Kick Ass 2: more violence, swearing and mayhem, but does it pack the punch of the original?

In a year of bloated superhero blockbusters, Kick Ass was a breath of fresh air when it exploded onto our screens in 2010. It perfectly parodied the clichés which had come to dominate fantasy cinema in hail of demented ultra-violence and obscene language. But has new director Jeff Wadlow created a sequel worthy of the fantastic guilty pleasure that Kick Ass was?


All the ingredients which made Kick Ass great are still here; colourful vigilantes, scheming villains and dark, dark humour. And yet, throughout the film you get the distinct impression that something is missing. Perhaps it's that the element of surprise which helped Kick Ass stun and shock its audiences is almost impossible to recapture in a sequel. Kick Ass 2 instead opts to recycle so much of the original film that it looses much of it's impact. While a lethal 11 year old assassin slaughtering a gang of thugs in the first Kick Ass both amazed and offended thousands of cinema goers, such action seems predictable and almost directly lifted in Kick Ass 2.

Much of the cast of Kick Ass return for the sequel, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson reprising his role as makeshift hero Kick Ass. However, only Chloë Grace Moretz's teenage vigilante Hit Girl truly shines here, living up to the high standard she set in Kick Ass with another perfect performance. It's a shame that the script gives her little screen time as the violent costumed warrior, preferring to cast her as Mindy MacCready, the teenager behind the mask, attempting to find her place in normal school life, but once again Moretz creates a brilliantly believable character. Unfortunately, a little of the shine of the other characters has been lost during the transition between original and sequel, with neither Kick Ass or antagonist Chris D'Amico (Christoper Mintz-Plasse) giving as convincing or driven performances as they portrayed in the first film. It's possibly because some of the focus of the original Kick Ass has been lost on a whole host of supporting characters, notably Jim Carrey's Colonel Stars and Stripes.

While Kick Ass's violence was extreme, the bombastic and humorous nature of the film prevented it from entering the realm of true bad taste. Jim Carrey's disownership of the film might have suggested that there is more violence here than in the original Kick Ass, but this is not the case. However, while Kick Ass 2's violence is little more deranged than the original's, in attempting to make the film darker and more gritty the scriptwriter has inadvertently pushed certain scenes out of the comic book halo surrounding the film, an attempted rape played for laughs making particularly grim viewing. And unlike Kick Ass, the script lacks emotional attachment, so when likeable characters are killed the film goes straight back to cracking jokes, which rather numbs the audience's feelings for the deceased characters.

Still, maybe I'm being too harsh. Kick Ass 2 has brilliantly succeeded in creating what is for the most part a gloriously entertaining film, which is what made Kick Ass so wonderful in the first place. It might not be as close to perfect escapism as the first film, but, as you might have guessed from the title, it still kicks plenty of ass.

6/10  

Gig Review: Live at the Lido 2013

Live at the Lido is becoming a well known event in the Ilkley area, and this year's one day festival proves why its reputation is growing. First up are Asylum (3/5), who start the day with a cheerful set of covers; The Artic Monkey's I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor being the best received. However, it's Black Clover (4/5) who are the first band to get a real reaction from the crowd; their powerful brand of punk rock providing much excitement. They're also the only band today who play a spontaneous encore, tearing through fan-favourite Here We Go Again after demand from the crowd. Things take a step back in intensity when Texacana (2/5) take to the stage; their American influenced country failing to lift the audience. Happily, Beth Armitage (4/5) is better received, with sing alongs, waves and, remarkably, small mosh pits breaking out throughout her set of acoustic numbers. She also sets herself apart from the majority of solo artists in managing to play an entire show without any backing at all, and her version of Rihanna's Diamonds gives the crowd the opportunity to make diamond shapes with their arms throughout the rest of the day. And the day continues to improve with The Concetines (4/5), who despite a diminished crowd turn in a superb set powered by speedy drumming and powerful bass lines. It's a standard La Fin? (3/5) can't quite live up to, but their alternative rock still keeps the audience baying for more. However, the music really steps up when Marc and Abi (5/5) arrive. Their musical talent is clear from the start as their impressive blend of country and folk inspires the crowd into a bizarre range of dances, from waltz to funk. It's testament to their strength as musicians that they keep everyone hanging onto every note without playing anything resembling rock or metal. The Puppeteers (4/5) also put on a strong showing, their self described bluesy rock sounding more violent and powerful than those words could ever encompass. While their set is given a strong response from the crowd, it's Notion (5/5), who get the biggest response so far. While being sponsored by a tuxedo company might not be the most rock n' roll thing to do, they more than make up for it with their "perfect for moshing" style of music, and the crowd react accordingly. Headbanging, circle pits and even a couple of walls of death break out throughout their set, making them possibly the most intense band of the day. And it doesn't let up with Clear (4/5) whose energetic set of covers provides the backdrop for further moshing and dancing. For middle aged ladies and gentlemen, they have a remarkable ability to pick the tracks a young crowd will dance to, and a Song 2/Smells Like Teen Spirit medley and versions of Call Me Maybe and Pumped Up Kicks are greeted with perhaps the best reactions of the day. Unfortunately, by the time Boys Off The Bench (3/5) appear, the night is drawing in and the rain is falling fast, meaning that they play to a significantly smaller crowd than the bands who played before them. It's a shame, because their set rivals many of the earlier bands. Still, the rain doesn't stop those sticking it out to the end from enjoying themselves. And a little rain is hardly going to stop Shatter the Skies (5/5), as their monolithic metal ignites the remaining hardcore metallers to mosh and headbang till the bitter end. Their set is so powerful and intense that even such rarities for a metal band as a cello and keytar don't seem a step out of place, and their stunning cover of Slipknot's Duality provides Live at the Lido with a phenomenal finish.

Gig Review: Muse at the Etihad Stadium Manchester, 1.6.13, Plus Dizzee Rascal and Bastille

As Muse ride the colossal tsunami of last year's number one album The 2nd Law, a single question has found itself on the lips of fans and critics alike: is there anywhere left to go? Over the course of nineteen years together, the Devonshire trio have recorded platinum albums, headlined festivals and sold out stadiums, but can this group of survivors continue to morph and change to create music that consistently pushes the bar of what can and can't be done? On this most massive of massive tours, perhaps we could find an answer.

Before anything is discovered however, Bastille take to the stage. As new kids on the alternative scene, it's obvious that the quartet intend to display their potential to fill venues of this size with this opening support slot. With just a single studio album, they lack the wealth of material Dizzee or Muse have to choose from or the fans to sing it back at them, which amounts to a muted response from the enormous crowd. Despite their musical excellence, songs such as Bad Blood and Flaws seem more suited to an intimate surrounding than the Etihad Stadium, and the band themselves appear understandably uncomfortable playing in such a titanic location. Each member, including lead singer Dan Smith, seem rooted to their chosen spots on stage, and tonight only mega-single Pompeii truly gets the 60,000 strong crowd jumping and singing.

By contrast, Dizzee Rascal is explosive. From the word go he and his two supporting singers are bouncing across the stage to the sound of Rascal's trademark expletive-filled grime-rap. While they lack Bastille's carefully crafted songs, Dizziee and his boys more than make up for it in pure energy, with each song powered along by the seamless beats and grooves of  the onstage DJ. Opening with Here 2 China, The London-born rapper is immediately urging the crowd to jump, mosh and sing along to a set heavily relying on unreleased material from his upcoming album, The Fifth. The fact that no-one has heard many of the songs aired tonight fails to stop the crowd from going absolutely mad, although particular enthusiasm is reserved for classic Rascal tracks including Bass Line Junkie, Holiday and, inevitably, the number-one single Bonkers. He may have originally been seen as a poor fit for as sophisticated a band as Muse, but over his forty-five minute set Dizzee proves that his is the perfect act to get a crowd of any size in the mood for any band.

Muse, however, are a class apart. Out of all three bands here, they are the ones who have proved beyond any doubt that they are ideally suited to playing the world's largest venues, and on this enormous stage they are in their element. Clearly aiming to excite their audience to breaking point, the intro to The 2nd Law: Unsustainable fizzles into life ten minutes late, before a powerful fireball signals the cue for the band to launch into Supremacy. Much has been said of the musical virtuoso that is singer, guitarist and pianist Matt Bellamy, and tonight he is utterly on top of his game; every screaming guitar solo note perfect, every riff charged full of power and every vocal line beautifully sung. Drummer Dom Howard and Bassist Chris Wolstenholme also appear eager to play to such a huge crowd as the band launch immediately into fan-favourite Supermassive Black Hole. Over the seventeen song main body of the gig, the bands' onstage energy and presence never relents, with Bellamy in particular charging around the stage like a man on fire. Over six albums Muse have built such a wealth of material that they can pull out tracks from both their most recent albums and their nineties roots without their performance ever feeling disjointed, which makes for an impressively varied and developed setlist. Giving rare showings to lesser-known songs such as Dead Star and Guiding Light while ignoring barnstorming hits like Hysteria might be seen as a tad self-indulgent, the this unpredictability is part of what Muse is about, and hearing these regularly forgotten tracks gives Muse's performance a personal touch. Moreover, Bellamy barely speaks the crowd which makes it all the more impressive that the show feels so personal. Of course, today's Muse shows aren't just about the music, and tonight's performance is fuelled by a huge LED screen behind the band and hundreds of strobe lights, along with chimneys belching flames into the night sky. Naturally, it's the most powerful and popular tracks such as Knights of Cydonia, Bliss and Stockholm Syndrome that really strike a chord with this crowd, so it's fortunate that Muse have dozens of such tracks to choose from.

After a stunning rendition of Stockholm Syndrome closes the main body of the performance, the band retire to a small second stage at the end of a catwalk that extends deep into the amassed fans. Here the band take a moment to shed light on the rarest of their songs, playing a beautiful acoustic version of Unintended; a long-forgotten song from first album Showbiz, giving the most hard-core of Muse fans a chance to raise their voices above the rest. Blackout sees a ballerina suspended from an enormous plastic light bulb floating across the crowd, while Undisclosed Desires gives Matt the opportunity to shake hands with screaming fans (including myself) at the barrier between stage and crowd.

Of course, the band return for two extended encores, the first seeing a thirty-foot tin robot dancing to the dubstep beats of The 2nd Law: Unsustainable, before the classic Muse anthem Plug in Baby, which seems even more colossal than the robot itself! The band's Olympic theme song Survival follows, before an extended version of The 2nd Law: Unsustainable introduces the second encore, which features the powerful revolutionary track Uprising before Starlight delivers Manchester a towering, pyro-fuelled finale.

With this phenomenal concert Muse have once again proved that they are better than ever before, and continue to strive to become the greatest band on the planet. Perhaps they have gone everywhere they can go, but they are still showing us that nothing can stop creativity, and nothing can stop their ideas.

10/10

Star Trek: Into Darkness-does what it says on the tin, albeit very well

After the startling success of J J Abrams first reboot of the classic Star Trek franchise, the inevitable sequel has, at last arrived. Into Darkness once again combines million dollar special effects with the myriad of concepts and creativity conceived by Start Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but this time boasts an improved storyline and more convincing performances from it's main actors, alongside the predictable host of minor ones.

After former Star Fleet officer John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a terrorist attack against the space corporation, Captain James T Kirk (Chris Pine) and his Vulcan second-in-command Spock (Zachary Quinto) climb aboard the iconic Enterprise to attempt to capture him at the planet of the notorious alien species the Klingons. After being unmasked as ancient alien warrior Khan, Harrison escapes to begin an assault on Earth, and, as per usual, the crew of the Enterprise are the only ones who can stop him.

This is a more developed story to that of the previous Star Trek film, weaving themes of betrayal, pain and love into one, satisfying whole. Of course, a ripping yarn means nothing to a film without powerful performances from it's actors, but Into Darkness does not disappoint in this area. Chris Pine and Zachery Quinto reprise their roles as the ever present Captain Kirk, and cult hero Spock respectively, but it's Benedict Cumberbatch's tortured Kahn who truly stands out. The Sherlock star moves seamlessly between ultra-violence and flowing emotion in a role which seems perfectly suited to him. The stars are supported by a collection of favourite Star Trek characters including Scotty (Simon Pegg), Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and a future Spock played by original actor Leonard Nimoy.

Where Into Darkness, and indeed the original Start Trek series excels, is in it's action and special effects. There's goosebumps aplenty as the Enterprise leaps into warp speed, and exhilaration during battles with Kahn or the Klingons. It's everything you expect and want from Star Trek: pure, exciting science fiction.

However, the film falls short during the inevitable moments where emotion is attempted to be invoked in viewers. Scenes such as an injured Kirk and Spock making the "live long and prosper" sign separated by glass feel slightly flat and unnecessary. Perhaps scenes like this shouldn't even be attempted in films such as this. It is science fiction after all, not some Oscar winning tear-jerker.

Despite this, Into Darkness is exactly what you expect from a Star Trek film: explosive special effects, a strong, if slightly stretched story and decent acting. Above all, it's brilliantly entertaining, and too many films are forgetting that entertainment is what the movie industry should be all about.

8/10