to rid the streets of drug dealers, rapists and assholes who bud in line. His biggest supporter is a young girl at a comic book shop who calls herself Boltie (Ellen Page).
Similarities.
- Both movies have graphic violence
- Both movies have characters with no superpowers or training who want to become superheroes.
- Both movies feature a younger female who is very psychotic Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl and Ellen Page as Boltie
- Both are clearly perverse comedies on the superhero genre with dark undertones.
- The head villain is someone who is involved with illegal activities. Mark Strong as a mob boss in “Kick Ass” and Kevin Bacon as a drug dealer in “Super”
- The main love interest of both movies have a woman who is involved with drugs. Liv Tyler is an ex drug addict in “Super”. In “Kick Ass” Lyndsy Fonseca works at a needle exchange program
- Both movies are rated R.
- A major good character dies in each flick.
Differences.
- Crimson Bolt attacks anybody even for the most mundane of crimes with extreme prejudice while Kick Ass only attacks when a real crime is happening
- Dave Lizewski is a fan of super heroes and knows a lot about the genre while Frank Darrbo only watches religious programs and knows nothing about comics.
- Boltie (Ellen Page) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) may both be insane but only Hit Girl is the one who has the most training.
- Only Boltie falls madly in love with The Crimson Bolt. Hit Girl only manages to give Kick Ass her real name and become friends.
- Kick Ass had a wide release, but doesn’t have that many recognizable leads except for Mr. Cage and Mr, Mintz Platz. Super has at least 4 well-known actors(Kevin Bacon,Liv Tyler,Ellen Page,Rainn Wilson) and it only got a limited release
Closing thoughts
Both movies are very good and deserve to be watched if you haven’t already. It took me a while to see “Super” because it wasn’t readily available in my town. But once I did I immediately enjoyed it. Rainn Wilson and the rest of the cast are funny but most of all believable despite the craziness of the flick. “Kick Ass” is still a personal favorite and that’s mainly due to Chloe Grace Moertz and Nicolas Cage. Both actors steal the show in my opinion. I can’t tell you which one to pick so you might as well see them all because they are both super kick ass movies.