Showing posts with label Matthew Vaughn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew Vaughn. Show all posts

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Kick-Ass

"With no power comes no responsibility... Except that wasn't true."
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
2010
Viewed June 5, 2011

In a world full of super hero comics, games and movies, teenager Dave Lizewski wonders why no one has tried to be a super hero. He decides to take things into his own hands and buys a scuba suit and mask and walks the streets looking for people to save. He gets into a fight with some thugs and the video is put on Youtube and Kick-Ass gets thrown into the spotlight. Meanwhile, Damon Macready (a.k.a. Big Daddy) is training his young daughter in the different forms of combat so together they can bring down drug tycoon Frank D'Amico. Kick-Ass has a really good mix of humor, seriousness, super (or not so super) heroism, action and heart. My only really big problem in this movie is Big Daddy and his daughter Hit Girl. Hit Girl is played wonderfully by Chloe Grace Moretz. She's quick witted and kicks a lot of bad guy butt. The father/daughter duo work wonderfully together and Nicholas Cage does a great job as Big Daddy. The thing that I had the biggest problem with is that this dad purposely puts his 11 year old daughter into harms way. He trains her and basically brainwashes her to become a killing machine. I'm really not cool with someone who puts a bullet proof vest on their daughter and then shoots her in the chest. There's also the issue of Hit Girl getting punched in the face and beaten up by a grown man. Even though the characters were very entertaining and perfectly cast, I still had a hard time with all of that. B-

Friday, September 17, 2010

Stardust

"A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really... "Do the stars gaze back?" Now *that's* a question."


Directed by Matthew Vaughn
2007
Date Viewed: Tuesday September 14, 2010

This movie may look super lame and cheesy from the preview, but let me tell you, it's awesome. Tristan crosses into a magical world called Stormhold on a mission to find a fallen star and bring it back to the one he thinks is his true love. He catches up with the star, Yvaine, and they make a deal that if she goes with him, he'll help her get home. Meanwhile an evil witch sees the star fall and wants to capture her and eat her heart because it will make her young again. At the same time Prince Septimus seeks the star because she has a necklace that will make him king of Stormhold. Plus, if he kills her and eater her heart, he'll be made immortal. Tristan and Yvaine are on the run and they come across many interesting and funny characters (a flamboyant pirate captain played splendidly by Robert DeNiro for one). Michelle Pfeiffer is my favorite as the evil witch. She's over the top and seems like she's just having so much fun. I loved this funny, fantastical, magical adventure. A