Fantasia on a Theme by Tookey: A Review of a Review...

Well, lots of you will have noticed that there's been a bit of the old controversy about a little comic book movie called Kick-Ass. Most of this 'controversy' has come from this single review from Christopher Tookey in the Daily Mail, entitled 'Don't be fooled by the hype: This crime against cinema is twisted, cynical, and revels in the abuse of childhood'. I know, snappy review headline or what? In his worryingly misjudged rant, Tookey accuses the film of being evil, accuses Hit Girl (a hero whose costume is so complete that only her chin is on show) of being 'sexually aggressive' and criticises the quality of the script penned by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman whose last collaboration, Stardust, proved a charming and frequently very funny fantasy tale.

Well, these are Tookey's three crucial mistakes. Any review that commences with 'verdict: evil' you just know will prove to be gold and while I expect nothing less than this from the Mail, I hope that it is just that which has led Tookey to pen this review, towing the editorial line. He frequently accuses Hit Girl, easily the most charismatic character in the film, of being sexualised, sexually aggressive and various other shallow, ill-thought out indictments that frankly I won't waste time repeating. Firstly, to suggest that the film does anything to sexualise an 11 year old character played by a 13 year old actress is a grievous insult to the film-makers and to Mark Millar (one of the finest comic book writers in history in my opinion) and his creation. Secondly, to use the phrase 'paedophiles are going to adore her' should instantly disqualify you from holding a valid opinion on anything... ever. Thirdly, the number of times that Tookey mentions this point makes me wonder two things. Either Tookey found Hit Girl just a little bit attractive and ran up a quick piece laced with self-denial and self-flagellation or he could only think of one half decent argument to carry an entire page-long review. Either way, it doesn't speak volumes for the man.

The bit that has really pulled the rug out from under Tookey's argument is his knocking of the script, claiming that it 'slavishly conforms to the cliched norms of Hollywood'. The script is sharp, clever and, more importantly, genuinely funny. Goldman and Vaughn have carried over the skill with which they created the fantasy world of 'Stardust' to the adaptation of Millar's genius for the big screen and for Tookey to suggest that there was anything wrong with the script leaves me baffled. I can only assumed he fell asleep shortly after the opening credits and only woke up when the usher gave him a stiff prod around 2 hours later.

Tookey seems to be pandering to the kinds of people who were so offended by the notion of Hit Girl saying "Ok, you cunts, let's see what you can do now" that they forgot that she goes on to kill a busload of hired goons over the next hour and a half. It reminds me of another bit of 'controversy', this time over upcoming Western Action/Adventure game Red Dead Redemption, in which the player has the option of hunting animals and selling the pelts. 'Sure, fur trapping was and lucrative form of trade in the Americas up until the early 20th century' I hear you say 'What's the problem?' Well, the problem is that a few animal rights campaigners find this apalling and have called for bans and boycotts and anything else to go with it. I'm all for animal rights, but when people find hunting 30 different types of animal more morally reprehensible than the ability to wipe out the entire population of the American West and Mexican border, you know that someone isn't paying attention to the bigger picture.

Tookey is sorely mistaken. Kick-Ass is a terrific film and an instant comic book movie classic. The script is lively and witty, Millar's characters brought to life wonderfully and the performances are excellent all-round (a special mention should go to Nicholas Cage's Big Daddy, who when in his guise as the caped hero speaks with a true Adam West stacatto and whose idea of a disguise is extending his normal moustache into a handlebar moustache) and the comic book violence, is exactly that, comic book. Sure, it depicts knife crime, a contentious issue, but the BBFC, in their infinite wisdom have elected to give the film a 15 as they understand that Kick-Ass is a fantasy piece, knockabout fun that you'd have to be a fool to confuse with an evil propangandist moral of 'costume + killing + sexy 11 year olds = something the audience should obviously repeat in real life'.

Kick-Ass is accurately reviewed by its title and has merited the deluge of 5 star reviews that it has received and (thankfully) Tookey is very much in a bewildered minority when it comes to his opinion. A triumph for Vaughn, Goldman and Millar in a world suffering from the censure of the big studios.