The new red-band trailer for Kick-Ass has been released (watch it below) and it is the first trailer that explicitly mentions the phrase “Real Life Superheroes.” As such, the Real Life Superhero community has to embrace for all the publicity and interest in the movement that the movie may inspire, and ask the question: how do we respond to this film?
Kick-Ass raises questions about Real Life Superheroism
Well, there are both pros and cons to this influx of publicity for the Real Life Superhero community. On the one hand, the film clearly glorifies violence and despite its premise that none of the superheroes have “powers,” the film still treats its action in a style very reminiscent of comic books. It also might give the impression that in order to be a Real Life Superhero, you need to engage in crime-fighting. Well, that’s simply not true. A superhero always fights against the biggest threat to society, and we are fortunate in that we don’t live in a world overrun by supervillains and mob bosses. Additionally, engaging in that kind of crime-fighting can become a threat to the public, as open displays of violence can often result in collateral damage.
Not so superheroic
On the other hand, Kick-Ass does seem to get some of the basics of Real Life Superheroism right- the superheroes in Kick-Ass are ordinary people tired of standing on the side-lines and sick of being indifferent to everyday injustices. They are sick of being powerless and watching the world go by without their input and they want to make a difference. This is something that all Real Life Superheroes share in common – whether they make a difference through activism, street outreach, or even crime-fighting.
Ultimately, however, we need to realize that crime-fighting is not always the best use of our superheroism, and if one does want to fight crime then they should go on organized neighborhood watch patrols and be prepared, trained, informed and VERY careful not to end up crossing the line into vigilantism. The laws regarding citizens’ arrests vary state by state and overreaching your boundaries could result in an jail time or a lawsuit. Remember – this is the real world, folks, and superheroes need to treat it as such.
So as the release date nears for Kick-Ass, we need to be very careful in the way we handle new recruits. It’s important to start them on the right path and make sure people are becoming superheroes for the right reasons – and not just to kick some ass.
Check out the trailer below:
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I would like to thank you for your article. Although I do have some super hero traits, I do not actually call myself a super hero.
I think when this movie comes out, a lot of people are going to want to get dressed up and try to become like superman overnight.
I am concerened about people who watch a super hero movie…and then without any training whatsoever….try to take on the world.
There has to be a voice of reason that says it’s ok to do this lifestyle if that is what you choose. However, you must remember that this is a “REAL LIFE” super hero you’re trying to become. Real life translates to something made for real life…not for movies or comic books.
The thing I don’t want to see is a bunch of costumed vigilanties running around getting into trouble. When I close my eyes I picture a middle age guy putting on a cape and mask, then chasing bad guys…It makes me feel just a little uncomfortable.
If a person wants to become a real life super hero,they need to find out what they can and can not do. They also need to be responsible, get training and always, ALWAYS obey the law. They must NEVER overstep their bounds.
Although I don’t call myself a super hero, I have actually been doing a lot of “Super hero type stuff” for many years now. I don’t do it for fame, I do it because it comes natural for me, I know the law,and I also have training.
[...] we’ve already wrote about how we feel about the movie , but we recognize that with the release of Kick-Ass, many more people are going to stumble upon our [...]
My question is this. Would Thomas Jefferson have been considered a super hero to the colonists and a super villain to the British?