Double Feature

July 2010 - I thought that, since we're in the middle of summer, a column with a vacation theme might be appropriate. Then I changed my mind. Let's go right to the mindless violence!

There's plenty of violence to go around in The Boondock Saints. Two Irish brothers do what the police and FBI can't in this R-rated shoot 'em up from 1999. Willem Dafoe and Billy Connolly are the most recognizable actors in the movie.

Set in Boston, the film centers on Connor and Murphy MacManus, two working class, Irish Catholic brothers. On St. Patrick's Day, they have a run-in with some Russian mobsters and end up on the winning end of the showdown. Inspired by their success, the brothers set out on a divine but bloody mission to take down more of Boston's criminal element. They're loved by the people and praised as saints by the media.

Dafoe is Paul Smecker, a gay, opera-loving, homophobic FBI agent. He wonders who is behind all these killings and sets out to catch them. But, he's torn between his duty as an agent and his admiration for whoever it is that's doing what the police can't.

Overall review: Ehhh, it was OK. If you like your violence delivered with a smile and a prayer, then this movie is for you. The brothers show their victims no mercy, but they show them respect once they're dead. Dafoe steals the film with his over-the-top performance. The Boondock Saints loses points for its uneven pacing, but it's still worth a look.

The current release Kick-Ass is also worth a look, mainly for a character by the name of Hit Girl. This R-rated film features two costumed characters who are still in high school and one (Hit Girl) who still needs to grow into a training bra. As it turns out, she's the one who kicks the most ass.

Aaron Johnson plays Dave, a teen who likes comic books. He also likes girls - if only they would notice him. One day, Dave gets it into his head that he could be a superhero. He orders a costume and sets out to do good deeds under the name Kick-Ass. For his trouble, he gets stabbed, gets run over and gets on the bad side of a big-time drug dealer.

He also catches the attention of a father-daughter tandem (Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz) who masquerade as Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Hit Girl has had a very unique upbringing. Her father has trained her to be a lethal weapon in his plan to get revenge against the aforementioned drug dealer. Hit Girl is good but, in the end, even she needs some help from Kick-Ass to kick bad guy ass.

Overall review: Liked it. Hit Girl does what a lot of women probably wish they could do, and she does it with flair, with pleasure and without any regrets. Sure, she's been brainwashed by Big Daddy, but, whatever. She's a pint-sized Rambo in a purple wig. Hit Girl is my new hero.