CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.
Wildly Entertaining ‘Kick-Ass’ Lives Up to Its Title
CHICAGO – With a half dozen superhero movies every year that feel as if they were created by a Hollywood blockbuster machine, it’s so refreshing to see one with its own distinct, subversive personality like Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass”. Starring Aaron Johnson (“The Greatest”), Chloe Grace Moretz (“(500) Days of Summer”), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“Superbad”), and Nicolas Cage, the adaptation of Mark Millar’s (“Wanted”) comic book is one of the most purely entertaining films of the year to date.
Rating: 4.0/5.0 |
Gleefully dissecting the hero worship that turns men in tights into cultural icons in the first place while also becoming a great action movie in its own right, “Kick-Ass” starts as an awkward teen comedy not unlike “Superbad” meets “Spider-Man” but becomes an action-adventure classic that simply demolishes so many of the recent Marvel Universe movies that dare call themselves heroic.
Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Kick-Ass” in our reviews section. |
“Kick-Ass” is not for everyone. Many of the early reviews, including a pan from Roger Ebert, have noted the film’s controversial elements, including a pre-teen heroine who kills many grown men and talks like a trucker. It’s impossible and naive to say someone “shouldn’t be offended”. They were and I get that and if you question your willingness to suspend disbelief not unlike the way you did at the violence in “Kill Bill” or “Battle Royale,” then this movie is for and it delivers for that demographic on every single level.
The zero-to-hero of this story is Dave Lizewski (Johnson), an awkward-but-sweet young man who can’t even talk to his high school crush (Lyndsy Fonseca) and spends most of his time in the local comic book store with his two wisecracking buddies (Evan Peters & Clark Duke). Poor Dave gets beat up a lot and is tired of the crime taking over his neighborhood. Unlike most people, he refuses to keep looking the other way and he orders a costume, trains, and starts kicking ass. He will be the first “real” superhero.
Teaser Art
Photo credit: Lionsgate