Let Me In: A Remake Worth The Price Of Admission

In general remakes of existing films are often met with suspicion and groans. The reason being is that in some ways films that are remakes can’t catch a break. If the remake stays to close to the story and shooting style of the original people ask why a remake was needed in the first place. And if the opposite approach is taken, in which a new story is created out of the existing picture, people complain that it destroys the credibility of the original film and ruins it.

Remakes that get the most scorn however are Americanized remakes of foreign films. The reason being is that films from other countries have a certain style and flavor of their own. Often times the qualities of the original will get lost in translation when it is remade by a filmmaker from a different country. Luckily the movie Let Me In manages to pull off the impossible, in that it is able to stand on its own two feet while keeping the magic of the original film intact.

Let Me In, based on the 2008 Swedish film Let The Right One In, tells the story of young Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a lonely 12 year old boy living in 1980’s New Mexico. In addition to having an absentee father and an emotionally distant mother he is a frequent target of bullies, often being physically abused and taughtingly referred to as a girl. One day two new neighbors move into his building: a young girl named Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her guardian (Richard Jenkins). The two develop a deep friendship, often leaning on each other for support. In the meantime a string of murders hit the town, with the dead victims found drained of their blood. This is directly connected to Abby, for in actuality she is a centauries old vampire who needs blood to survive.

While Let Me In is similar to its predecessor it’s not a shot for shot remake. Rather it is another interpretation of the original source material (the first movie was based on a novel). Some changes work quite well, like Owen realizing danger more quickly in this version and the removal of a few useless secondary characters. Other changes I found myself less thrilled with. The biggest change is how Abby’s vampirism is portrayed. In the Swedish film they were very subtle in showing her vampire nature. In this movie she physically transforms into an actual monster when she feeds. The effects and CGI are over done and take away from the sympathy of the character. It’s hard enough for the audience to root for this judicial killer. Adding a bunch of effects to further show her inhumanness makes this task all the more harder.

Like the previous film the strongest aspect of this movie are the two leads. Kodi Smit-McPhee brings sympathy and understanding to his role, even when he takes a knife and imagines threatening his enemies. Chloë Grace Moretz again plays an engaging character that is both tough and vulnerable, with more emphasis put on the vulnerability this time. But as strong as their characters are individually it is the chemistry they have together that is the real magic of the movie. The essence of the overall story is the unique friendship children form, with one of those children happening to be a vampire. And both of the young actors invoke it perfectly.

While I myself am often pessimistic about remakes, I must admit I was won over by this movie. By all means go out and rent the original. But don’t let the fact that it is as remake stop you from seeing Let Me In.

Kick-Ass: An Enjoyable Fun Ride

While it seems almost nauseating to write the following pun, I feel there’s no way around it. Kick-Ass kicked ass, pure and simple. This modern interpretation on super heroes and heroics was a delight from start to finish. It’s both over the top entertainment and an interesting look at what exactly it means to be a hero.

The film’s protagonist is high schooler Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson); a self proclaimed average guy who has a deep love for comics and super heroes and has always wondered why no one has ever become a superhero in real life. After seeing a bystander doing nothing to help him while being mugged his patience reaches the breaking point. He buys a green wet suit from EBay and christens himself the superhero Kick-Ass, despite having no powers or training.

Right away we start to understand why more people don’t become real life superheroes; it’s dangerous. On his first attempt to be a hero Dave is stabbed by a carjacker and then hit by a car. His accident gives him superpowers in a rudimentary sense (his bones are held together by medal plates and nerve damage increases his tolerance for pain) and after he is healed he goes right back out on the street. On his second venture out he manages to stop a man from being beaten by three gang members. His actions are recorded by bystanders and posted on you-tube. This causes Kick-Ass to become an on-line sensation, with thousands of people contacting the night stick wielding superhero via MySpace for help.

As it turns out Kick-Ass isn’t the only superhero who’s been fighting crime. Damon Macready (Nicolas Cage), aka Big Daddy, has been working for years to eliminate crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) ever since Frank framed Damon for possession and caused his wife to commit suicide. Along with his 11 year old daughter Mindy (Chloë Grace Moretz), aka Hit-Girl, the two have been violently killing D’Amico’s crew and business associates along with stealing his drug money. The heroes cross paths one night after Hit-Girl and Big Daddy save Kick-Ass from being killed by rival drug dealers. They tell Kick-Ass they are on the same side and leave him instructions on how to contact them.

Meanwhile, D’Amico believes Kick-Ass is responsible for the deaths of his men and gives orders to have him hunted down and killed. But his son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), wanting to please his father and be involved in his life, proposes a different plan. He will pose as a new superhero and gain Kick-Ass’s trust, then lead him to D’Amico. Chris creates the identity Red Mist and pretends to perform acts of heroism. His plan works as Kick-Ass accepts his invitation to meet. But before Red Mist can deliver him to his father the warehouse D’Amico owns is burned down by Big Daddy, with everyone who was inside dead. This act sets off a chain of events that will change the lives of all four of our costumed fighters forever.

This movie is enjoyable from start to finish. It moves at a fast pace while giving plenty of time to develop the characters, both heroes and villains. Yes it is extremely violent, but it’s mostly done in a very over the top and sickly humorous way. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who chuckled when a drug dealer’s head explodes in the oversized microwave. Sure it was gruesome, but the way it was set up made it funny as hell.

As for the actors I really dug all of their performances. Aaron Johnson really brought out the determination of the character, making us root for him as he started his journey. Even when he pretends to be gay in order to hang out with his high school crush Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca) you don’t fault him for his actions. But later once he realizes he’s gotten way over his head he makes you feel for him as he is steeped in misery. This was especially true after he returns home after being saved by Big Daddy and Hit-Girl and lies on his bed terrified as he realizes he’s asked for more then he ever bargained for.

Nicolas Cage does a fine job at taking a possibly appalling character and making him likable. He goes around talking like a soft spoken Mr. Rogers, except what comes out of his mouth is battle tactics and fighting strategies. Although he has essentially brainwashed his daughter into become a living weapon he loves her more then anything and in his own way has raised her the best way he sees fit. Their relationship is the true emotional crutch of the picture, and a nice counterpoint to the relationship between the two D’Amicos. Both Mark Strong and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are very good as the villains of the piece. Mark Strong brings real creepiness to the role with just the right amount of increasing instability. And Mintz-Plasse nicely showcases awkward vulnerability with simmering anger in his role.

But the true standout of the cast is Chloë Grace Moretz as the ultra violent Hit-Girl. Displaying a maturity well beyond her young years she captivates you into rooting for her no matter how ghastly her actions are. While the novelty of her character is the fact that she slices bad guys to ribbing and curses like a sailor with coprolalia she really showcases a true depth of vulnerability not always seen with child actors. At the same time this is balanced with moments that remind the audience that Hit-Girl is still a child and does act like one, although in fairly unconventional ways. One moment that truly showcases this is when she gets a pair of balisong knives for her birthday and continually asks her dad to watch her use them while he is busy working. Although she is using a weapon the scene plays just like a kid asking a parent to watch them perform a dance move while they are busy on the phone.

Kick-Ass has drawn a lot of criticism for its violent content, claiming that is glorifies violence. But I didn’t get that impression. If anything it realistically shows what would happen if someone did try to become a superhero in real life. When Kick-Ass gets hurt he doesn’t just get up and shrug it off. He yells out in pain and actually bleeds blood. This is way more realistic then many superhero movies when the hero can take punishment and doesn’t react to it until well after the fight is over.

Though by far most of the criticism has been directed towards Hit-Girl, and how it is appalling that an 11 year old would be made to curse and kill people on screen. Though if you’ll notice there was far more criticism over her swearing then her violently killing people. Once again, while people will admit violence is a problem, it takes a back seat to another agenda. First of all Hit-Girl is meant to be over the top. Her character is an exaggeration on steroids. Second, the fact remains that the character Hit-Girl and the actress Chloë Grace Moretz are two separate people. As the actress has stated in interviews she doesn’t go around swearing up a storm in real life. She fully understands that this is a character she is playing, not herself. It should also be mentioned that the film does address that it is wrong to put children in these situations. In one scene an old friend of Damon’s confronts him about how he’s basically brainwashed his daughter for his own purpose of revenge, declaring “You own Mindy a childhood.” The fact that the film itself is even saying that kids should be kids shows that this isn’t real life but fantasy entertainment.

In short, Kick-Ass is a delight that should be seen. It’s a thrilling combination of on-the-top action, depthful emotion, memorable characters, and wicked humor. Don’t miss this fun fanboypalooza.