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
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Production
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.
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Action Sequences
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.
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Comedy Factor
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