KICK-ASS (Directed by Matthew Vaughn)

IMDB PAGE

Starring:
Aaron Johnson, Garrett M. Brown, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Deborah Twiss, Lyndsy Fonseca, Sophie Wu, Elizabeth McGovern, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

He said:
In today's comic saturated film explosion it has become pretty common place to recognize names of heroes that not so long ago were barely recognized let alone well known. KICK-ASS is based on a comic book story, but this is not your atypical comic book film.

These costumed heroes are just average everyday teens, there wasn't a radio-active spider bite, or a super genius creating heroic robot costumes to save the day, no cosmic or Gamma radiation either, just kids asking the question do you need super powers to be a Superhero?

There are a lot of references to other comic heroes in this film (Nicholas Cage's character Big Daddy was almost completely based on Adam West's Batman sans polyester tights) there were countless references to everyones favorite neighborhood Spider-Man as well. (including an homage to the first film's initial leap off of a tall building) Comic geeks the world over will be boring each other with countless references for months I'm sure.

This film was fun and entertaining and admittedly at times slightly disturbing. It does feel a bit disjointed in the final act but it is definitely a film worth watching, I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

She said:

Overall I enjoyed this film. I am not raving about it like a lot of other people I know who have seen it, but I did enjoy it. I liked the fact that this was comic superhero film meets quirky teen dramedy ala Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist or Juno. This isn't a film about superheros, it is a film about the effects of comics on average everyday life (loosely).

My reservation with this film comes in the third act where the irony ceases to be. The film-makers stopped making a point and being interesting about the effects of getting sucked into a make-believe superhero persona and began being about 'how much violence can we fit into this film before the credits rolled'.

I feel it could have stopped half an hour earlier and been much more impressive. But then I am not a fan of violence... because call me crazy but seeing children murder people doesn't excite me in the kind of 'I am loving this action' way.

It was fun to see a different type of superhero film... one I guess lacking the superheros! But I wish so much that it had heroes in this film, forget the super. Unfortunately it is less hero more misguided children killing people in the name of doing the right thing. I give it {{{3 out of 5}}}.

They said:
If you enjoy films like Watchmen and 300 this is definitely your cup of tea. we give it [[[7 out of 10]]]

How to train your Dragon [3D] (Directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders)

IMDB PAGE

Starring:
Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

She said:

I love a good animated film and Dreamworks has not disappointed with their latest release. This film is fun, fresh and cute. The script was witty and chuckle-aloud funny although no quotes stand out in my memory. That isn't a criticism by the way... I'm just noting it!

We have both criticized and praised different films for using 3D in this blog. This particular film I think used it well. It was not gimmicky but it did add an extra dimension (duh) that I welcomed. I loved the animation overall especially the design of the dragons. They were each very individual with obvious personalities. There was a good balance of scary and adorable... mainly adorable.

Apart from that I know it is rare but I don't have much to say about this film. It is neither terrible nor the best thing I have seen. I very much enjoyed it and would gladly watch it again! I'm sure this will become a family favourite. I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

He said:
I really enjoyed this film. Dreamworks is pushing out highly anticipated animated films this year like they are going out of style. How to train your Dragon is the first of three (The other two being Shrek Forever After (in July) and Despicable me (Holiday season.) And I am pleased to say that they have set the bar high!

The basic story is easily obtained from the above trailer, and is standard material for Dreamworks' films. Hiccup is the like-able unlikely hero with a slightly unusual pet/friend. (spoiler!!! it is a DRAGON!) This is a fun film that is written beautifully. The voice acting is fantastic, while all the names night not ring a bell with you now, this is a dominantly young up and coming team of actors that you will be seeing a lot of in the coming years.

One of my favorite aspects of the animation of this film is the movements of the dragons. Despite being reptile in look and well nature, the mood and behavior is very similar to domestic felines. There are moments in a couple of scenes that reminded me of my own cat.

This is a fun film that the entire family can enjoy together and I am sure it will soon be a lot of children's favorites. (A lot of families are likely to bringing home plush replicas of the dragon Toothless during the Easter weekend.) I really enjoyed this film and give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

They said:

If you enjoy previous Dreamworks creations like the Shrek franchise, Kung fu Panda and Flushed Away this film will not disappoint. We give it [[[8 out of 10]]]