Close

4K UHD/Blu-ray Review: KICK-ASS

Oct 08, 2017 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is just your average high school student who has trouble getting noticed by girls. He’s become a bit of a pushover, and constantly finds himself being mugged while walking home from school. He wonders why there is no one protecting the citizens of his city like all the superheros do in his favorite comics. So, despite having no special powers, training, or even much physical strength, Dave makes himself a costume and takes on the duty himself, as Kick-Ass. In his first outing, Dave is more like Ass-Kicked than Kick-Ass, but he doesn’t let that break his spirit, and soon his superhero exploits go viral.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Damon Macready (Nicolas Cage) is vigilantly teaching 11-year-old daughter Mindy (Chloë Grace Moretz) all about weapons, fighting and protecting herself, turning her into a mini assassin. At night, the Macreadys meter out their own form of vigilante justice under the guises of Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Their main targets are the businesses belonging to local crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). When D’Amico learns that a masked vigilante is going after his organizations, he immediately assumes it’s the new superhero Kick-Ass who’s all over the news, and sets out on a mission to eliminate him. D’Amico’s son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is eager to get his father’s acceptance and praise—he wants to join the family business and help his father take care of his superhero problem.

 

I hadn’t seen Kick-Ass in a number of years, but it was just as fun and entertaining as I had remembered it being. The film is centered around unique, original characters and tells an interesting story. It has so much action and humor, while also paying homage to many well-known superhero/comic stories, films, characters, and archetypes. You can tell the film’s creators have great love for the superhero genre. They take the tropes that one normally sees in this type of film and constantly subvert expectations by zigging when you assume they are about to zag. Even though I had seen the film before, I had forgotten many of the unexpected twists and turns and found myself enjoying the ride all over again.

While the film is named Kick-Ass, the character who easily steals the show is Hit Girl. Here is this foul-mouthed, 11-year-old assassin who is doing amazing acrobatics while singlehandedly taking down a room full of bad guys. Chloë Grace Moretz is amazing—you just don’t expect those cuss words to some out of a sweet, innocent-looking girl that age, or to see her brutally massacring people! Nicholas Cage is also a lot of fun. He is constantly chewing up the scenery, channeling his inner Adam West with his character’s vocal cadence. And Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays his role as the geeky student-turned wannabe superhero to perfection. Plus he does an excellent American accent—I had no idea he was British until I was watching the special features afterwards!

This movie has a beautiful visual style. The original Blu-ray already looked fantastic, but this new 4K UHD presentation with Dolby Vision amps that up even more. The film has a comic-book look and feel and the colors really pop—whether it’s the green of Kick-Ass’ suit, the purple of Hit Girl’s wig, or the orange of Frank D’Amico’s office and wardrobe, the colors look even better in this release! There is also increased detail, especially in darker scenes, as well as in faces and fabrics. There was one flaw I noticed while watching the 4K release. About 51 minutes in, there is this large scratch or thread or defect on the picture (see photo). I checked both the Blu-ray disc and the digital copy, and this was not present on either one. So a new master scan must have been done for this 4K release that introduced this defect.

The 4K UHD release also features a stellar new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. While the track provides clear dialogue and a fantastic soundtrack, it really shines during the action sequences. Bullets sound like they are flying all around your room as well as overhead, and there is heavy use of bass that gives the subwoofer workout, and really shakes things up a bit.

While there were no new bonus features created specifically for this release, there is still a massive amount of quality supplemental material. The included Blu-ray disc is exactly the same as the 2010 release, and contains all of the same bonus features. Most of this supplemental material has also been ported over to the 4K UHD disc, except for some photo galleries and the BonusView viewing experience. The extras include a director’s commentary, over two hours of behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a pair of trailers.

This release comes with both a 4K UHD disc and a Blu-ray disc packed in standard UHD keepcase with a rounded-corner slipcover. The case also contains an insert with instructions to redeem an UltraViolet digital copy of the film. At the time of this review, Vudu was the only redemption option, and it only redeemed in HDX format, not 4K.


What’s Included:

Film: (1:57:44)

4K Ultra HD:

  • 2160p / Widescreen 2.40:1
  • Dolby Vision
  • Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Optimized for Late-Night Listening, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
  • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish

Blu-ray:

  • 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
  • Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
  • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish

Digital HD (Redemption Deadline 10/3/2018):

  • Digital HD copy redeemable via Vudu

Extras:
The 4K UHD disc does not include any new supplemental material, but most of the Blu-ray features from the 2010 Blu-ray have been ported over. The features not included are some photo galleries and a BonusView mode that allows the viewer to watch the film alongside interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

  • Audio Commentary with Director Mathew Vaughn (1:57:44)
    Director Matthew Vaughn provides an entertaining commentary throughout the film. A large portion of this also appears on the Blu-ray’s BonusView feature, along with video of Vaughn on a couch watching the film while recording his commentary. He provides some interesting insight and behind-the-scenes stories on the making of the film. If you’re going to listen to this commentary, I would suggest checking out the BonusView on the Blu-ray disc instead as it also contains interviews with other folks and behind-the-scenes footage.
  • A New Kind of Superhero: The Making of Kick-Ass (1:53:04)
    Extensive four-part behind-the-scenes featurette. Play All or select from:

    • Pushing Boundaries (13:21)
      The cast and filmmakers talk about the origins of the film and how it compares to the comics, the film’s violence and dark humor, casting the leading man, and the initial studio rejections to the script—particularly the idea of an 11-year-old assassin with a filthy mouth, and the R rating. Includes interviews with director/producer/screenwriter Mathew Vaughn, producer Tarquin Pack, comic co-creator/writer Mark Millar, screenwriter/co-producer Jane Goldman, and comic co-creator/artist John S. Romita Jr.
    • Let’s Shoot This F***er! (52:08)
      The cast and filmmakers talk about the characters, the costumes, having fun on set, designing the sets and the look of the film, and the special effects, stunts, weapons and vehicles. Includes interviews with director/producer/screenwriter Mathew Vaughn, producer Tarquin Pack, comic co-creator/writer Mark Millar, screenwriter/co-producer Jane Goldman, costume designer Sammy Sheldon, director of photography Ben Davis, make-up/hair designer Fae Hammond, production designer Russell De Rozario, prosthetic supervisor John Schoonraad, special effects supervisor Dave Harris, visual effects supervisor Mattias Lindahl, second unit director Tim Maurice-Jones, Teri Moretz (Chloë’s Mom), fight coordinator Peng Zhang, Hit Girl stunt double Greg Townley, assistant stunt coordinator Jia Yu, stunt coordinator Brad Allan, second unit armorer Rob Grundy, and actors Chloë Grace Moretz (“Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl”), Aaron Johnson (“Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass”), Nicholas Cage (“Damon Macready/Big Daddy”), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“Chris D’Amico/Red Mist”), Mark Strong (“Frank D’Amico”), Clark Duke (“Marty”), and Lindsy Fonseca (“Katie Deauxma”).
    • Tempting Fate (9:39)
      The filmmakers talk about the editing process, presenting the first footage at San Diego Comic-Con, promoting the film, and the initial test audience reactions. Includes interviews with director/producer/screenwriter Mathew Vaughn, co-editor Eddie Hamilton, producer Tarquin Pack, and comic co-creator/artist John S. Romita Jr.
    • All Fired Up! (37:55)
      The filmmakers demonstrate the various techniques and layers of effects utilized to bring various sequences to life, and talk about the film’s score. Also, sit in on sessions as the producers debate the color and audio adjustment needs of the film. The feature closes out with some final thoughts from the cast and crew. Includes interviews with visual effects supervisor Matthew Lindahl, 3D supervisor Peter Jopling, 2D supervisor Stuart Farley, director/producer/screenwriter Mathew Vaughn, comic co-creator/artist John S. Romita Jr, co-composers Henry Jackman & John Murphy, screenwriter/co-producer Jane Goldman, actor Aaron Johnson, comic co-creator/writer Mark Millar, and producer Tarquin Pack.
  • It’s On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick-Ass (20:36)
    Writer/co-creator Mark Millar and penciler/co-creator John Romita Jr talk about the origins of the comic-book, which was originally just going to be about Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Also includes interviews and demonstrations with colorist Dean White and inker Tom Palmer.
  • Theatrical Trailer (2:30)
  • Redband Hit Girl Trailer (1:16)
  • Marketing Archive*
    • (Blu-ray Disc Only) North American Campaign
      Photo gallery with 22 photos of promotional posters, etc.
    • (Blu-ray Disc Only) International Campaign
      Photo gallery with 7 photos of promotional posters, etc.
  • Ass-Kicking BonusView Mode* (1:57:44)
    (Blu-ray Disc Only) The film plays back in a small corner of the film while clips of director Mathew Vaughn’s commentary (with video of him watching the film), behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews appear in the main portion of the screen. Those interviewed include co-composers Henry Jackson & John Murphy, production designer Russell De Rozario, screenwriter/co-producer Jane Goldman, director of photography Ben Davis, comic co-creator/writer Mark Millar, production sound mixer Simon “Purple” Hayes, comic co-creator/artist John S. Romita Jr., producer Tarquin Pack, assistant stunt coordinator Max White, 2nd unit DP/steadicam operator Peter Wignall, and actors Aaron Johnson, Garrett M. Brown (“Mr. Lizewski”), Lindsy Fonseca, Evan Peters (“Todd”), Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Clark Duke (“Marty”), Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, Jason Flemyng (“Lobby Goon”), and Kofi Natei (“Rasul”).
  • The Art of Kick-Ass*
    (Blu-ray Disc Only) Using the remote, step through various still-photo galleries.

    • Storyboards
      • Epic Fall – 7 photos
      • Mindy & Damon – 3 photos
      • Kick-Ass vs. Thugs – 9 photos
      • Hit Girl vs. Guards – 6 photos
      • Air Assault – 12 photos
      • Taking Flight – 7 photos
      • Coda – 14 photos
    • Costumes – 14 photos
    • On-Set Photography – 77 photos
    • Production Design – 6 photos
    • John Romita, Jr. Art For The Film – 38 photos

 


Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Film:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Highly Recommended

Kick-Ass is a fun, action-packed homage to comic book/superhero films. The film is rated R due to language and violence, and is quite graphic at times, but this never felt overly excessive or gratuitous, but rather more fitting with the genre. Chloë Grace Moretz’s performance as Hit Girl is easily the highlight of the film, and it alone is worth the price of admission. This new UHD release provides an excellent picture upgrade (barring one minor flaw mentioned in the review) and a steller new soundtrack. While there are no new bonus features, the supplemental material ported over from the Blu-ray is excellent and sure to please any fan of the film. This is a film that any fan of the comic book or superhero genre should see, and this is the version to own!