Kick-Ass Combi Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) Steelbook

This 'Kick Ass' DVD set comes in a cool black metal case, that's tricky to open and probably wouldn't like being trodden on, but it's cool none the less. Inside there's plastic inserts holding three DVDs. One is Blu-ray, and the other two are standard res DVDs: the film and 'disk 2' [the extras]. The 2 hours of bonus features include 'The making of kick-ass: A new kind of Superhero [114 mins]', The artwork of Kick-ass [storyboard and designs], the Director's commentary, and 'The comic origins of Kick-ass' featurette. The extras are on both the Blu-ray and split across the two standard DVDs, with the Blu-ray and disk 2 DVD giving ~2h of extras, while the standard film DVD has another 20 minutes of them [plus the movie of course]. The Blu-ray disk is 1080 hi-def 2.4:1 widescreen, English DTS-HD 5.1 audio, with English subtitles and English Audio description track 2 only. The DVD is English 5.1 audio with English SDH subtitles. No other languages supported. I can't find any region code info other than -/R0 written on all the disks. The movie run time is 1h 58mins on Blu-ray, and rated 15. As you would expect the Blu-ray looks great on my teenage sons hi-def+PS3 system, and we are happy with the standard DVDs universal play on our other systems. There doesn't seem to be an 'iPod' friendly compressed digital version of the film though [which could lose a star for some].

And to the movie itself, well it's kind of a vulgar, violent and puerile version of 'Watchmen' [OK that film was even more violent and puerile], but Kick-ass is great fun none the less and has surprisingly sensitive moments amongst the carnage. It's pretty much an anti-superhero mickey-take movie, based around a likeable teenage lad who decides to become a super-hero, despite having no super-powers or any training - the result is predictable and the costumes chosen are almost as lame as the crime-fighter names. Naturally the movie is saved by the coarse humour [a sort of live action, intense 'Incredibles']. With Nicolas Cage as 'Big Daddy' the movie could have been called 'Adam West rides again' - as a kid the camp 1960's 'Batman' was a fave of mine. Doesn't matter which came first either, the Kick-ass comic or the movie. So while you are waiting for 'Scott Pilgrim vs the world' to come out on DVD/Blu-ray, why not try this movie set. Being 14 at the time, my son was annoyed he couldn't see the film at the cinema, but now, just in time for his 15th birthday, it's arrived - and he rates the movie and DVD set 5*, plus we paid about the same for this three DVD steelbox combo set as the single Blu-ray release, so it was also 5* for value as well ...

Typical Kick-ass quote: "I'll be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of crime-fighting at first. But even so, it kept me pretty busy. I called it preparation, but if you called it fantasizing, it would've been hard to argue. All I knew was, I never felt so good about myself".

This film doesn't so much rewrite the book on the basic template of the superhero movie as nuke it and destroy any traces of its previous existence. Its release outraged the very excitable and predictable Daily Mail who frothed with anger and raged with that righteous indignation which tabloid newspapers so love. "One of the most shamelessly irresponsible films ever" they roared and clearly the whole of civilisation was threatened, lock up your daughters etc etc. Ironically the Daily Express and the Sun loved it, yet watching this film does require that you suspend some morality issues for its duration and can leave you with some unease. Certainly Chloe Moretz's brilliant portrayal of the 11 year old Hit Girl is one of the cinema highlights of the decade but be prepared for the uber violence that goes with this and a level of swearing that makes Gordon Ramsay look like a choir boy (particularly the dropping of the C bomb). That said "Kick Ass" is a intense, breathless, bloody and often brilliantly funny black comedy which Quentin Tarantino would have died to direct. Based on the 2008 graphic novel by Glasgow-born Mark Millar and New York artist John Romita jnr, this film is much more "Sin City" than "Superman".

The plot revolves around teenage dork Dave Lizewski (nicely played by Aeron Johnson) and his alter ego "Kick Ass", Young David's only superhuman feat is to be "invisible to teenage girls" and to have a "First class honours degree" in a particular speciality of all teenage boys especially when thinking about his English teacher. He and his friends are repeatedly beaten up and he decides as a result to order a wetsuit off the internet, adopt the moniker of Kick-Ass, sets up an internet contact page and sets out to patrol the streets with the totally expected disastrous results. It is here he comes into contact with a father and daughter vigilante team namely Big Daddy (a kind of Batman with a ASBO) and Hit Girl who are dedicated to destroying a ruthless crime boss (Mark Strong) whose own superhero/super-nerd son "Red Mist" played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse is central character. Nick Cage superbly plays the clearly insane father role with such normality at first that it's subversive although by the end of the film he is more like "Sailor" from Wild at Heart. This is man who will buy his daughter an AK47 for a birthday present. It is however the wonderful Chole Moretz, bedecked in her purple wig who steals every scene as Hit Girl a eleven year old assassin who makes Una Thurman's "Bride" in Kill Bill look like Nora Batty. She brings new meaning to the term "Bratz" and the only vaguely near counterpart she has in film history is the much older French anti hero Nikita from Luc Besson's film of the same name, except that Hit Girl is neither "teenage" or "delinquent" I will say no more about the film's story other than again to stress if you cannot stomach either violence or gleeful profanity, or are offended by the premise of the film stay well clear, indeed the 15 certificate on this is hugely debatable.

The other great facet of the film is its pace and underpinning script. Jane Goldman has constructed witty and perfect dialogue particularly for the gormless charm of Dave Lizewski and his teenage chums. The film flashes by at a furious rate of knots and the action many high octane scenes and especially the uber violent finale is superbly directed. The sizzling soundtrack is superb and mixes the Banana Splits theme tune, Sparks "This town ain't big enough for the both of us with Elvis! I was accompanied to the cinema by my teenage son who is in late teens and two of his friends who declared the whole thing "awesome" at the end. For once they are right Kick-Ass is an instant and brilliant cult classic which you will either love or hate. Unlike the truly wretched Robin Hood 2010 (if you see it, you would pay Hit Girl to visit Russell Crowe!) this film screams out for a sequel, and its good to see Mark Strong as a proper villain. Its fast, furious and funny. A delicious eye popping black comedy and about a subversive as a superhero gets. Just make sure you don't buy it for your parents Christmas present.

Great film, , nice retro-styling steelbook art, quality disc presentation and colourful disc-art (unlike Iron Man 2 which had lazy undecorated silver discs) - This is the definitive Kick Ass. Over 2 hours of great extras along with stylised kick-ass menu UI art, a crystal clear print and thumping 5.1 DTS-HD audio track. The added copy of the film on dvd is great if (like me) you were between hardware tech at time of release and didn't fancy buying the film twice over.

The features?..probably not worth trading up to extras-wise if you have the ordinary blu-ray version already, but if you have held off buying this future classic on the superhero genre to see in beautiful 1080P high definition... then THIS is a beautiful pack.

The film?, a great screenplay by Jane Goldman authentically adapted on the Mark Millar graphic novel - A future classic!, so many laugh out loud moments and great quotable lines from "f**k you Mr.Bitey" to "with no power comes no responsibility" and really strong performances from Chloe Moretz (whos talent for x-rated comedy belies her age), a funny adam west impersonation from Nick Cage (whom Batman-fans will laugh at) and Mark Strong whos rocking performance playing the villain is so good you end up both laughing at, and rooting-for him.

One of those films on your shelf that you can watch over and over and still find it hilarious! - Definately recommended!