MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Dark Comedy Superhero/Stars: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Sophie Wu, Omari Hardwick, Stu Riley, Michael Rispoli, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng, Xander Berkeley, Kofi Natei, Corey Johnson, Adrian Martinez, Katrena Rochell, Tim Plester, Omar Soriano, Garrett M. Brown, Elizabeth McGovern, Yancy Butler, Deborah Twiss, Craig Ferguson/Runtime: 117 minutes
I think it is a reasonably safe statement to make dear reader that, when taking into account the land of movie magic’s ever-rising addiction to finding and bringing to life comic book characters of all sorts to give them an edge during the summer blockbuster season, it doesn’t really surprise me all that much to see some of the studios decide to start making franchises around characters that are, by and large, not all that known to the general movie-going public. This is because when you try to transition a character in the vein of Batman or Spider-Man to name but a couple of the more noteworthy examples there is always a significant balancing act which must be pulled off. That being not only do you need to remain loyal to what fans have long loved about the character and their various adventures on the printed page, but you must also be able to give audiences a narrative that feels quite distinct as well. Perhaps this is why for every Dark Knight Trilogy or Batman from 1989 there’s also a Batman & Robin in the wings waiting without mercy to remind you (and your sanity) of its existence. With that in mind, I think what makes the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today in the shape and form of 2010’s Kick Ass has to do less with the roster of characters at its core and more to do with its general conception. What I mean is that, by being conjured up at the same time as the comic book it is an adaptation of, this slice of cinema is able to permit its helmer, one Matthew Vaughn, the chance to sculpt something that might not be entirely faithful to the written word, but works brilliantly as a comic book movie that we as movie goers can just sit back and enjoy on its own merits all the same. Suffice it to say that as long as you are the kind of individual who is ok with doing and with the fact that this is an R-rated cinematic superhero venture for no less than strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity, and some drug use-some involving children then I have not a single doubt in my mind that you will both enter and exit this slice of cinema with one of the biggest smiles a movie in this vein could give you. Indeed it most assuredly is not a film for everyone, but for those of you who are all for this kind of take on the traditional superhero mythos there is no denying that Kick-Ass, with fantastic work on both sides of the camera, manages to live up to its name and be a….well kick ass time to be had with a movie from beginning to end.
The plot is as follows: Kick-Ass gets its intriguing story underway by taking us to Staten Island, New York and introducing us to a young man by the name of Dave Lizewski. A young man who, among other attributes, is a guy who clearly is who the people making the dictionary were thinking of when they came up with the phrases “social outcast” and “aimless wanderer” respectively. Yet, as our story gets underway, we see that this intrepid young man is tired of erratically going through most of his time in high school and is now willing to actually engage in an action that will either prove to be impactful, get him killed, or both. This action, we are quick to learn, is to become a genuine real-life superhero. To that end, we see as Dave begins a search on that infamous tool known as the Internet for something that he can pass off as a superhero costume and, upon purchasing a green scuba suit/mask of sorts, gets his own, arguably laughable, campaign for justice underway. Yet, despite the fact that his first brush with the criminal element getting him the chance to be a visitor in the hospital’s critical care section, we see that Dave is undeterred by this and endeavors to continue in his new crusade. As a result, we see that upon recovering, he is back out on the street trying to help anybody that he possibly can. Yet it is only when a video is uploaded online of Dave’s superhero alter-ego named, get this, Kick-Ass managing to save a man from a vicious gang attack that we see things begin to change. This is because it is this event which inadvertently brings Dave into contact with a father/daughter dynamic duo named Big Daddy and Hit-Girl respectively. A duo incidentally that have also been engaging in their own superheroic shenanigans in an effort to try and take down a noteworthy and quite ruthless crime boss by the name of Frank D’Amico. To say that Mr. D’Amico takes the emergence of these new-found superheroes as just simply an irritant to his operations might very well be the understatement of the year. Rather, I think it is more appropriate to say that this man, with the aid of his more than slightly dweeby son Chris, would love nothing more than to see all three, our hero included, of these masked vigilantes as far removed from this life as humanely possible. Thus can our hero, with the aid of his new-found comrades, live up to his name sake and save the day or is this one story that where a happy ending just simply isn’t in the cards? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader……
Now, despite operating as an adaptation of an 8-issue comic that was a product of a team-up between comic book companies Marvel and Icon, the cinematic adaptation of Kick Ass is definitely to be commended for not only how true it manages to stay to its source material (yes there are some things that are changed up in the transition between mediums, but that’s ok all things considered), but also in how showcases a love, respect, and admiration for the comic book genre of movie magic that is very much genuine. As a result, not only do we get the word “Meanwhile” written on the top of the screen, but we also are given comic panels for leaps forward in exposition and even moments that are showcased in a comic format. Now even though the world of this film is one that is delightfully similar to our own in many respects (the fact that the heroes make contact with each other on MySpace of all things notwithstanding), there is one thing that definitely needs to be addressed. That being that this slice of cinema is one that takes great delight in being as exaggeratedly visceral and brutal without ever once giving off the vibe of being too absurd. Indeed they might not be our titular hero’s preferred way to dispatch with his foes, but for the other heroes (and even the villain of the piece) it is not all that uncommon to see them or their hench people dispatch others in such a way that even the Punisher would be smiling with approval including a scene featuring a guy in an industrial microwave that definitely has me feeling a lot more empathetic towards what a bag of popcorn goes through at the moment. Yet for all the visceral blood and guts being spilt, including that which is done by Hit Girl, there is also a genuine bit of either comedy or social commentary to be found which helps keep things on an even keel. Indeed perhaps the most intriguing element of commentary that is put on display here is the relationship Big Daddy has with his daughter Hit Girl when they aren’t in costume. By that I mean it’s clear that he loves and cares about her very much, but the things he has taught his daughter are very much eye-brow raising thus making this parent/child relationship one of the more unexpectedly chuckle-worthy yet also oddly heartwarming bonds between a father and daughter I have seen in some time. Ultimately, though perhaps the most noteworthy achievement pulled off by the time behind the camera is their brilliant way of leaving you in a darn-near constant state of anticipation. Indeed, right from the word go, we are treated to a manner of things that would 99.8% of the time wind up on the cutting room floor including both a guy getting stabbed and subsequently hit by a car and a little girl getting shot by her dad to test out the armor she is wearing. As a result, we see that this brilliantly not only establishes that there are no limits in this film, but it also brilliantly makes you curious as to how in the world the rest of the film is going to play out. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in top-tier work from both the music and editing departments it’s clear that the team behind the camera manage to do some truly, for lack of a better word, heroic work themselves.
Of course, the other big component that can make or break a slice of cinema like this would have to be the performances given in front of the camera. Thankfully, in that regard that is one issue that this film doesn’t have to concern itself with as the work done by the cast here really is pretty darn special. This starts with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role and honestly he’s not too bad here both in showcasing his character’s inherent charm and likability, but also in his evolution from this well-meaning yet slightly dweeby guy to someone who, by film’s end, is actually a fairly confident and skilled hero. Of course, it was also a joy seeing Nicolas Cage, who at the time felt like maybe he had finally started the “phoning-in” phase of his career, have a movie where once again he could bring his distinct form of acting madness to play. Indeed perhaps it was, be it the moment where he takes on a warehouse of punks in such a way that will remind those in the know of a similar scene from 2003’s Oldboy or in how his vocals as Big Daddy seem like he is poking fun at how Adam West approached the character of Batman (though in all fairness that is just as much achieved by the costume they have Cage in as anything), the fact that it really did seem like Cage was getting the opportunity to just sit back and have fun with a part once more. Or maybe just maybe it was the fact that right from his very first scene where we see him rockin’ a moustache that would have gotten him free cover for life at any of the bars found in 1980’s Cruising and shooting his 11-year-old daughter in the chest before then promptly taking her out for ice cream, that what we were seeing unfold for us on screen was the lively and no holds barred Cage from such films as Face/Off. Out of everyone in the cast however, there is one performer who is most assuredly the MVP of this film and that would undoubtedly have to be Chloe Grace Moretz in the role of Hit Girl. Indeed imagine if the character of Mathilda from 1994’s The Professional had actually been able to persuade Jean Reno to teach her to be a stone-cold killer, mix that with a bit of Uma Thurman’s Bride character from Kill Bill, and the blend that you just came up with I assure you proves to be a genuinely great foundation for a truly remarkable character. Suffice it to say that yes there will be those of you who take issue with both the visceral actions and more than slightly filthy vocabulary that Moretz is working with here. As for everyone else though, I can safely say that there will be no denying that Moretz manages to give a performance here that is just plain riveting and electrifying to such an extent that don’t be surprised if you find yourself desperately wanting to see a spin-off film that decides to place its focus squarely on just this character to say nothing of her viscerally engaging crime fighting shenanigans. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in a really good performance from Christopher Mintz-Plasse (even it seems like more often than not he is just playing a more antagonistical extension of McLovin’ from 2007’s Superbad), a wonderfully menacing turn here from Mark Strong who has become quite the go-to guy for antagonist roles in this vein as well as fantastic efforts from such talent as Michael Rispoli, Jason Flemying, Xander Berkeley, Corey Johnson, Yancy Butler, Omari Hardwick, Clark Duke, and Evan Peters to name but a few of the other talented individuals who pop up in this it’s clear to me that this slice of cinema may have some kryptonite weighing it down, but it’s not located amongst the talented collection of players assembled in front of the camera.
All in all is the 2010 superhero slice of cinema Kick Ass a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination? As funny as that is to even write, I am also honor-bound to say that sadly is definitely not the case. On the other hand, does that mean that this is a bonafide bad movie that is void of any watchability and/or merit whatsoever? Absolutely not. To be sure, this slice of cinema is one that most assuredly is not going to be every single viewer out there’s particular cup of tea especially in regards to the more visceral content on display and the fact that the aforementioned content plus a fairly steady stream of profanities is being uttered and executed by, among the cast of characters, a girl who was only 12 years old at the time. Suffice it to say that for some that might be just a bit too much and honestly that’s ok. After all, not every movie out there is truly for everyone. If however that fact I previously mentioned is not something that really makes you think twice about giving this film a shot or you’re just the kind of person who, like me, isn’t fazed by a lot of what you see in movies nowadays then I promise that you will find more than a fair bit to enjoy here. Suffice it to say that it might have its issues here and there, but with potent and skilled work being done behind the camera and a collection of lively yet also very much aware of exactly the kind of film they are making performances from a gifted cast of players in front of the camera I think it can safely be said that Kick-Ass is a taut, visceral, darkly comedic, and just plain cool entry in the superhero genre of movie magic unlike any other. In fact I guess you could argue, and rightfully so, that this is one superhero movie that definitely lives up to its title and kicks some serious….well you get the gist. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Kick-Ass “2010” a solid 4 out of 5.
