#SDCC: Is McLovin ready to ‘Kick-Ass’?
Who kicks more ass? McLovin’, or the Red Mist?
“There’s a reason why [Nicolas] Cage ain’t here…” So said Christopher Mintz-Plasse, co-star of Mark Millar’s comic-to-screen adaptation of Kick-Ass, brought to us at the San Diego Comic-Con in that room of rooms… Hall D! Director Matthew Vaughn presented alongside special guest Mark Millar, the aforementioned Mr. Mintz-Plasse (formerly McLovin’ of Superbad Fame…), as well as John Romita Jr., the comic book artist who brings Kick-Ass to life every month(ish) via Marvel’s ICON line.
Showing off Avid-fresh clips to a rabid audience, Vaughn was ensuring a final product that would bring a genuine adaptation that followed the comic to the letter, or in this case… the panels. “We are a genuine comic book adaptation with comic book authors involved
in the production of the movie… It’s really important to me that fans
of the comic like the film. I’ll be more upset if fans of the comic
hate the movie than anybody else.” Vaughn told MTV’s Splash Page blog prior to the screening.
And what a screening it was. Scenes including Nicholas Cage’s Big Daddy shooting his little girl, Chloe Moretz, begarbed in a bulletproof vest. A Paris Hilton joke warmed the crowd. And what of the titular hero? Aaron Johnson plays ‘Dave’, who in clips presented at the con, showed off the straight from panel to screen costume (no leather upgrades ala X-men here.), as well as comic-worthy violence. Tasers to a thug’s forehead? Check. Hit-Girl slicing and dicing bad guys enough to shame Beatrix Kiddo? Check. And McLovin’ as the hot-rodding Red Mist? Double check. The fans in attendance ate it up? How much? They demanded a reshowing of the trailer, and they got it.
But this begs to be asked… obviously Vaughn knew what to say and show the rabid comic fans in attendance, but Millar isn’t squeaky clean when it comes to his adaptations on film… lest we forget the curved bullets of amazing aptitude in Wanted: Not Quite the Comic circa 2008.
Look for ‘Kick-Ass’ at the tail end (sorry) of this year.