Kick Ass

Synopsis: A teen reinvents himself as a superhero, despite his lack of powers.

Release Date: April 16, 2010     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Action,

Film Review

If you combined a slightly crude, coming of age comedy and a gory, action-packed blockbuster, put it in a blender and poured it into a new film, you would get Kick-Ass. This compilation of the two genres makes for a slightly jarring viewing experience because it constantly refutes your expectations. Based on the popular graphic novel by the same name, Kick-Ass is a fun, in your face, action ridden comedy that dares you to get out there and do something. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), our anti-hero was just a regular teenage boy who liked doing regular teenage boy things which included, but was not limited to, reading comics. His interest in these comics birthed in him a desire to become a real life “super” hero. His cool superhero name? Kick-Ass. His mission? To bring down disturbers of the peace, to stand up for the voiceless and to have more friends on MySpace. Although Dave’s initial intention was simply to be a metaphor for society to take action in the name of justice, he unintentionally finds enemies in high places. That’s when two other masked characters Big Daddy, a mustached Nicholas Cage, and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) pop in to save Kick-Ass’s ass. This father-daughter combo could not be more hilarious or bad-ass. In addition, the film finds a way to incorporate new media through its employment of YouTube videos, website hits and social networking and this allows it to stay very current. “Kick-Ass” had a number of original ideas at its start but unfortunately, it reverts back into a more generic revenge epic rather than focusing on the symbolic and metaphorical aspects of being a super hero which gave the film spunk. Also, there were too many pseudo-climactic moments in the film which kept the arc of the story from being very clear and made it tiring to watch.

The fighting sequences were fantastically entertaining and visually excessive. It features high-gloss, full throttle action with a slapstick comedy twist that keeps things interesting for the audience. None of the superheroes were as fun to watch as Hit Girl; she was skilled, fearless, and a force to be reckoned with. As an actress, Chloe Moretz exhibits maturity and confidence beyond her years as she struts around spewing crude jokes and killing bad guys like a pro.

There were definitely some funny moments in the film but because of issues with pacing, many of the jokes and characters fell flat. Red Mist, Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s character, seemed redundant and annoying. Dave Lizewski’s two best friends had some good lines but did not deliver them solidly and therefore became place-holding characters that simply did not stand out.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): Matthew VaughnDavid ReidKris Thykier
• Producer(s): Matthew VaughnNicolas Cage (Damon Mcready)
• Screenwriter(s): Mark Strong (Frank D’Amico)Chloe Moretz (Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl)
• Story: 
• Cast:  Eddie HamiltonJon HarrisBen DavisRusell De Rozario
• Editor(s): Sammy Sheldon
• Cinematographer: Ilan EshkeriDouble Negative
• Production Designer(s):
• Costume Designer: 
• Casting Director(s): Lip Sync PostFB-FX
• Music Score: Ghost VFX
• Music Performed By: The Senate Visual Effects
• Country Of Origin: USAUK