Controversy follows Kick-Ass.. both the movie and the comic in some ways. Some feel Mark Millar's "real world" take on the super hero mythos is over rated, juvenile, and extreme for the sake of it. That is true from a certain point of view, but the thing is, its also very good. The film fell under similar scrutiny but also raised the ire of "concerned" parent groups, outraged at the portrayal of kids and teenagers as violent, foul mouthed killers. Again, could be a point..if the movie was aimed at kids. But it isn't, and, its [frick]ing brilliant!
All of the clips and trailers may have been over kill, but if you think you have seen all of the best bits think again. The plot is fairly straightforward. In a part parody, part homage..lets call it a paramage, the film follows the established superhero origin story pretty much to the letter. Think Spider-Man 1 with the F word thrown in. Dave Lizewski is your average teen that gets the idea to suit himself up as a costumed vigilante. The problem is, he has no super powers, and even at that he's about as useful in a fight as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest(pun intended). But after a fateful encounter with some thugs, a knife, and a car, he winds up with a few metal plated bones and severed nerve endings which make him great at.. getting the shit beat out of him and not feeling it, which really comes in handy. He becomes an internet sensation thanks to some footage taken on a witness to his exploits phone. He finds his life taking a turn for the better as after his accident, his school crush Katie finally notices him, although only for the reason that she believes he is gay, which he goes along with. As this is happening we are introduced to Big Daddy and his daughter, Hit Girl, two highly trained and very capable REAL costumed vigilantes. They see potential in Kick Ass and take an interest. Unfortunately so does crime boss Frank D'Amico who believes that Big Daddy and Hit Girl's constant thwarting of his criminal activities are the work of Kick-Ass. Another costumed hero called Red Mist also enters the fray, inspired by Kick-Ass's antics. The film then switches gears as Lizewski realizes that playing super hero has dangerous consequences.
Kick-Ass has been hailed as another game changer in the CBM genre. And cited as another milestone in the way that The Dark Knight is seen to have been. In one way its true. This is certainly a first for a CBM. We have had dark, intelligent, adult films, but this is all of those things(maybe not exactly intelligent!) while retaining the sense of fun at the same time. Its tone really reminded me of of Quentin Taratino's Kill Bill in a way, theres even a cool mid point animated sequence. Performance wise Chloe Moretz is the stand out as Hit Girl. Yes everyone says the same but its a fact. Nicholas Cage is also up there as Big Daddy, although anyone not getting his Adam West impersonation when he's in costume may be a bit put off! Christopher Mintz-Plasse erases any echo of McLovin from Superbad for the most part, although he may be slightly miscast as the edgy Red Mist. Mark Strong is great as the ultimate bastard gangster, his turn as Sinestro in Green Lantern should be something to see. Surprisingly the weak link is actually Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass. When I say that I don't mean to suggest that he's bad in any way, he is very good in the lead role, but at times he just doesn't seem as convincing as his co-stars. Which brings me to the movies failings. Mathew Vaughan is pushing this as a real world superhero movie..in that, what would happen if people really suited up and went about fighting crime. Look elsewhere. This is as over the top and unbelievable as any CBM even without the super powers. Thats not a bad thing necessarily, like I said, think Kill Bill with costumes. For most of the running time it perfectly mixes comedy, action and in some cases real drama, but at the end a couple of scenes just push the sense of believability in whats happening a little too far and it kind of takes you out of the film a bit. Thats really its only downside, and some may not even see it like that. Its a hilarious, blood soaked, literally insane movie with a fantastic soundtrack and Its about as entertaining as anything that has hit screens since Avatar.
At the end of the day Kick-Ass really does kick ass(c'mon, I lasted the whole review!)
