Kick-Ass 2 has received a lot of hate since it was released and lately I've been meaning to write an article about why I think it is underrated. After reading yonny616's article on why he thinks Man of Steel is underrated, I decided that the time has come for me to do so.
Here I will share some common complaints people have and will explain why they don't bother me.
Complaint 1. Katie's character:
A lot of people had a problem with this scene, saying that it was handled very poorly. Katie sees Dave talking to Mindy and assumes that they had something going on. This pisses Katie off and breaks up with Dave, never to be seen again. I myself thought this was handled poorly at first, although it never bothered me too much.
Why it didn't bother me:
Like I said, it didn't bother me too much. I realize that this scene was made to get the Dave and Katie relationship out of the way and give space for the Dave and Mindy relationship. And if you really want to look in depth, these movies are supposed to be grounded in real life, with realistic characters, and if your girlfriend witnessed the same conversation between Mindy and Dave, she would probably act the same way.
Complaint 2. Mindy and the Sick Stick:
Another complaint people have is the Sick Stick scene. When Mindy goes to get her revenge on the mean girls, she uses the "Sick Stick", which makes them vomit and crap all over the place. People complain that it's too cartoony for a movie like this.
Why it didn't bother me:
I also had a problem with this scene like a lot of other people, but I quickly got used to it. I realized that this is the kind of thing Hit Girl would do. And although it could have been done better, I am fine with what they did, and how it shows Hit Girl's craziness as a character.
Complaint 3. Lazy Script:
After the first one, a lot of people thought this movie was weak in comparison, mainly because of the script. People say that a lot of the scenes, especially the dramatic scenes, weren't handled very well. Now this is the complaint that I didn't quite understand.
Why it didn't bother me:
I actually enjoyed this script quite a bit. I thought the dialogue was pretty good and most of the things the characters dealt with throughout the film were necessary for a sequel like this, like Dave's dad's death for example. In the first movie Dave said that he really had no other reason to be a superhero other than because he wanted to. When his dad dies, Dave contemplates if this world is really meant to have superheroes, and in the end decides that because his dad died, he has a reason to be a hero. I know all these things happened in the comics, but I think Jeff Wadlow did a great job at translating them to the big screen.
Complaint 4. Union J:
This complaint is probably the most common. People say that this scene where the girls watch the boy band video was there for product placement and had no place in the film. This is the only big complaint that I agree with. It really didn't do much for me. I've gotten used to it after watching it several times, but I really don't think it was necessary.
There are also a lot of things great about this movie that I think a lot of people overlooked.
1. The Score:
Like the first one, I think the score for this movie was phenominal. Matthew Margeson and Henry Jackman made a score that is powerful and effective, both borrowing from the first film and conducting their own Bad
-Ass tunes. It's something I listen to almost everyday.
2. The Action Scenes:
Now I'm not a huge fan of shaky cam action, but it didn't bother me here and I think it was used well. It gave the movie a more grounded feel than the first one which is what these movies really have going for them. I think Jeff Wadlow did a great job with these action scenes, especially the fight between Justice Forever and the gangsters near the middle of the film.
3. Pure Entertainment value:
Now this movie is not as good as the first one, it is definitely flawed, but to me it still entertaining as hell, and maybe even more entertaining than the first. To me it's a lot easier to get through, even though the first is also easy to get through, and is a lot more fast paced. If nothing else, this movie is a great time.
So these are my thoughts on Kick-Ass 2. I thought it was extremely underrated and doesn't get enough credit. I'm sure some of you have more things to add, good or bad, so be sure to leave comments below.