What should Iran learn from the new Movie "Kick Ass"?
Walking out of a showing of "Kick Ass" in Santa Monica on Tuesday, the though occurred to this columnist that prints of that movie should be sent by the American State Department to a bunch of theaters in Iran because the Iranians just don’t seem to get it. Didn’t someone once say that Violence is as American as Apple Pie?
Do Americans seem particularly perturbed about the (alleged) carnage and mayhem taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan? To paraphrase a John Wane quote: "A country’s gotta do what a country’s gotta do."
As the Great Republican (St. Reagan) once said (with a bit of paraphrasing): "If it takes a blood bath to end the Iranian nuclear research program, then let’s have it and be done with it."
The liberals, who wet their pants when they see tea baggers touting open carry level of gun control, will really go into melt down mode when they see this new film. They will cry and moan about collateral damage being regrettable and something that should be avoided and not embraced. Film critic Roger Ebert was very upset with the casual acceptance of violence depicted in this film. He just didn’t dig the fact that violence is a streamlined efficient way of administering justice by the dad and kid team.
(Spoiler warning!) In the film, Damon Macready/Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) trains his 11 year old daughter Mindy Macreedy/Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) to be a superhero crime fighter who could kick Bruce Lee’s ass with one hand tied behind her back. Big Daddy is a comic book artist who is also a former police officer who has a grudge and a score to settle. What better way is there to say: "I win!" than use the most powerful hand gun in the world and blow some unlucky dude’s head clean off? (Isn’t that expression an oxymoron? Doesn’t it actually leave a very bloody mess?)
Now, when you are hipped to the symbolism Big Daddy and Hit Girl = USA and Frank D’Amico = Iran’s nuclear program, then most of the film’s viewers will know which side they will be rootin’ for.
A young man/superhero wannabe Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) proves that the super dude abides . . . but just barely.
Villan Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) gets what’s coming to him and as the symbol for Iran, folks should be cheering wildly as the final credits roll.
The film is top notch film making. The music, the classic film allusions, the snippet of Ennio Morricone Music, etc., etc., will help sell beaucoup tickets.
The film out Trarantios Traintino, it out karates Bruce Lee, it out Spaghetti Westerns Sergio Leone at his best. It shows what America is capable of doing when "bring it on!" time rolls around.
Violence is becoming an American religion. The techniques and methodology of extreme violence is handed down literally in this film from generation to generation and that should tell outsiders that it’s unwise to mess with America (AKA the good guys).
Years from now, when sociologists produce grad school thesis about the depiction of violence in contemporary American culture, this film will be a high water mark against which others will be measured. All its popular predecessors have just been opening acts.
The film was given a 77% positive rating on the Tomatometer on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
H. Rap Brown is quoted in Bartlett’s as saying: "Violence is American as cherry pie" but most Americans will amend that to read "Apple Pie."
Now, the disk jockey will play "Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Frankie and Johnnie," and "Stagger Lee." We are going to shoot out of here. Have a "directly in the center of the bull’s-eye" type week.