So Kick-Ass is better than Defendor? - Defendor (2010) Discussion

[–] dahl_2 14 years ago

Haven't seen Kick-Ass yet, but my impression of the movie tells me it's much more light-hearted than Defendor which is a pretty dark movie. Sure, it's funny as well but.. oh what the heck, you'll notice yourself when you watch it.

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[–] tanis_ivy 14 years ago

i'm having the same thoughts too. kick-ass definately looks like a light hearted comedy/action-ish movie. defendor had more heart in it, imo.

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[–] Scarekrow9 14 years ago

kickass a light hearted comedy? wtf are you people smoking? it's the most brutal movie I have seen since RAMBO

Laugh, and the world thinks you're crazy.
Weep, and the world thinks you're bipolar.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] kenny5637 14 years ago

Defendor is the type of dark comedy that's so dark it's barely a comedy at all. Like Very Bad Things or Happiness (if you consider Happiness a comedy). Woody Harrelson's character floats somewhere between crazy and mentally challenged. It's weird, he talks like he's retarded whenever he's not in the Defendor costume. Also, Kat Dennings plays a meth addicted prostitute.
I don't want to go further into the film for fear of ruining it. I haven't seen Kick-ass, but heard it was exceptionally violent. I HAVE seen Defendor and it was really not particularly violent at all (though one person gets shot in the dick). With that said, Kick-ass appears like it could be a million shades lighter than Defendor based solely on thematic elements alone.

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[–] alienjesus 14 years ago

The violence in kick-ass is sort of comedy violence though (very exaggerated and not taken seriously), whereas defendor plays it pretty straight.

A black pool opened up at my feet. I dived in. It had no bottom.

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[–] jbernanke 14 years ago

Kick Ass is stupid. I prefer Defendor

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[–] anujkumar-v 14 years ago

Sure, we're all allowed our opinions-so here's mine:Kick-Ass is awesome(so is defendor), and you're a dick.

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[–] europ36 14 years ago

You can still write despite having bags of dicks in both your hands and your mouth, maybe we better listen to your opinion because that's a feat!

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[–] Six-Shooter 13 years ago

If Rambo & Kick-Ass are the most brutal movies you've seen, then I would not suggest Taxi Driver, Natural Born Killers, or anything by Kubrick.

The knack to flying lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

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[–] Scarekrow9 12 years ago

Six-Shooter, I said SINCE Rambo (2008). The movies you mentioned were before that. Please learn to read (and comprehend) the entire post.

Laugh, and the world thinks you're crazy.
Weep, and the world thinks you're bipolar.

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[–] Six-Shooter 12 years ago

You're using the phrase in a manner so literal, there's no way I could have known what you were intending to say.

The knack to flying lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

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[–] Scarekrow9 12 years ago

I said Rambo, not First Blood

Laugh, and the world thinks you're crazy.
Weep, and the world thinks you're bipolar.

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[–] Sylphadora 12 years ago

kickass a light hearted comedy? wtf are you people smoking? it's the most brutal movie I have seen since RAMBO

Yeah, but in Kick-Ass, when Hit-Girl kills somebody, people's reaction is supposed to be something like: 'LMAO!! That's SO funny ', which is miles away from the reaction expected in Super when the sadistic Boltie savagely stabs some bloke to death. I think that's what they meant by 'light-hearted.' In Super and I think in Defendor as well, death is handled more seriously.

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[–] spideyfanlife 14 years ago

ive seen both and kick ass is better

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] TraBuch 14 years ago

Or for someone who just wants to have a good time at the movies.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] The_paranoid_android 14 years ago

Kick-Ass was much more lighthearted fun, while Defendor was a much more mature look at why someone would dress up as a superhero. Both are great in their own rights, although I did not like the fact that they didn't focus on the character of Kick-Ass at the third act.

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[–] The-Kurgan 14 years ago

Kick-ass is for morons who can't get it up unless someone is being hacked to death on screen.

Your parents never let you have a puppy growing up, did they?

If that's all you got out of Kick-Ass, you missed the point of the movie entirely, and had tunnel-vision on the violence. Setting aside the light-heartedness of it, the story had a much deeper, even layered, meaning. An no, I'm not gonna bother trying to explain it. It's much more fun knowing you'd have to watch it again with a focus on the story to figure it out. ;)

As for the comparisons between Kick-Ass and Defendor, they stop at the trailer. I, too, made the same assumption after seeing Defendor's trailer, even going so far to assume it was a rip-off. Turns out Defendor was written five years ago, and filmed almost two years back, but was held back for release. Additionally, they chose all the in-costume scenes for the trailer to make it look like a superhero movie, but in all honestly, the movie is nothing like what the trailer makes it out to be.

Bottom line: Kick-Ass and Defendor are two completely different, and very good movies, that bear little resemblance to each other.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] The_paranoid_android 14 years ago

I didn't miss the point of the movie. Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn missed the point of their own damn movie. And coming from an avid Tarantino fan, it was not the violence that bothered me, it was the fact that most of it was completely unnecessary.

I actually disagree with you. It's an endevour in finding an subliminal line between reality and fantasy and why we crave the latter even though we claim to enjoy the former, as pretty much summed up by Massawyrm at "Ain't It Cool News".

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/44677

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[–] The-Kurgan 14 years ago

I didn't miss the point of the movie. Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn missed the point of their own damn movie.

Wow. People like you just slay me. So, you didn't miss the point, eh? Well, that's kinda odd, really, since you haven't touched on it at all, and in fact have made claims that don't have anything to do with it. But yeah, you get it. Riiiiiight.

How freakin' dumb do you think everyone else is? Half of us here "got it." We read the comic, we understood the message, we watched the movie, we got the message again. We even understood why the changes were made, pro or con, but in the end, we still knew the meaning of it all and the underlying message of the story. And then you not only make a comment that shows without a shadow of any doubt that said meaning/message shot right over your head, but then you've got the stones to keep denying it (which is silly since your comments could only be made by someone who didn't get it), and on top of that, to blame the creators for your lack of understanding, cuz they didn't get it!

Seriously, if you can get a single person to fall for that, you outta get into politics, 'cuz you're a natural.

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[–] captainquf 14 years ago

i watched both movies. people are over analyzing the depth of kick-ass. Kick-ass was pretty much trying to be "unique" super-hero comedy/action but it really wasnt, while it was entertaining, people need to realize that it was just alot of rated-G material put into a Rated-R movie, so plz stop over analyzing the movie, there was no character developement in kick ass, we are pretty much set in stone when the main character was introduced, we didnt get to "fall in love" with the character, we never get to emphaize with him, we dont see things from his point of view, he was not the underdog, and we didnt really even cheer him on, (if you did, then im guessing that movie avatar made u cry too huh?) Defendor on the other hand, we see his past, we see what made him the way he is, and conclusively we cheer for his character.

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[–] The-Kurgan 14 years ago

people are over analyzing the depth of kick-ass. <SNIP> ...there was no character developement in kick ass, we are pretty much set in stone when the main character was introduced, we didnt get to "fall in love" with the character, we never get to emphaize with him, we dont see things from his point of view, he was not the underdog, and we didnt really even cheer him on...

I see what you're saying, but I can also easily tell you the reason why you're seeing it that way. The problem lies with the translation from comic to film. The things you're citing are indeed present in the comic, and I suspect that, like myself, other viewers that had read the comics first retained those positive feelings and perceptions. The film, of course, ended up being a "Readers Digest" version of the story, so to speak, due to the natural limitations of the conversion (limited screen time being a major hindrance to character development and background story). I suppose it's certainly possible that a more experienced director could have done things differently and somehow contrived to bring those things across, but I don't hold it against the current director for not being able to fully pull it off.

I don't know how I would have viewed those things in the movie (ie. were they present or missing) had I not read the comics first, but you do make an interesting point. However, I can say that he was a unique underdog in either instance. One of the major plot devices of the movie is that Kick-Ass is perfectly sane. He's literally the first sane person to ever take the concept of being a superhero seriously, and act on that desire. Previously, as in real life, it had just been the occasional mental case running around in tights and getting themselves in trouble and/or hurt, followed by the usual trip to a mental institution.

This, of course, is followed by his learning the ramifications of his choice, pro and con, to both himself and others. The presentation of Hit Girl & Big Daddy in the movie overshadowed this due to the overwhelming violence (and the amount of time it took up in the film). However, in the comic that was merely a plot device so that Kick-Ass could discover just how dangerous and critical his decision to become a superhero was. He didn't just inspire people in general, as he initially assumed things would be. He ended up inspiring dangerous vigilantes and villains, too, something he'd not considered. Big Daddy wasn't as presented in the film. This was one of the huge changes. In the books, it was discovered he was really a wannabe and loon, who had kidnapped his own daughter and fed her a story about him being "betrayed," etc. and that her mom was dead at the hands of villains. It was all a fairy tale he'd invented to justify his actions. But in the movie, they used the fairy tale as his actual background, and although I "get" why they did that for the film, it did have the unfortunate side-effect of greatly diminishing the "moral" of the story.

Now, what's really interesting are the two actual parallels between Kick-Ass and Defendor. Both are partially about one individual making a surprisingly huge difference (the only thing they really have in common), but then we're able to see both sides of the coin with Kick-Ass being a perfectly sane, normal person who donned a costume, and Defendor being one of the mental patients previously mentioned who did the same thing.

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[–] zarbicore 14 years ago

Kick Ass is damn cool as. So much more exciting than Defendor.

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[–] bestpike 14 years ago

Defendor in my opinion was a better movie as a whole. A more honest movie and what it's trying to tell you.

Kick-ass starts like another Defendor, and it seems like it trying to give you the same message, that if you try to be a hero you will get trouble sooner or later. And then after a 30-40 mins a little 11y old girl with a purple wig comes in and starts chopping off limbs from gun-wielding gangsters using a double-sided blade staff.

Then you realise this movie isn't about realism and all that, but just another superhero movie made to entertain you mostly, while Defendor was thought-provoking.

Which one is better, is a matter of what you like more of the two. Me, I'm more of a Defendor guy but Kick-ass was entertaining as hell too. It's just misguiding at start.

Sry for the spoiler about the 11y old btw but it won't reduce the entertainment Kick-ass is trying to give you anyway. There aren't any serious spoilers to spoil the entertainment Kickass is trying to give you in the first place.

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[–] hey_treacle 14 years ago

Defendor was not a better film. Interesting though defendor is as a film you essentially have a retarded person at the centre of the story, thats the main problem I had with Defendor, relating to defendor himself. He either wants to commit suicide, hence his wish to be shot or is straight out retarded and I lean towards the latter. That doesn't make defendor a bad film and perhaps makes it darker than Kick ass. Kick ass however had a protagonist I could relate to far more and is really a spectacle for the eyes, excellent and witty set pieces and was much more a knowing satire on the recent glut of superhero films such as spiderman. No real competition in my opinion, Kick ass had far higher aspirations than the low key defendor and was greatly entertaining whilst at the same time an intelligent witty comment on vigilantes. I'm not alone in rating Kick ass so highly by the way and I was suprised at how highly I thought of it, if in doubt check out Peter Bradshaws review in The Guardian (Uk broadsheet paper) where he gives the film five stars - he is a reviewer who is notoriously harsh and most films are given only two stars = And I bet thats what he would have given defendor.

Incidentally if you haven't seen both films don't bother to comment, you make a fool of yourself.

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[–] bestpike 14 years ago

Defendor in my opinion was a better movie as a whole. A more honest movie and what it's trying to tell you.

Kick-ass starts like another Defendor, and it seems like it trying to give you the same message, that if you try to be a hero you will get trouble sooner or later. And then after a 30-40 mins a little 11y old girl with a purple wig comes in and starts chopping off limbs from gun-wielding gangsters using a double-sided blade staff.

Then you realise this movie isn't about realism and all that, but just another superhero movie made to entertain you mostly, while Defendor was thought-provoking.

Which one is better, is a matter of what you like more of the two. Me, I'm more of a Defendor guy but Kick-ass was entertaining as hell too. It's just misguiding at start.

Sry for the spoiler about the 11y old btw but it won't reduce the entertainment Kick-ass is trying to give you anyway. There aren't any serious spoilers to spoil the entertainment Kickass is trying to give you in the first place.

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[–] McStrife 14 years ago

I think Defendor is more a drama not a comedy film.
The whole setting, the feelings and the ending of the film.
Not even an dark hero movie like "the Dark Knight" or "Watchmen"
Its getting straight so the heard and have driven tears to my eyes.

All i have seen from the kick ass movie as funny popkornstyle.
Best compared to Zombieland.

Sorry for my bad english, but i do my best.

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[–] bolicked 14 years ago

Kick Ass is better, by far. Defendor just had too many loose ends. I agree, Kick Ass turns in to the very thing it lampoons (a straight up super hero film), but at least the end isn't a cop out like in Defendor.

SPOILERS

Defendor has a more serious and dark tone and accordingly, the sugary sweet everything eventually works out for the best ending is much more out of place. Actually, in essence, Defendor also morphs into a super hero film, just as Kick Ass does, w/ Kat turning in to Lois Lane after all.

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[–] Deeders44 14 years ago

KICK-ASS is in my opinion, one of the greatest films of all time. It is full of action and humor. I would say it is more... Superbad meets Kill Bill.

Defendor was more slow moving, dark and actually depressing for me. I do love Woody Harrelson however. But I do feel that They are two completely different movies, almost so that they can not be compared to one another.

:) I can't stress enough though, if you haven't seen KICK-ASS....what are you waiting for?

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[–] robhiengler 14 years ago

"everything eventually works out for the best ending"

***SPOILERS***

Really, don't know what movie you were watching but as I recall someone actually died so not such a perfect ending, and Defendor actually failed in stopping the bad guys - the cops did that - hence the bad guys "losing".

The film wasn't so much in a parody of vigilante superheroes but making a point:

A hero is someone who does what's right; even though the consequences might be dire, even though you may not receive any accolades, even though people might not appreciate it: Heroes are those who inspire us to be better - hence the graffiti artist doing a worthwhile meaningful piece of art and Kat taking up writing, in the end that was Arthur's legacy.

The fact Arthur Poppington was used as this vehicle makes the point we all have this capability to make that difference for good in the world even the good guys society wrote off - Ellen makes the point that Arthur has been ostracized by society his entire life, Paul makes the point he was already a hero without the costume.

Anyway I felt this film didn't betray its premise and was a ripping good yarn I preferred it to Kick-ass.

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[–] Alex_Delarge2001 14 years ago

I think Defendor is a better film, it's funnier in a awkward way, kinda like david brent in the office, you actually feel sorry and unconfortable watching.
But on the other hand it's pretty sad and traggic and has a deeper message imo.

Kick Ass is a fun entertaining movie but that's it, i didn't laugh that much tbh.
Very stylish and gory in an acessible way a la kill bill but i'm not a fan of that either so... Pulp Fiction on the other hand hits the spot.

Anyway Defendor all the way, but they're pretty diferent movies.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] CrucifaxAutumn 14 years ago

Defendor rules!

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