Kick-Ass
(2010/Lionsgate 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
Picture:
A/B+ Sound: A Extras: B Film: B
One
of the best comic book to film adaptations to date is 2010's
Kick-Ass,
which helped launch Director Matthew Vaughn into the spotlight, and
no doubt paved the way to his Kingsman
franchise (also pinned by Kick-Ass
creator Mark Millar). His absence was sorely missed in the second
film, which was close to the comic (and a fun performance by Jim
Carrey) but not as affective as the original. Based on the Mark
Millar/John Romita Jr. comic that it improves upon in some ways, the
film is pretty close to its source material with some minor changes
here and there. It is also one of Nicolas Cage's best performances
as the sinister Big Daddy.
The
funny thing about this movie is the cast and how many of them have
played multiple superheroes for different properties since its
original release. Nicolas Cage was of course Ghost Rider, Aaron
Taylor-Johnson went on to play Quicksilver in Avengers:
Age of Ultron,
and Evan Peters... um... also... played Quicksilver... though in
Fox's X-Men
prequel/sequels Days
of Future Past
and Apocalypse.
All of these films and many more are reviewed elsewhere in this site
as we have extensively covered the superhero/comic book genre over
the years. Mark Strong (also in Vaughn's Kingsman
films) was Sinestro in DC's disastrous Green
Lantern
feature film attempt with Ryan Reynolds, a role that he was perfect
for.
Surprisingly
of the bunch the only cast member not in a superhero movie yet aside
from this is Chloe Grace Moretz, an actress who admittedly was more
charming as a child star seen here as Hit Girl, her best role to
date. She did was she could with the so-so (and un-necessary) Carrie
remake a few years back, but it's going to take a good role to get
her back in big films like this since her last good role was in
Scorsese's incredible Hugo
(2011). Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the Red Mist is a fun character
as well. It's a shame we don't see more of him these days (he has
does a lot of voice acting lately) even if he is a bit one note.
Everybody
has dreamed of becoming a real life superhero at one time or another.
But for Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson), he's becoming one for real.
Unhappy with his high school social status and trying to bate the
girl of his dreams, (Lyndsy Fonseca), Lizewski becomes Kick-Ass - a
crime fighting vigilante! After making his appearance saving a life
to the world via a YouTube video, he soon finds out that he's not the
only one putting on a cape and mask. Big Daddy (Cage), Hit Girl
(Moretz) and the Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse) all come forward and face
off against Kick Ass when he gets involved in a high stakes mob
scheme led by Frank D'Amico (Strong). With no real superpowers,
Kick-Ass must rely on his instincts and his friends to get out of
this caper in one piece!
Kick-Ass
has landed early for back catalog offerings on the new 4K UHD format
and looks far better than the previous Blu-ray release. Presented in
2160p on 4K UHD with HDR (high dynamic range 10-bit color) in 2.40:1
widescreen and tracks in Dolby Atmos 11.1 and Dolby TrueHD 7.1
lossless mixes, it looks like this film was shot last week. The
soundtrack to this movie is pretty fantastic with songs from Prodigy,
Joan Jett, Primal Scream, Ennio Morricone and others and a wild
original score from composer Henry Jackman (who also scored the
second film). Also included is the original 1080p Blu-ray of the
film and a digital copy, both of which are more compressed versions
of the film. When comparing them to the 4K UHD, there's really no
contest in terms of sharpness and definition.
The
film is very bright and colorful and these elements especially shine
in the presentation. The upgrade on the sound mix with an incredibly
vibrant Dolby Atmos upgrade track is phenomenal, especially during
the many action sequences. While I don't see part two hitting the
format anytime soon after it's flop in the box office, the first film
remains pretty strong and fun even if some of its pop culture jokes
are a little dated now.
A
digital UV copy is also included.
4K
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
"A
New Kind of Superhero: The Making of Kick-Ass"
4-Part Documentary
"It's
On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick-Ass"
Featurette
Audio
Commentary with Writer-Director Matthew Vaughn
Marketing
Archive
BLU-RAY
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Ass-Kicking
Bonus View Mode (Blu-ray Disc Exclusive) - Synchronous with the
feature film, this innovative multi-media presentation incorporates
video and audio commentary, behind-the-scenes clips and illustrative
graphics with Co-Writer/Producer/Director Matthew Vaughn, plus cast
and crew providing an all-access perspective on Kick-Ass.
"The
Art of Kick-Ass"
Gallery
This
is a nice 4K presentation of a fun movie that I would suggest if you
have the means to enjoy it. One must wonder if there will ever be a
Kick-Ass
3 or
if Matthew Vaughn will regain interest in the film's cartoonish, yet
somewhat realistic world.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
