RE: Kick Ass
Ok, so there will be spoilers under the tag-- PLEASE don't read until you see "Kick Ass"-- the film is amazing and you deserve to go unspoiled!
Soooo, after seeing the trailer several months ago, I knew I'd dig this film. Even when it was revealed to be a bit different from the way the teaser presented it, I was completely sold on the idea. Thus, when I got to go see this earlier today, I was very pleased to see all my expectations fulfulled and MORE.
So I fail to see exactly why people have such a problem with Hit Girl.
I've heard all the shocked twitterpations of film critics like Roger Ebert decrying an 11 year old girl as a vigilante anti-hero, the people claiming that we're too desensitized to violence, blah, blah blah-- and you know what?
I don't give two shits because Hit Girl is un-fucking belivable!
I mean . . . DAMN. Moviebob's excellent write up "What's the problem with Hit Girl?" hits it right on the head with his idea of a writer going down a checklist of inappropriate things and having this girl do them all. She swears, plays with knives and guns, and kills criminals while still being absolutely adorable. And, while I hate to wave a feminist flag, I can't help but notice that no one had a single problem with a young MALE superhero wannabe . . . anyone remember Robin? Some of his incarnations have been very young (and very violent) over the years (blame the Goddamn Batman . . .) . Is it so wrong for a girl to do what the boys have been doing for years? What about Goten and Trunks as kids? Mowgli in the Jungle Books (the books, not the films) How about Link?
Anyone else here play "Wind Waker?" I remember loving Tetra the pirate girl-- fierce, independent, and head of a bunch of pirates on her own ship. She didn't take shit from ANYONE and looked damn cool doing it. Then . . mid game . . . she gets revealed as Princess Zelda . . . . and PUSSIFIED. It's like the white dress robbed her of all her coolness and she was suddenly just a victim. I cried bullshit right then and there, and even her archery in the final battle couldn't wash the bad taste out of my mouth.
Boys are expected to have adventures, fight for what's right, and defeat evil, while girls are supposed to sit quietly and be rescued. Again, at the risk of sounding like a radical feminist, that is a VALID point. This is the 21st century, folks-- that kind of double talk should be gone by now. The reaction to Hit Girl, to me, shows that some people who CLAIM to embrace a world without gender typing are unable to grasp the full scope of it. In order for women to be equal to men, they must be allowed to be equally heinous. Girls must be allowed to exist (fictionally) who do not fit stereotypes, and allowed to enact behavior that is not always "positive." TV tropes puts Big Daddy and Hit Girl on the sliding scale of the anti-hero as high type IV, almost type V because they kill the people they fight and feel no remorse for it. They're rescued from the monstrosity of type V mostly due to their good intent and surprisingly healthy lives outside of crime fighting.
On that note-- I'm sorry, but since when is it wrong to kill a murderous gangster? I may sound a tad sociopathic myself here, but I can't help but NOT CARE when the filth of humanity is put down like the filthy dogs they are. It's one thing to kill someone who offers you no violence, but men who are willing to kill an 11 year old girl deserve to be killed by an 11 year old girl. I'm sick and tired of the "Thou Shalt not Kill" heroes-- not only it getting REALLY pretentious, but the commandment is "Thou shalt not murder." To me, murder is an act that implies intent to destroy another for personal gain and, while revenge walks the line here, I can totally get behind that as a "he started it" kind of thing. Neither Big Daddy nor Hit Girl attack anyone who is unarmed or non-threatening. The people the heroes kill are trying hard to kill right back, also starting as being drug-dealing hired thugs. A true sociopath, to me, wouldn't draw such distinctions. While I'm sure things wouldn't play out so well in reality, I'd love to see some costumed vigilantes take some time to clean up the streets of Danville . . . with extreme prejudice.
And before you start in on her being brainwashed by Big Daddy (in the film, please-- can't really comment on the comic), take a look at the relationship the two share outside of crime fighting. They're close and loving, even enjoying the simple joys in life. I can't speak for everyone out there, but I believe that the closest families feature children who have something they can enjoy with one or both of their parents. For example, Doctor Who-- me and my dad can talk Who for hours, theorizing and analyzing until it drives everyone else nuts! For Big Daddy and Hit Girl, it's crime fighting. Big Daddy looks out for his little girl even when he is dying in agony-- for me, the most touching part of this comes when Hit Girl tells him that being shot hurt worse than when he shot her for practice-- and he reveals that he was using low velocity rounds. Some say that what he did to his daughter was monstrous. I'd make the controversial argument that he did more with his daughter than some fathers do in a lifetime. The two of them bond closely and are truly happy with their lives. Hit Girl also ends up learning valuable life skills which ensure she'll never be anyone's doormat. If only .001% of parents put .0001% of that teaching and mentorship . . . in ANY skill . . . we'd have less stupid/useless/belligerent kids wandering through life without goals, standards, or significance.
Damn kids.
Anyway, I've ranted long enough. Go see "Kick Ass" . . . and I'm kinda hoping for "Hit Girl Begins" as a spin off . . .
--Senmurv
Soooo, after seeing the trailer several months ago, I knew I'd dig this film. Even when it was revealed to be a bit different from the way the teaser presented it, I was completely sold on the idea. Thus, when I got to go see this earlier today, I was very pleased to see all my expectations fulfulled and MORE.
So I fail to see exactly why people have such a problem with Hit Girl.
I've heard all the shocked twitterpations of film critics like Roger Ebert decrying an 11 year old girl as a vigilante anti-hero, the people claiming that we're too desensitized to violence, blah, blah blah-- and you know what?
I don't give two shits because Hit Girl is un-fucking belivable!
I mean . . . DAMN. Moviebob's excellent write up "What's the problem with Hit Girl?" hits it right on the head with his idea of a writer going down a checklist of inappropriate things and having this girl do them all. She swears, plays with knives and guns, and kills criminals while still being absolutely adorable. And, while I hate to wave a feminist flag, I can't help but notice that no one had a single problem with a young MALE superhero wannabe . . . anyone remember Robin? Some of his incarnations have been very young (and very violent) over the years (blame the Goddamn Batman . . .) . Is it so wrong for a girl to do what the boys have been doing for years? What about Goten and Trunks as kids? Mowgli in the Jungle Books (the books, not the films) How about Link?
Anyone else here play "Wind Waker?" I remember loving Tetra the pirate girl-- fierce, independent, and head of a bunch of pirates on her own ship. She didn't take shit from ANYONE and looked damn cool doing it. Then . . mid game . . . she gets revealed as Princess Zelda . . . . and PUSSIFIED. It's like the white dress robbed her of all her coolness and she was suddenly just a victim. I cried bullshit right then and there, and even her archery in the final battle couldn't wash the bad taste out of my mouth.
Boys are expected to have adventures, fight for what's right, and defeat evil, while girls are supposed to sit quietly and be rescued. Again, at the risk of sounding like a radical feminist, that is a VALID point. This is the 21st century, folks-- that kind of double talk should be gone by now. The reaction to Hit Girl, to me, shows that some people who CLAIM to embrace a world without gender typing are unable to grasp the full scope of it. In order for women to be equal to men, they must be allowed to be equally heinous. Girls must be allowed to exist (fictionally) who do not fit stereotypes, and allowed to enact behavior that is not always "positive." TV tropes puts Big Daddy and Hit Girl on the sliding scale of the anti-hero as high type IV, almost type V because they kill the people they fight and feel no remorse for it. They're rescued from the monstrosity of type V mostly due to their good intent and surprisingly healthy lives outside of crime fighting.
On that note-- I'm sorry, but since when is it wrong to kill a murderous gangster? I may sound a tad sociopathic myself here, but I can't help but NOT CARE when the filth of humanity is put down like the filthy dogs they are. It's one thing to kill someone who offers you no violence, but men who are willing to kill an 11 year old girl deserve to be killed by an 11 year old girl. I'm sick and tired of the "Thou Shalt not Kill" heroes-- not only it getting REALLY pretentious, but the commandment is "Thou shalt not murder." To me, murder is an act that implies intent to destroy another for personal gain and, while revenge walks the line here, I can totally get behind that as a "he started it" kind of thing. Neither Big Daddy nor Hit Girl attack anyone who is unarmed or non-threatening. The people the heroes kill are trying hard to kill right back, also starting as being drug-dealing hired thugs. A true sociopath, to me, wouldn't draw such distinctions. While I'm sure things wouldn't play out so well in reality, I'd love to see some costumed vigilantes take some time to clean up the streets of Danville . . . with extreme prejudice.
And before you start in on her being brainwashed by Big Daddy (in the film, please-- can't really comment on the comic), take a look at the relationship the two share outside of crime fighting. They're close and loving, even enjoying the simple joys in life. I can't speak for everyone out there, but I believe that the closest families feature children who have something they can enjoy with one or both of their parents. For example, Doctor Who-- me and my dad can talk Who for hours, theorizing and analyzing until it drives everyone else nuts! For Big Daddy and Hit Girl, it's crime fighting. Big Daddy looks out for his little girl even when he is dying in agony-- for me, the most touching part of this comes when Hit Girl tells him that being shot hurt worse than when he shot her for practice-- and he reveals that he was using low velocity rounds. Some say that what he did to his daughter was monstrous. I'd make the controversial argument that he did more with his daughter than some fathers do in a lifetime. The two of them bond closely and are truly happy with their lives. Hit Girl also ends up learning valuable life skills which ensure she'll never be anyone's doormat. If only .001% of parents put .0001% of that teaching and mentorship . . . in ANY skill . . . we'd have less stupid/useless/belligerent kids wandering through life without goals, standards, or significance.
Damn kids.
Anyway, I've ranted long enough. Go see "Kick Ass" . . . and I'm kinda hoping for "Hit Girl Begins" as a spin off . . .
--Senmurv