kick ass 2 opening analysis

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Kick Ass 2 Opening Analysis Kick ass 2 is the follow up sequel to the classic kick ass 1 and continues the depiction of the main characters (Dave and Mindy Macready) through there adventure as modern day super hero’s. The opening scene of kick ass begins with an establishing shot, which clearly shows that the movie is set in New York. The very wide shot allows the audience to see where the action will take place and provides a scenic overview that trails across the scene. The camera has a gradual zoom element to highlight the impact of the iconic buildings of new york where the film later takes place in, for example the Empire state building can be seen in the far distance of the shot which indicates a scene that will occur later in the film. There is a pre-lap into the next scene as the dialogue can be heard initially over the opening before the characters are in shot. The pre-lap shows a contrast between the two scenes from a vast and busy city to the voice of the character saying, “A handgun bullet travels at 700mph” this provides an ironic impact upon the intro to the film. The sound of the initial bullet is sharp and moderately quiet but then the change of gun produces a louder

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Page 1: Kick ass 2 opening analysis

Kick Ass 2 Opening Analysis

Kick ass 2 is the follow up sequel to the classic kick ass 1 and continues the depiction of the main characters (Dave and Mindy Macready) through there adventure as modern day super hero’s.

The opening scene of kick ass begins with an establishing shot, which clearly shows that the movie is set in New York. The very wide shot allows the audience to see where the action will take place and provides a scenic overview that trails across the scene. The camera has a gradual zoom element to highlight the impact of the iconic buildings of new york where the film later takes place in, for example the Empire state building can be seen in the far distance of the shot which indicates a scene that will occur later in the film. There is a pre-lap into the next scene as the

dialogue can be heard initially over the opening before the characters are in shot. The pre-lap shows a contrast between the two scenes from a vast and busy city to the voice of the character saying, “A

handgun bullet travels at 700mph” this provides an ironic impact upon the intro to the film. The sound of the initial bullet is sharp and moderately quiet but then the change of gun produces a louder and more violent blast indicating a potential change in plot will occur later on throughout the film. The cut in close up shot of the bag on the floor takes us straight into the scene and action of what is about to unfold. The Mise-en-scene used consists of the prop of the pink backpack, which shows a colour connotation to the typical female stereotype of being a down to earth girly girl. Then the sudden revelation of a gun conflicts the stereotype and creates a sense of danger or threat from the character. This shot if extremely effective to highlight the characteristics of the character and portray that she is not to be judged by her appearance but that she is actually conflicting her gender stereotype in a strong way and coming across as a confident character. The camera tilts from low to high upon the second

Page 2: Kick ass 2 opening analysis

character in the scene Dave, the low to high tilt indicates that he is a less confident and more sheltered character but as it moves on it becomes more apparent he is a vital character to the scene and after reviling the other character has a weapon there is a sense of impending danger towards Dave. The vulnerability of the character is also portrayed through the Mise-en-scene in his costume, dressed in casual attire wearing glasses suggests he has a higher intelligence and is not just an average civilian. The character is framed to the left of the scene to show the background is empty and filled with nothing but rocks this could indicate the character is insignificant or just misunderstood in society and it would be a possible explanation for his change from a normal (insignificant) person to a super hero. The following shot is an establishing shot, which portrays both characters into the setting of the film. The characters are almost

shown as only a small part of the story as the immersive focus in the shot is on the skyline of the city to highlight that the destination of the film will lead the characters into the city. The characters are at a significant distance from the city suggesting they may be distant from society and to justify their way of life they have to adapt to give themselves meaning and reason. The next scene

follows over to a school through a revelation from being concealed behind a bus to opening up into a busy area suggesting that they may currently be confined in society and out casted but their future will be more successful and they will find there purpose. The text used is a connotation of a typical comic book style font that is used to highlight the genre and style of the film. The following shot impacts greatly upon the characters and shows Mindy stood in front of the school alone and as the others in the area fade out it emphasises how lonely and isolated she is and how to feel important she needs to commit to changing her persona.

Page 3: Kick ass 2 opening analysis