10 Magazine Film Reviews June 2010 Written by Paul MatthewsKick-Ass Directed by Matthew Vaughn

This darkly comic tale of powerless superheroes is either going to push all the right buttons or all the wrong ones. If you're a fan of Tarantinoesque cinema, with a penchant for dark, disturbing comedy then this film is right up your street, but if you're easily offended or have a weak stomach then you'd be better off sticking to a more family-friendly film. 

Kick-Ass introduces us to high school loser Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) whose fantasies about becoming a superhero turn into reality after he buys himself a scuba outfit and takes to the street. Unfortunately, Dave (AKA Kick-Ass) has no special powers and gets into some rather tricky situations as his popularity rises, especially when he is targeted by mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). Help is at hand in the form of Big Daddy (an admirable performance by Nicolas Cage) and his 11-year-old daughter Hit Girl (the fantastic Chloë Grace Moretz). The trio takes on the mob in some eye-popping fight sequences that don't shy away from blood and gore and are certainly not kid friendly.

Matthew Vaughn's no-holds-barred action extravaganza keeps you on the edge of your seat while still laughing all the way, and Hit Girl is perhaps the greatest foul-mouthed superhero character of recent years. If you like comic book movies and enjoy dark humor, then you'll love Kick-Ass, but if you're looking for gentler fare then rent yourself a copy of Spiderman and steer clear.

Iron Man 2 Directed by Jon Favreau

I went into Iron Man 2 with a sense of optimism. I'm a fan of the first film and have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr., who plays narcissistic, world-saving billionaire Tony Stark. I enjoy big blockbusters with overblown budgets and star-studded casts. I like robots, I love superheroes and I adore big explosions. The combination of Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke (as a big, burly, tattooed Russian physicist) sounded great. What could go wrong?

The story starts with Tony Stark revealed as Iron Man and loving the attention he's getting. Unfortunately the arc reactor that keeps him alive (and powers his suit) is slowly poisoning him, the US military want Iron Man for themselves and the Russian physicist wants to settle an old score. 

There are big explosions, a few fights and Robert Downey Jr. is very charming, but the film loses its way and drags on a little too long. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, but found myself slumped in my chair rather unexcited by the whole affair. Passable popcorn fun, but nowhere near as good as the first film.

Blades of Blood 구르믈 버서난 달처럼Directed by Jun-ik LeeThe release of this film marks the reintroduction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's

subtitled film program. Thanks to the lovely people at CGV cinemas, Seoul residents will be getting twenty English-subtitled Korean films over the next year. So get yourself down to the CGV cinemas in Yongsan, Myeongdong, Gangnam and Guro to experience Korean movies subtitled in English.

Blades of Blood marks director Jun-ik Lee’s return to historical drama after his smash hit King and the Clown in 2005. With his gorgeous cinematography and great sense of humor he has created a brilliant sword-fighting epic that deserves to be seen in cinemas.

It is the 16th century, the Japanese are threatening to invade and Korea has been thrown into political turmoil. Mong-hak Lee (Seung-won Cha), leader of the Grand Alliance, is systematically killing all who stand against him in his quest to gain the throne. Angered by the murder of one of his friends, blind swordsman Jung-hak Hwang (Jeong-min Hwang in his best role to date) decides to take revenge on Lee and is joined by Gyeon-ja (Seong-hyeon Baek), the bastard son of one of the noblemen Lee has killed.

The action sequences are superbly shot and the relationship between Hwang and Gyeon-ja is beautifully handled. The film expertly switches from comedy to tragedy, all the while leading us towards the inevitable final conflict. Blades of Blood is a fantastic journey through old Korea and the blind swordsman Hwang puts Zatoichi to shame. Catch this on the big screen while you can!