Image credit kickass-themovie.com

Why it might not work:

Here’s the deal folks: spoofs and comedies in general about superheroes are only sometimes worthy of attention.  The media blitz on the internet and commercials showing us all the best parts of a film, that’s the hook.  Then they try to reel us into the theaters with promises that there are explosions and cool gimmicks.  But the real question will be answered only by actually laying down ones hard earned cash to see the film.

I was not impressed with several other superhero spoof films.  Movies like ‘Super Capers’, and ‘Zoom’ or even the Wayon brothers ‘A Superhero Movie’ fell quite short of funny for me.  There is no one thing about any of these movies that I can put my finger on, it was just an overall falling short on production value and execution.

Some that did:

Conversely, some of these kinds of movies really hit the sweet spot for me.  I enjoyed ‘Sky High’ and ‘Hancock’, and I thought that old movie ‘Hero at Large’ was great fun.  I also really thought ‘Mystery Men’ was ingenious in its story and performance.

Hollywood’s big mistake:

I know there are others out there that I both liked and disliked, but you get the idea of what I’m saying here.  Spoofing superheroes in general is a tough sell to a guy like me.  Look at it like this, superheroes draw their audience in by playing towards the ability to do something we either can’t or don’t do.  They give us an escape from reality into the lives of beings with powers and skills we all wish we had.  Now they have us glued to the screen with every heart beating second of action and adventure and someone comes along and throws pie in our face for daring to believe in that world?!  And they expect us to not only sit by and watch it happen, but to pay them money to do it?!!

‘Kick Ass’ has several things going for it;

1. while they make fun of the idea of “real superheroes” they don’t aim at anyone in particular.  This leaves us able to get lost in their world without feeling they are attacking our favorite heroes.
2. They play up the fact that these really aren’t “Super” heroes so much as everyday folks getting into the spirit of doing the right thing when they see the intrepid Kick Ass doing it first.
3. The dorky coming of age story they are trying to push here will be neatly covered in brightly colored tights and vigilante styled violence and vulgar language.  (Lots of ‘V’ words in there)
4. Unlike the majority of the earlier mentioned movies, ‘Kick Ass’ is based on a comic book done by Marvel back in 2008.  It was written by Mark Miller and penciled by John Romita Jr.  This adds an air of poking fun at ones self rather than poking fun at others.  Any comedian worth his salt will tell you, “joke about yourself and make it personal to draw your audience in, then you can say what ever you want and get away with it.”

Image credit Marvel.com

My final thoughts:

When the first trailers came out, I wasn’t too sure I was interested in the movie.  I watched the restricted trailer with the little foulmouthed preteen who plays Hit Girl doing her thing.  I found it both intriguing and offensive.  but what had me really thinking I wasn’t going, was the costumes.  They looked a bit to campy, kind of like Batman from back in the 60′s on TV.

But each little tidbit of video they released as trailer fodder, slowly drew me back in.  I should admit now, I never read the comic when it came out.  Heck I didn’t even see it on my comic book store shelves.  But then I was always pretty tunnel visioned when I headed into my comic store.  At any rate, seeing the art and watching the trailers now has changed my mind.  I find myself looking forward to this one.  I have higher hopes now.  I’m even considering >GASP< buying a few of the older comics to read if I enjoy the movie.

I’ve found in the past that if I read a book, then see the movie, the movie will never meet my expectations.  But if I see a film, then go read the book, the book expands what the film showed me and I can enjoy both.  It’s one of the problems film makers have when trying to take a character like Superman and bring him to the big screen.  The movie will never reach what the book can.