Just want to drop a note here to tell you that your work is quickly becoming must see for me. You are basically the only movie reviewer who has anything near to my perspective on the subject, and your intermission articles I think are an important and thought provoking parallel to your video reviews. Please, keep up the good work!
What's the Problem With Hit-Girl?
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
I don't usually find my self getting creeped out that much but the scenes with Hit girl accompanied by the cutesy music kinda made me cringe a lil. Don't get me wrong I thought they were awesome, however I still can see why people would have issues with it. Speaking of violent lil girls, I wonder if they will include the scene where an eight year old arya stark slices a mans throat in the upcoming game of thrones series?
Answer: There is none. She's fun to watch. Period.
See Mark Twain for a discussion of finding deeper meanings in things.
See Mark Twain for a discussion of finding deeper meanings in things.
I think that part of the reason why this movie gets flamed by so many is because it breaks the "Invincible Child Rule." We see this rule most of the time in video games and it tend to fall true in movies.
Some example of this are movies such as Spy Kids, Home Alone, Three Ninjas (lol yeah any one remember that series of movies?), and pretty much most movies in general that have kids as the main plot characters. Kid in these movies are all ways trying to do the "right thing" and no matter what the situation they are in usual all ways come out with out a scratch.
Another problem with this movies, at least in my neck of the woods, is that the movie was badly marketed. Like I said in my post for the Kick-ass review, all the TV advertisements made this movie look like another goofy Kid's Action film. If you were like me and never heard of the comic, then you would have probably expect something totally different walking into the film, and been very surprised to see it rated R.
Some example of this are movies such as Spy Kids, Home Alone, Three Ninjas (lol yeah any one remember that series of movies?), and pretty much most movies in general that have kids as the main plot characters. Kid in these movies are all ways trying to do the "right thing" and no matter what the situation they are in usual all ways come out with out a scratch.
Another problem with this movies, at least in my neck of the woods, is that the movie was badly marketed. Like I said in my post for the Kick-ass review, all the TV advertisements made this movie look like another goofy Kid's Action film. If you were like me and never heard of the comic, then you would have probably expect something totally different walking into the film, and been very surprised to see it rated R.
WHy is it so important to break down taboos, as someone rejoiced above. If lived the rest of my life and never saw represented an 11 year old girl go through and do what happened in Kick Ass, I would not care in the slightest. If representing children committing and having committed on them, bloody violence is a taboo, then I can I fully understand why, and it is at the botton of a very very long list of taboos worth abolishing - ones beneficial to society.
That said, I am not offended by the character, and nor am I against it, but I don't see how anyone could rally behind it as if it is something that our society needed. "It's about time we had 11 year olds committing extreme violence!" What about the real ones in 3rd World countries that blow eachother way on a regular basis?
Again. Not against Hit Girl, but don't get the rejoicing in her either. It is an interesting and confronting idea. I leave it at that.
That said, I am not offended by the character, and nor am I against it, but I don't see how anyone could rally behind it as if it is something that our society needed. "It's about time we had 11 year olds committing extreme violence!" What about the real ones in 3rd World countries that blow eachother way on a regular basis?
Again. Not against Hit Girl, but don't get the rejoicing in her either. It is an interesting and confronting idea. I leave it at that.
It's probably worth mentioning, you can get the comic series as a single volume [http://www.amazon.com/Kick-Ass-Mark-Millar/dp/0785134352/] now. After reading the article, I think I'm going to grab the comic and check that out before I see the movie. It sounds like the adjustments may have given the film a little less depth.
Thinking I need to get the collection myself since I only read some of them and it was a while back and I've made at least one mistake in a previous post on the subject.Virgil said:
Nice attempt at a defense but the core facts are this:
11 year old "school girl" with uniform .. + Fetish-style comic book outfit = Pedo gold
(this movie will do well in the box office regardless)
I will give him credit for making a character like this. Japan has been doing it for YEARS in their animation! And now America is trying to cash in on it.
I will give you credit with trying to apply it to other movies. But NONE of them had young female characters dressed provactively like this. From my understanding, the words she uses and language put her in the role of playing an adult, not a kid crime fighter. At this point, when you allow a kid to play an adult, you are condoning this behavior, and any thoughts or ideas an adult viewing this might bring to a character such as this.
All I am saying is that, it's kinda wrong no matter what sugar you try to put on it. But America will eat it up just fine.
11 year old "school girl" with uniform .. + Fetish-style comic book outfit = Pedo gold
(this movie will do well in the box office regardless)
I will give him credit for making a character like this. Japan has been doing it for YEARS in their animation! And now America is trying to cash in on it.
I will give you credit with trying to apply it to other movies. But NONE of them had young female characters dressed provactively like this. From my understanding, the words she uses and language put her in the role of playing an adult, not a kid crime fighter. At this point, when you allow a kid to play an adult, you are condoning this behavior, and any thoughts or ideas an adult viewing this might bring to a character such as this.
All I am saying is that, it's kinda wrong no matter what sugar you try to put on it. But America will eat it up just fine.
Admitting the fact that kids are just as messed up as everyone else makes people uncomfortable since they think it automatically means it's their fault as parents.
On an unrelated note, that painting, is it a real Rockwell or a photoshopped one? I'm just curious.
On an unrelated note, that painting, is it a real Rockwell or a photoshopped one? I'm just curious.
I think you're very right about both of your points. I had never thought of the invincible child rule, but it's very true. I watched Home Alone 2 again for the first time in years and was surprised at the violence the main boy inflicted on the two bad guys. It was almost painful to watch, almost.Sephiwind said:
I fell for the marketing as well. I was expecting a group of rag-tag superheroes fighting small time heroes then banding together for the "Big Boss." Through their quirks they become successful and show that other people can do it too etc etc.
I wasn't even quite sure what to think when Hit Girl went to that apartment and brutally slaughtered everyone in that room. I think if the marketing was a tad more clear it would have been more accepted.
I only had a problem once in the movie, and that was when Hit Girl was being beaten up. I dunno I can't watch kids being hurt so that made me uncomfortable. But not uncomfortable enough to taint the rest of a decent movie.
EDIT: Y'know though, O-ren from Kill Bill was eleven when she first brutally murdered someone. How is Hit Girl different?
(insert textbook tirade on the evils of censorship and how dare anyone be offended by anything, ever)
Also pretty much what UberNoodle said. Though, an interesting thing is that really, 90% of the entertainment value from a character like this is because of the way they defy genre conventions. If children committing violence were completely normalized, wouldn't Hit Girl be far less fun? The "taboo" (more like "thing which is frowned upon", but I'll go with it) is the only thing keeping interest.
Going to chime in on the bad marketing too. The title gives away that naughty language will ensue, and I caught a glimpse of a shotgun. But the first time I read about the movie, the extreme gore was a surprise.
Also pretty much what UberNoodle said. Though, an interesting thing is that really, 90% of the entertainment value from a character like this is because of the way they defy genre conventions. If children committing violence were completely normalized, wouldn't Hit Girl be far less fun? The "taboo" (more like "thing which is frowned upon", but I'll go with it) is the only thing keeping interest.
Going to chime in on the bad marketing too. The title gives away that naughty language will ensue, and I caught a glimpse of a shotgun. But the first time I read about the movie, the extreme gore was a surprise.
cos 11 year olds aren't allowed to be cool. there all about high school musical and Jusin Boober. it puts everyone on edge when they see an 11 year old they think they may be able to get on with. that and purple wigs.
there's definitely some parallels but I think the crucial difference is that hit girl enjoys what she is doing and feels she has a moral duty to "defeat the bad guys"(though this has admittedly been brainwashed into her)wooty said:
whereas henrietta is emotionally detached from her job.
Sorry Bob, I need to point out that people are way, way, way off base with this one. Child heroes have been around for a very long time, especially in comics, this includes young girls. Just because something like this is hitting the mainstream doesn't nessicarly give it an unusual amount of weight, nor should it be considered especially contreversial at this point.MovieBob said:
Consider for example the ages of some of the characters that have been involved in comics like "The X-men" or "Runaways", the fate of "The Spoiler" in Batman's "War Games" storyline, and of course "Cassandra Cain" also from "Batman" who is this character almost verbatim, except HER "daddy" is far worse than the one in the moving being a villain/professional killer who did things like hire thugs to fight her, so she could kill them on film.
This isn't even getting into Anime, heck there is a series called "Noir" where one of the protaganists might as well BE "Hit Girl" albiet trained by a secret sect within the church. That character might be older, but looks the part. Then of course you've got "Gunslinger Girl".
Simply put I think anyone who bats an eye here because it's an 11 year old girl killing people is frankly too naive to really have an opinion on the subject, and should probably get far more grounding in the overlapping world that is "fandom" before making criticism, or acting like this is new, edgy, or even paticularly special.
Really the only distinctive thing about the character is that this is the first time it was done "live action" in a film and showed that the potential for serious non-disneyesue combat scenes with young protaganists is possible (ie the guys who made those ridiculous "Three Ninjas" movies should have been paying attention when it came to learning choreography).
As far as comments about The Exorcist and what you can't do on film today, well I think that's a whole differant issue, and comes down to general spinelessness in the media (which
I talk about constantly).
I loved Hit-Girl! She was hilarious. But I wouldn't let a minor see that. Not that I think that will inexorably warp them or something. No, I just don't think minors need to see that kind of violence period.
If people are worried about their kids seeing Hit-Girl and being inspired by them, I have one question. Why are you allowing a child to see a movie like Kick-Ass? To me, if you have, that says you are a bad parent. (Or if the kid is mature enough, a really cool uncle but that is besides the point...)
If people are worried about their kids seeing Hit-Girl and being inspired by them, I have one question. Why are you allowing a child to see a movie like Kick-Ass? To me, if you have, that says you are a bad parent. (Or if the kid is mature enough, a really cool uncle but that is besides the point...)
