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[murphybr]

Sooo I saw the movie today. as movies go, it was pretty good. but as a comic-geek. knowing the books, i was kinda left feeling cheap and dissapointed like a virgin on prom night....

A FUCKING Jetpack...and really your going to let the kid get the girl. what did Millar and Romita let Joe Quesodilla have free range to advise the script. my god, they re-wrote so much of the story that i almost compare the movie to Watchmen...yes i said it.. please tell me that i am not the only one who felt this way....

[FelipeDiazVera]

If the movie ended the same way the comic did, I think it would have been really insulting to the main character and the audience. Getting the girl is cliche, but jerking off to a picture of the girl who dumped you to end the movie would have left the average movie viewer somewhat empty.

I am shocked that the Jetpack scene is the one so many comic nerds are furious about. Yes, the movie is supposed to be set "in real life" but the moment you see hit girl doing backflip kicks, you should have thrown that out the window. I actually thought the scene was great especially with the accompanying soundtrack which I felt was the best part of the movie.

There was a lot of stupid things in the movie, from a first person shooter scene to basically having no feeling of pacing with what it wants to be, but to be honest, I like the movie better than the comic.

[tymo55]

I just saw it, and I really liked it. I never read the comics, but I enjoyed how the movie played out. I thought the last 12-20 mins. were bad ass. I agree with Franks comment about the music too. I thought the Jet Pack was awesome, and I saw your spoiler on here before I saw the film. I was worried about it, but I thought it was fine. Plus, as far as real world implications go, you can buy a jetpack online, but it costs a lot of money, which they had in the movie. And I don't know how the comic ends, but if its the way Frank says, I'm glad he got the girl, becuase I would have HATED this movie if that was the ending.

[murphybr]

the point of the book was to mantain that he gains confidence if thats what you want to call it, when he is hidden behind a mask...but as himself he is still a depressing self loathing miserable dork....I understand what Millar was trying to do with him...plus the truest ending is him coming home to find his father banging a black chick he saved earlier....(the guy from the first encounter with hit-girl)...yeah he was beating on his girlfriend...Its point was things dont end with happy endings...the hero getting the girl and life is great.. life is real, the hero isnt always going to get the girl, he will save the day but still have a shitty civilian life and not have any recognition for what he did..

[FelipeDiazVera]

life is real, the hero isnt always going to get the girl, he will save the day but still have a shitty civilian life and not have any recognition for what he did..

But that isn't the point behind this movie. This is an action-comedy. This movie has been marketed and presented as a "Take your friends/loved ones and have a good time" movie. The fact that there is already death and brutality takes you out of that mindset. The point of going to the movies is escapism. No matter what, you are watching a superhero movie with McLovin. To end the movie on such a down-note would actually ruin it for casual viewers. This movie is supposed to be straight entertainment. And it delivers on that note mostly.

[murphybr]

well then call it kinda-kick-ass. I get having the right to rewrite a story for movie and make changes as needed. but dont change the f'n character and his persona from a book. It would be like making locke & key and having the father live, but the mother die. it wouldn't be the same. or hell even having locke & key with 3 sons instead of 2 boys and a girl as the kids..it would skewer the entire premise of the story's dynamic. yes it gives the crowd a feel good moment, yeah woo hoo he got the girl. but its not the same character that was central to the story itself...

[FelipeDiazVera]

well then call it kinda-kick-ass. I get having the right to rewrite a story for movie and make changes as needed. but dont change the f'n character and his persona from a book. It would be like making locke & key and having the father live, but the mother die. it wouldn't be the same. or hell even having locke & key with 3 sons instead of 2 boys and a girl as the kids..it would skewer the entire premise of the story's dynamic. yes it gives the crowd a feel good moment, yeah woo hoo he got the girl. but its not the same character that was central to the story itself...

The book is not the movie. You need to realize this. Both were written at the same time and most likely given different personas for that very reason. You aren't trying to appeal to the some odd thousands that bought the book. You are appealing to millions of movie-goers. If you have never read the comic in your life, this argument would not have taken place. This happens with all kinds of adaptations and is not out of the norm. To end the movie on such a sour note after the fighting and comedy and death would leave a very sour taste in the mouth of the movie-goer.

[murphybr]

no, comic and film were not written at the same time....film was optioned with the success of the first and second issues...
comic was released Feb 2008. script was even started until May 2008...

you shouldnt end the movie on a sour note....try telling that to Spiderman. he doesnt get the girl....he ends with a funeral and him turning down mary-jane...
Empire strikes back. the good guys win at the expense of han being in carbonite, but the optimism that they will get him back...

Kick-ass, how it could have ended. with his internal monologue from the book, him still getting his ass kicked in school - see comic. then end with McLovin via the books end with a to be continued...with optimism that he didnt get the girl this time, but we have HOPE for the sequal to go his way...similar to spiderman2...

and i understand that you have to make mass appeal for millions instead of the thousands that read the book...but you are going to have a wide base of fans having read the comic, especially when your ads are stating...BASED ON THE HIT COMIC....

[FelipeDiazVera]

especially when your ads are stating...BASED ON THE HIT COMIC....

I've been watching the trailers to see footage since the film was announced, and not once did I read that.

Honestly, I'm tired of arguing this. I'll just say that the movie has gotten many positive reviews and a 78% on RT, so many people do not care.

[murphybr]

not arguing...giving our written script on why we should be guests on Alter Ego.lol
Then we get a music trendz show started and we spend hours arguing over music..point counter point. and it ends with me saying...

"Frank, you ignorant slut..." haha

[David]

This past weekend destroyed us...but I do plan on seeing it today. I'll post more later once I've seen it.

[Swainviour]

life is real, the hero isnt always going to get the girl, he will save the day but still have a shitty civilian life and not have any recognition for what he did..

But that isn't the point behind this movie. This is an action-comedy. This movie has been marketed and presented as a "Take your friends/loved ones and have a good time" movie. The fact that there is already death and brutality takes you out of that mindset. The point of going to the movies is escapism. No matter what, you are watching a superhero movie with McLovin. To end the movie on such a down-note would actually ruin it for casual viewers. This movie is supposed to be straight entertainment. And it delivers on that note mostly.

I agree with Frank a complete Translation just wouldn't have worked. No one wants to walk out the movies feeling all depressed. I prefer the story of the comic books, it had more of a dark humour punch line - Big Daddy being a comic book fan etc. But Movie had more closure.

And Hell, who's bitchin' about the Watchmen movie? They changed almost nothing in that film. The only things they really changed were technical.

[David]

Except for the ending...

[Swainviour]

Except for the ending...

Wat? They replaced ridiculous giant squid with technology made by Doc Manhattan which saved time and seemed much more plausible.

[CustomJoeyV]

Except for the ending...

Wat? They replaced ridiculous giant squid with technology made by Doc Manhattan which saved time and seemed much more plausible.

With the only problem being that making Dr. Manhatten the fall-guy in all of this ruins the "bring the world together because of a 'threat' of another species" is that Dr. Manhatten is an American hero and figure. If a major bomb like that went off like that around the world, the other countries wouldn't just go be buddy-buddy with the land/owner of the entity that attacked them, they'd strike back at America well before America could respond.



After that, I do agree that the giant squids would've just been too silly for the movie, and that the bombs do sort of add more believability for the events for the regular moviegoer.

[Swainviour]

Except for the ending...

Wat? They replaced ridiculous giant squid with technology made by Doc Manhattan which saved time and seemed much more plausible.

With the only problem being that making Dr. Manhatten the fall-guy in all of this ruins the "bring the world together because of a 'threat' of another species" is that Dr. Manhatten is an American hero and figure. If a major bomb like that went off like that around the world, the other countries wouldn't just go be buddy-buddy with the land/owner of the entity that attacked them, they'd strike back at America well before America could respond.



After that, I do agree that the giant squids would've just been too silly for the movie, and that the bombs do sort of add more believability for the events for the regular moviegoer.

That's good, but the most populous city that was attacked WAS NEW YORK! World Leaders arn't stupid.

[CustomJoeyV]

Wat? They replaced ridiculous giant squid with technology made by Doc Manhattan which saved time and seemed much more plausible.

With the only problem being that making Dr. Manhatten the fall-guy in all of this ruins the "bring the world together because of a 'threat' of another species" is that Dr. Manhatten is an American hero and figure. If a major bomb like that went off like that around the world, the other countries wouldn't just go be buddy-buddy with the land/owner of the entity that attacked them, they'd strike back at America well before America could respond.



After that, I do agree that the giant squids would've just been too silly for the movie, and that the bombs do sort of add more believability for the events for the regular moviegoer.

That's good, but the most populous city that was attacked WAS NEW YORK! World Leaders arn't stupid.

It was the same bomb, and it's the same enemy that's against America regardless of Dr. Manhatten or not (USSR).

[David]

I finally saw Kick-Ass yesterday and...

It was ok. Just ok.

There were the things that they changed from the comic book - Dave telling Katie that he's Kick-Ass, making Hit-Girl and Big Daddy's story more akin to Frank Castle's, and making it a more upbeat ending. Vaughn and Goldman went a different direction with the movie then where the comic was going, so that was to be expected. There was a post earlier about how the comic was released in February of 2008, but the movie script was started in May, meaning that the stories should have been more similar than they were. This would be true if the TRADE was released in February, but it wasn't. The final issue didn't come out until early this year (or maybe late last year), which contains the end of the story. Millar's constant delays made the 8 issue series last over two years.

I say all that to say this - I looked at Kick-Ass (the movie) much like I looked at Wanted (the movie). They were adaptations by filmmakers with different visions, albeit slight or drastic. I am glad that they didn't go as bleak and "realistic" as the comic book did. At first, it was funny and interesting, but once Millar started pumping up the over-the-top juice, it quickly became something to roll your eyes at. I realized this when Red Mist is torturing Kick-Ass in the comic and says, "Is it weird that I've actually fantasized about this moment so much that I've jerked off thinking about it?". From roughly that point on, Millar does everything he can to pander to the readers who love the over-the-top antics that worked in some of his other books (Wanted, The Authority, etc.), but don't work well here.

I didn't think that the movie was as good as many people said, but it was better than I expected. The attempts at humor were obvious, and poorly executed, but there were a couple lines that made me laugh. The action (for the most part) was fairly awesome. The soundtrack was easily the best part of the film. It made a lot of scenes that would have been pretty lackluster otherwise carry some emotional depth and a bit more excitement. I wholeheartedly agree about the pacing. It was uncomfortable at times.

All in all, I would give it about a 6 or 7 out of 10.

[murphybr]

I can respect that p.o.v.

I guess it was over the top but i enjoyed that about it. and although it wasnt finished and released until a few months ago, I am sure Millar had the entire story mapped out by issue 2...we can never know the answer to that..unless you guys can score an interview.

but i did see it again tonight with my cousin, i laughed at parts but my opinion doesnt change much on it. I guess i just had high expectations to start, but had i approached it like i did G.I. Joe, i might feel differently. I had low expectations for that and was decently impressed. I guess the Jetpack just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

[David]

Different strokes, different folks sir. I get that. I think that the movie managed to have everyone like certain things, but not others.

[murphybr]

By the way David, side note....I live in dayton ohio and every couple weeks i road trip to Indy to visit with friends, I may have to make a side trip just to see Alter Ego and meet you guys. keep up the good work.

[William R]

You should make the trip on Free Comic Book Day.

[murphybr]

You should make the trip on Free Comic Book Day.

well seeing how Marjorie Liu is smokin and whether she knows it or not, she will be my future ex-wife, I am all for it.haha

is it all right to propose with a cracker jack ring?

[David]

You should totally stop by man! That would be a great day too - William's right.

As for the proposing to Marjorie...I'm pretty sure that her coolness will strike you blind and mute, so good luck.