Review: Kick-Ass

Who among us hasn’t at one point wanted to be a superhero? I mean honestly, no BS, we’ve all thought about it at one point. Whether it was because we wanted to help people, be adored, or just wear spandex without being laughed at, we have all dreamed of caped glory. Well so did Dave Lizewski a normal teenager from NYC who decides that he’s tired of being one of those people that just stands by while bad things happen. From this decision, a green wetsuit, and a pair of nightsticks Kick Ass is born. His first days don’t go too well, as a matter of fact they go about as bad as they could when he intervenes in a car theft and gets beat, stabbed, and hit by a car. Six months later he comes out of the hospital with a slight superpower, his nerve endings were so badly damaged by his injuries he can take a little more pain than usual. With this added edge he also has a fresh resolve and hits the streets again for some vigilante justice, his first outing defending a guy against a gang beating gets caught on camera and hits youtube gaining him instant celebrity. This draws the attention of Big Daddy and Hit Girl, a father daughter vigilante team that serves up brutal justice and wants Kick Ass as an ally in their fight against Frank D'Amico, a local crime boss. Eventually Kick Ass’s popularity inspires a fourth hero to join the fray in the form of Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Buildings explode, limbs are lost, and blood is spilt in gallons but is it a caped classic or a super dud?

This movie hits perfectly in every area it tries, it really does have it all; comedy, action, adventure, drama…everything! While this movie is not for everyone with its ultra violence and severely graphic language, sometimes from the mouth of a 10 year old, I think it will be loved by anyone who saw the trailer and perked up a bit. Aaron Johnson is good as Kick Ass/Dave Lizewski, he’s just the right amount of geeky awkward to make you believe that he’s out of his element in a fight but not so geeky that he couldn’t pull it off. Dave may be the title character but make no mistake the real star of the movie is Hit Girl, the 10 year old master assassin. Every single time she’s on the screen she leaves you wanting more and actually makes you believe that a little girl could be as bad ass as she is. Nic Cage is also in fine form as Big Daddy bringing his quirky persona to the table and putting it into overdrive. He really brings it when he’s in costume and adopts a superhero voice that’s like a mix of William Shatner and Adam West from the 60’s Batman TV series. The best thing about this movie I think is the reality of it, I know that sounds funny given the subject matter of the film but what I mean is the superheroes get their asses beat and have to use real weapons to take out the bad guys. All those other movies where the hero knocks a bad guy out with one punch and he stays out for hours…none of that BS here, if you want the bad guy to stay down you better use something bigger than a fist. They get this in ‘Kick Ass’ and boy do they deliver on it with Big Daddy and Hit Girl delivering a brand of hyper vigilantism that’s as bloody as it is cold. The writing is great with jokes coming every minute, a lot of the time when you don’t expect them the movie keeps it’s mainline of funny going even when you think it would be impossible too. Our heroes also find themselves facing real consequences, something you don’t typically see in action flicks, there are times in this flick that you really have no clue what’s going to happen or who’s even going to make it to the next scene. Lastly the choreography in the fight scenes is second to none; I mean some real visual treats especially in the climactic assault on the D’amico stronghold. The scene you’ve all seen of Hit Girl running acrobatically down the row firing off rounds at bad guys…well it looks twice as amazing in context.

No movie’s perfect though even if this one comes close. Kick Ass himself and the rest of his superhero community communicate with their public using MySpace, a little dated yes but that’s not my real beef. It’s just too much of what’s expected. I would’ve preferred that handled in a different way or at a bare minimum update it to Facebook or even a superhero blog would have been cool the MySpace thing was just a bit whack if you ask me. Also I really didn’t like Red Mist, and not for the reasons you may think after seeing the movie. Mintze-Plasse did a fine job and has continued his streak of not turning into an annoying one trick pony, it’s just I think the movie could’ve been helped by a different storyline for him. I also could have stood to see the superhero’s work more as a team but I guess we’ll just have to hold for KickAss 2: Kick More Ass for that to come to fruition. The only other thing you can really complain about is the saccharine ending they gave the flick as the credits roll and the hero’s make their getaway. I don’t know if it was the music, the sunset, or the fact that it was the only example of bad effects in the whole movie but it just didn’t sit right with me.

SHAZAM I said God DAMN this movie was awesome. I completely dug it end to end and it is officially the first movie I must see at least twice in the theater. A complete circle of awesome this flick delivers! Everything you could want is here…unless what you want is one of those Nicolas Sparks book adaptations…if that’s what you want than sorry for you. I’m actually really excited to see what you guys think of the movie and can’t wait to chat some more about it. Until then let me just end this by saying that Aaron Johnson should play Peter Parker in the next ‘Spiderman’ movie. “Johnson For Spidey ‘10”

5 Guttenbergs