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DangerKitten
Reviews
Kick-Ass (2010)
Poorly Executed and Downright Creepy
This is literally the worst movie I have ever seen, which was a surprise based on the good reviews I have seen and the decent trailer.
Going in, I was expecting a mediocre movie exploiting the popularity of superhero movies about a nerdy teenager who thinks he'll be cooler if he dresses in an embarrassing costume and tries to beat up baddies. This was mainly accurate, but it was so much worse.
Not only was the main character unlikeable, he never really grew. He was clueless at the beginning, and just a big an idiot at the end. Oh, he got the girl, so he must have improved somehow, according to the writers.
The story was bad. It was a mish-mash of previous superhero movies mixed with teen comedies and dramas. Basically, a vanilla teenager wants to get girls and glory, so he does something crazy to differentiate himself from the crowd. Then the shenanigans begin. He finds himself in a bunch of awkward situations that are supposed to be funny (possibly), but are mostly embarrassing. Then he encounters another fake superhero duo.
This is where the movie gets creepy. This superhero duo, a father-daughter team, rescue the hopeless kid from getting himself beat up by his love-interest's ex-boyfriend. Instead of simply disarming the semi-violent ex, the daughter (who's about 11 years old) goes on to not only kill the ex, but everyone else in the room for no apparent reason. I have no problem with gratuitous violence, but this was just psychotic without a reason to be. What is this movie trying to say with this character? Training a child to kill without reason is what psychopaths do, and yet she and her father are portrayed as, if not heroes, at least justified in their actions.
In conclusion, this is a movie with a stereotypical story, unlikable characters, and elements that make one wonder if the makers of this movie also recommend drowning puppies as a form of entertainment.
Sons of Guns (2011)
Entertaining if You Like Guns
Sons of Guns is a about a custom gunsmith shop in Louisiana. It follows owner Will Hayden; his daughter and office manager, Stephanie; head gunsmith, Vince; shop apprentice and toady, Kris; and the various others who work with or buy from the shop.
If you like guns, especially military-style weapons, this is the show for you. Discovery's rival, the History Channel, has had a variety of gun-related shows, such as "Tales of the Gun," though that show felt compelled to have a disclaimer at the beginning stating that "guns have had an important role in history, sometimes for good and sometimes for evil," or something to that effect. This show doesn't pretend to be anything other than gun pornography, which helps keep it fun. Instead, at the beginning it simply says, "Guns can be dangerous. Don't be an idiot." This is more in keeping with the audience who will watch this show: They're here to see cool guns, not be lectured about how Nazis used them for evil. As much as I liked "Tales of the Gun," it's refreshing to watch a show in which there's no stigma for having an interest in guns, and we don't get bogged down in any moral debate or historical perspective as an excuse to show guns on mainstream TV.
This show splits screen time between the shop employees and the guns they work on. It's set up much like "Pawn Stars" or the myriad other similar shows on TV these days. The characters are entertaining enough, though it sometimes feels as if we're guests at a dinner party watching the hosts argue family issues. Will, as easy-going and nice as he can be, can also get a bit intense. He probably makes a great business owner, but this doesn't always translate well to making a good show. Comparing it to "Pawn Stars," even when shop owner, Rick, gets mad at his employees, we see that he still has affection for them. Will seems much more willing to get rid of people without a second thought. Even so, they still seem to have a lot of fun at the shop, and make interesting guns in the process.
The show is mostly about the guns, but the characters are interesting enough, too. It makes for quick, fun summer TV.