Blu-Ray Duo Review: Runaways and Kick Ass

Teens gone wild!! Here's our take on the Blu-Rays of two fun teen content films! We checked out The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as rebel members of the first all girl rock band and Kick Ass, the action-packed movie including teens as superheroes out of control. Here's the haps.....

From Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

The Runaways - Blu-Ray Edition

In 1975, five high energy, frustrated young teen girls formed a hot band, the first of its kind. Guitarist and songwriter Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), and lead singer Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) became best buds but the sex, drugs and rock-in-roll lifestyle; too much too fast, tore them apart. This is their story.....

Special Features: We got the Blu-Ray version and we loved the "Commentary" with Joan Jett, Kristen and Dakota. It was one of the best girl talks ever. Dakota and Kristen share plenty about developing their characters and on-set haps and the real Joan Jett keeps the movie true with tips on what really did and didn't happen.

You also learn about real life happenings that didn't make the movie etc. Way worth a listen. These women really support each other. It would have been cool to include the real Cherie Currie in the commentary but she is spoken of lovingly.

In "Plugged In: Making the Film" we get good actor interviews and fun on-set stuff. Well worth a watch especially for Kristen and Dakota fans.

"The Runaways" is a short piece with Cherie Currie, director Floria Sigismondi, and the cast and crew talking about what they did in the film and with the music etc. Short but interesting.

On the Blu-Ray you also get the BD-Live ability as well.

Wrapping Up: The positive girl-power message of becoming the first really popular all-girl band in this film is balanced by some really bad and inappropriate treatment from the girls' manager and the drugs, exhaustion and jealousy that broke up the band.

But, if you like the great rock tunes and Kristen and Dakota, who do some dynamite acting here, then the film is well worth adding to your collection and certainly worth a rental. WARNING: Like we said, the film is full of sex, drugs and rough language so make your choices accordingly.

From Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Kick Ass: Blu-Ray-DVD-Digital Combo Pack

High school teen Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a loser supreme until he gets sick of being bullied and beaten and creates the superhero Kick Ass to fight his own enemies and real-life crime. In his green wetsuit, mask and work boots, he strikes a powerful if kinda weird figure.

Finally, Kick Ass who, like Batman, has no real superpowers, is overwhelmed and beaten to a pulp. He is rescued by dad/daughter secret superhero team Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and tween Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) who are out to get the crime lord who destroyed Big Daddy's life and career.

The son of crime lord D'Amico dons his own costume and becomes Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse of Superbad) to finally get his dad's approval. Will the good guys beat the crime lord? Will Dave get the girl he wants? Is Red Mist going to join the good guys or become their greatest enemy?

Special Features: A ton! You can watch the movie in "Bonusview" mode with commentary by director Matthew Vaughn, some behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew while the film runs in another window on screen. Kinda cool but I'd say watch the movie "cold" first then do this later. The director's "Commentary" is also available to watch alone and it's very interesting, funny etc.

The Making Of featurette is "A New Kind of Superhero: The Making of Kick-Ass". It's really a bunch of featurettes covering everything from how the director met the comic book co-creator Mark Millar to how Brits were worried about Americanizing their project but ended up hiring a Brit kid (Aaron Johnson) who could do a perfect American accent. From comic to script to screen happened so fast that Millar was writing the comics as re-writes on the script were still underway.

It was interesting to learn that most studios refused to make the picture because a tween girl is kicking serious butt and cursing throughout. Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl) is shown learning stunts and doing weapons training. All the actors do interviews and Chris Mintz-Plasse reveals that he and his dad used to read comics on the toilet. Chloe tells us that she kept losing her baby teeth all through filming. Nic Cage talks about his choice of voice for Big Daddy. Fun stuff.

We learn about the fun costumes and how they sometimes matched those in the comic and other times did not. Red Mist's costume matched his cool car which was built by the guys from "Pimp My Ride" on TV, and Chris loved his crazy Rock Star hairdo. Nic Cage didn't want to look like a serial killer as Big Daddy does in the comics so a more Batman-like costume was created.

Set design, Special Effects and Make-Up as well as stunts, weapons and editing are covered. Young Chloe is especially amazing in her training sessions. Aaron mentions that he really had to try to be kinda bad at his stunts since Kick Ass wasn't as effective a fighter as Big Daddy or Hit Girl.

Another featurette "It's On! The Comic Book Origin of Kick Ass" presents more info from comic co-creator Mark Millar and the comic book artists. This fleshes out the comic's origin, characters etc. Good fun.

"The Art of Kick-Ass" gives us galleries and storyboards on several sequences. Costume art and photos are included as well as "On-Set Photography", "Production Design" plans and some cool art from John Romita Jr. from the comic. Really neat stuff to view.

A "Marketing Archive" offers promo material; trailers, ad campaigns, posters etc.

You get a DVD copy of the film that just has the film and no extras and a good
Digital Copy of the movie to stick into your computer or other portable viewing thingie. Cool.

Wrapping Up: Warning: the film has some quite brutal action and some choice cursing by young people so make your viewing selection accordingly. I really enjoyed this movie. The lead superheroes are violent, sure, but they have good reason and you root for them. Stunts and action are great, there are plenty of laughs amid the kick butt scenes and you will probably identify with at least one of the characters. If you (or your parents) can get past the rough talking and tuff action, this movie has heart and your eyes never leave the screen. Well worth a rental if not a buy.