First Full Reviews For KICK-ASS 2 Hit

Focusing on a movie's strengths can be tough for any sequel that fails to live up to the expectation and hype. Kick-Ass 2's idolisation of its predecessor merely compounds this problem. Overfamiliarity does not breed contempt here, but it does provoke disappointment. But there's still enough ingenuity and wit on show - plus Christopher Mintz-Plasse's hysterical performance - to make this a diverting, if not fulfilling trip to the cinema. [***]

Kick-Ass 2 is an extremely faithful adaptation of its namesake source comic, although it plays faster and looser with the Hit-Girl series it also draws from, and the budget doesn’t stretch to Times Square. Its main deviation is Mintz-Plasse, whose goofy PVC-clad idiot, rechristened The Mother[frick]er and now leader of evil gang The Toxic Mega[foo foo]s, is far more McLovin than Millar. While it’s clear that Carrey is intended as this film’s Cage, it might have been a concern that Kick-Ass 2 was lacking a villain of Mark Strong’s stature, but it’s a pleasant surprise that The Mother[frick]er holds his own. A more modest success than the first Kick-Ass, but still of-a-piece with its scurrilous predecessor. Nobody flies a jet-pack up a skyscraper this time, but Kick-Ass 2 still has its share of over-the-top action, and the sweary laughs are just about intact. [***]

Kick-Ass 2 is not, by any stretch of the imagination, your average superhero movie. The best thing about this movie is that is doesn't have an ego. It is so utterly self-deprecating and self-aware that it's hard not to love it. There's something about the homemade costumes, the fact that none of Justice Forever can really fight, but still win; the idea that anyone can go out and stand up to the bad guys. What makes this film a cut above similar movies is the believable, gritty reality of the characters in moments of tension, and the consequences that threaten them. Just like the first one, this film has moments of nail biting tension and moments where you also want to give Dave or Mindy a big hug. Meanwhile, in its simplicity it maintains a level of closeness with its audience that can't be had with other, more fantastical superhero movies - and that for me is Kick-Ass 2's greatest triumph. [****]

Moretz is fantastic, again, this time given a more prominent role than in the first, as we delve deeper into her personal life, while Carrey is perfect in his role too – playing it with just enough eccentricity, but not going overboard, which is always an initial worry where he is concerned. In one instance his character says, “Try to have fun, otherwise what’s the point?” and, ultimately, this is the very core of the picture. Though riddled with issues – and not quite as ingenious as the first – it makes for incredibly fun viewing, and as such ensures that it doesn’t always have to be taken at face value. [***]

There’s also a balance issue in terms of how much fun the leads have. Mintz-Plasse gets to scream and strut with his henchmen, Moretz plays out a punchy, foul-mouthed Mean Girls, but Taylor-Johnson is saddled with a Peter Parker journey that starts to drag as the film goes on. Kick-Ass 2 delivers a lot of laughs, the performances are still good, and it’s certainly ambitious. But it’s also decidedly hit and miss and the constant attempts to compensate for steering too far in one direction finally end up with it dangling over the edge like Michael Caine’s bus in The Italian Job. It doesn’t match the highs of its predecessor but, it must be said, it’s a fun ride. [***]