Kick-Ass Reviews

Kick-Ass is, for sure, a fine homage to super heroes. Besides entering on a cliche universe, however peculiar, from the characters (special abilities, graphic violence, good humor, and really versus evilness), the film brings a curious narrative which accosts the contrast between existentialism and the consequences of being a 'demigod'. The production, inspired in the graphic novel by John Romita Jr. and Mark Millar, is really well directed by the Britain and the debutant Matthew Vaughn. Apart from the cool balconies of metalanguage and creativity in conducting cameras, Vaughn brings a clever script that prints a breathtaking pace balancing drama, action (with inventive scenes and quality) and comedy in good measure. Telling more details about the heroes in "Kick-Ass" would be such a immorality. The amazing true story about the 'alter egos' work as well as the stories of famous 'vigilantes' on crime. Kick it Hit-Girl!

Excellent superhero/non-hero movie, with the protagonist falling into the role accidentally. The film does some excellent playing with the genre's typical elements of hero formation story (one typical and the other wanabe typcial), arch enemy (one has one the other doesn't and does't want one), family ties, romance. The real hero is the unlikely one (also typical, but it is taken here to the extreme in the form of Hit-Girl." Other differences with standard superhero films are some really genuine, strong humor - not as forced as it feels in others, and a roster of characters all of whom are likable, even the bad guys. Well, maybe the really bad guy isn't likable, but he is at least engaging, and not replusive like some of the monster bad guys in other flicks. Great acting all around, particularly for Hit-Girl - really tough, seriously violent role that she pulls of swimmingly for her age.

Kick-Ass lives up to its title every possible way. I was worried when I saw Nicolas Cage, I was like oh great he's in this movie I hope he doesn't ruin the movie, I was extremely surprised however at what a great job he does in this movie. The biggest thing that blew me away though, was the perfect blend of comedy, action, and drama. As you know this is very hard to pull off in a movie like this, usually with a movie like this either the movie is strong in one thing but is weak in another but Kick-Ass manages to nail it. The funny thing about this movie is that even though it's called Kick-Ass I found Kick-Ass to be the least interesting character. The real star is Hit Girl played by Chloe Moretz. She is one talented actress for sure she did an amazing job as Hit Girl. Don't worry though the rest of the cast was great to but she really stands out. Everything else about the movie is enjoyable the action is wonderful especially when Big Daddy or Hit Girl is in the scene, the dialogue was good, the pacing was nice and the story was great.

Kick-Ass is so much fun. Just the title cracks me up! Still, even so, I don't think it is a masterpiece. Indeed, Hit-Girl didn't really work for me. Not that I was shocked or anything but what I loved in this movie is that the main character was a loser without super power. Indeed, I really loved this concept but then came Hit-Girl fighting just like a super hero... Anyway, when it was released, this movie rapidly reached a cult status. However, since then, viewers have been criticizing it and even the late Roger Ebert actually despised it. Personally, the more I thought about it, the more I started to think that it might not be that good actually so it was definitely time for a re-match. Fortunately, it was still pretty awesome. Indeed, the first half is just great. When they focused on this average teenager who tries to be a super-hero, the whole thing was just hilarious and the realistic approach was great. The directing was also awesome and the cast was just great (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Still, its flaws were even though more obvious the 2nd time around. Again, I really hard a hard time with Hit Girl. Not to blame Moretz who gave a tremendous performance at such a young age but I failed to see how it was 'cool' to see a 12 year old girl shooting a whole bunch of guys. Eventually, she even gets beat up which was quite inevitable and also pretty discomforting. Furthermore, like I said before, the way she completely whacks everyone makes her look totally unbelievable and completely contradicted the realistic approach they chose. Still, even though it might not be as 'awesome' as many seem to think, it still remain a very well made, original and intriguing super-hero flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

A really cool film with some action and really really good action and pulp scenes in it. I loved the film especially from the middle on to the end.

The delightfully bold and infinitely ingenious KICK-ASS is one heck of a brilliant entry to the superhero genre. I have doubts as to whether to even lump it into that category, because the truth is that this film is what you might call a quasi-satire of the superhero movie, with the exception that it really celebrates the genre more than anything else, while subtly and brilliantly taking jabs at its cliches and conventions. The fact that this film's title doesn't end with the word "Movie" was enough of a sign to know that we were safe from having to endure yet another one of those extra-lame parodies, but what I wasn't prepared for was the incredibly fun, well-crafted and intelligent cinematic experience that is KICK-ASS. In fact, this is one of those instances in which I can say that the title couldn't possibly do a better job at describing the film's quality.

We know we're in for something memorable from the get-go. The film refuses to have its protagonist, Dave (Aaron Johnson), simply fit into a high school stereotype. For this type of film, the easy route would've been for Dave to be your standard geek, but he isn't: "I'm just a normal guy. I just exist." It's a great way of getting the average person to connect with him immediately and become engrossed in the film.

The movie's first 20 minutes features lines like "I'm making deposits in the whack-off warehouse" and "Have you guys ever seen One Night in Spider-Man?" If that were it, KICK-ASS would hardly earn its name, but what comes later is a combination of thoroughly exciting, expertly crafted, and yes, ultra-violent action sequences. Aside from how well-staged these are, one of the most impressive things about the film in general is that it's got a fantastic soundtrack that helps liven up even some of the slower scenes. Whether it's because of the music, the witty dialogue or the nimble fight sequences, there's not a dull instance to be found in the entire running time.

For comic book fans, there's a fantastic sequence in which, in a matter of seconds, the film gives us the background on one of its secondary characters by literally showing us pages from a comic book. It's one of those things you just have to see to understand how well it works. Similarly, for those of us who are straight-up movie fans, there's a brilliantly-scripted instance in which our narrator warns the audience not to reassure themselves that this will all have a happy ending, and in doing so, mentions the likes of AMERICAN BEAUTY, SIN CITY and SUNSET BOULEVARD as perfectly fitting examples of the point he's making. It made me feel so grateful that there are still smart screenwriters out there.

Last year, the child actress Chloe Moretz played Tom's precocious little sister in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, mostly showing up in scenes spewing dialogue that sounded a bit too intelligent and experienced for someone her age. Moretz plays, um, a different kind of "precocious" in KICK-ASS, but then again, if you've been following movie news, you know all about people's objections to the super violent scenes involving her character Hit Girl, an 11-year-old girl who bloodily dispatches bad guys with tremendous ease. The boring prudes who are outraged by this are failing to give the film praise for having the balls to show a character that age engaging in this sort of behavior, yet more importantly, they're failing to note that the violence in KICK-ASS isn't violence for the sake of violence. You'd have to be blind not to note the commentary that the film is making on the YouTube generation here: consider the sequence in which a torture/execution-style event is being shown on a news broadcast on TV, yet it is interrupted because of the overly disturbing images, thus prompting people to immediately turn to their computers to keep watching it. Dismissing KICK-ASS as nothing but a violent romp represents a mistaken view of what is easily one of the most memorable movies of 2010.

If there's a problem with the film, it has to do with the fact that it sometimes cuts corners in the plot development department in order to keep the energy going. When a character's mistake about another character's sexuality is finally dispelled, the relationship between those two people takes a somewhat drastic turn that isn't easy to buy. Later in the film, the tough-as-nails Hit Girl experiences an emotionally devastating event, but because the movie wants to move as quickly as possible into its climax, it doesn't linger on that as much as it could have.

But those are minor points about what is nothing but a thoroughly creative, frenetic piece of filmmaking. This is one of those instances in which the final scene's suggestion of a sequel doesn't make me cringe in the least bit - quite the opposite. KICK-ASS is nothing but unabashed entertainment that also manages to both praise and poke fun at the superhero genre.

what a film - you start watching this after hearing what a good film - and really are scratching your head like WTF. Then suddenly it all starts up - WOO is all I can say - WATCH AND ENJOY!

"With no power comes no responsibility..."

Adapted from the comic book of the same name written by Mark Millar, and under the direction of British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, Kick-Ass quite simply kicks ass. While this particular analogy may seem lazy and obvious, it's appropriate. Relentlessly audacious, hilarious, gloriously violent, gleefully un-PC and electrifyingly entertaining, Kick-Ass is a refreshing, decidedly adult take on the stale comic-book superhero genre that works on practically every level, and is destined for cult classic status. Owing to its modest budget, this is a superhero movie with violence, profanity-laced dialogue and bawdy humour, flying in the face of a genre for which content is normally kept within the boundaries of a commercial-friendly PG-13 rating. In the face of the continually-expanding Marvel and DC cinematic universes, Kick-Ass only grows more relevant with each passing year.

As with most stories of this ilk, the movie concerns an average teenager: Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson). However, Kick-Ass doesn't take place within either the Marvel or the DC comics universe. Instead, it takes place in our universe, where Spider-Man and Batman are seen in comic books and motion pictures, and there are no people with superpowers. Fed up with being bullied at school and mugged on the street, Dave decides to become a real-life superhero, despite possessing no special abilities or strengths. To achieve his goal, Dave buys scuba suit and uses it as the costume for his crime-fighting alter ego, Kick-Ass. Soon, a bystander records Kick-Ass attempting to fight off some thugs and posts the clip on YouTube, which rapidly becomes an internet sensation. His raised profile brings him to the attention of two legitimate crime-fighting heroes: the father-daughter team of Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), who are currently waging war against crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong).

On the one hand, Kick-Ass is a satire of superhero movies like Spider-Man and Iron Man, with the filmmakers gleefully taking the piss out of the established clichés of the genre and subverting the traditional story beats with a painful dose of reality. For instance, Dave's hilariously botched first outing as a superhero ends with him in the hospital bleeding and naked, leading to rumours among his classmates that he's gay, which ironically leads to him becoming closer to the girl of his dreams. However, while the film is essentially a comedy, it still works as a straight action-adventure since the bad guys are sinister and the violence is hard-hitting. Kick-Ass benefits from a sublime script penned by Vaughn and frequent collaborator Jane Goldman. The dialogue crackles with intelligence and wit - whenever Dave hangs out with his two best friends, the one-liners come thick and fast. Dave's interactions with Big Daddy and Hit Girl, meanwhile, are hilarious. The first half is admittedly not as well-paced as the rollicking second half, but it plays better with repeat viewings.

Kick-Ass may be Vaughn's third directorial endeavour, but he steers this material like a veteran, handling wild tonal shifts with impressive control and marshalling a string of incredible action set-pieces as if he was the bastard son of John Woo and Tony Scott. The final act certainly stands as the film's most action-heavy portion, and offers a terrific pay-off for audiences waiting to see the heroes be unleashed. The standout is a strobe-light shootout which nails the video-game aesthetic more perfectly than any other movie to date. It's possibly 2010's best action scene, as it's both emotionally powerful and viscerally exciting. In addition, Kick-Ass is aided immensely by the comics-inspired production design and the slick cinematography that suggests a much higher budget. Yet another great aspect of the film is the use of music. It's clear from the brilliant use of music in Vaughn's prior movies that the director knows how to select tracks for his films. He's a very careful filmmaker, as evidenced by the fact that Kick-Ass has four credited composers in addition to featuring a slew of music from other artists. Ennio Morricone's theme from For a Few Dollars More is even given a workout, while the 28 Days Later theme plays during another gooseflesh-inducing action set-piece. Hit Girl also slaughters a bunch of guys to the theme of the Banana Splits, and Kick-Ass massacres goons with gatling guns to the tune of Hallelujah. It's great stuff.

British television actor Aaron Johnson is ideal as Dave Lizewski - he possesses a likeable quality which serves the character well. However it's the young Moretz who steals the show here. Moretz is already an established actress, but this will no doubt serve as her breakout role. Her performance as Hit Girl is absolutely dead-on - she's cute, hilarious, and awesome. Like all the best screen action heroes, she is able to make the act of firing and reloading guns look effortlessly cool and graceful, and in turn the film's climactic shootout is one of the most exciting and exhilarating instances of over-the-top cinematic gunplay since Shoot 'Em Up. The biggest surprise here is Nic Cage, who's a thorough delight. This is Cage's best screen outing for years as the nerdy, obsessive father to Hit Girl, lovingly aping Adam West in a mock-Batman outfit. Christopher Mintz-Plasse also acquits himself well with the role of Chris/Red Mist, demonstrating spot-on comic timing and an amusing deadpan delivery. Another notable performer is Strong, playing his second consecutive bad guy after Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. As usual, Strong is a solid villain.

Hollywood studios refused to fund Kick-Ass, compelling Vaughn to go outside the system and make the film himself through his production company Marv Films. Fortunately for Vaughn (and us), he had enough wealthy pals on his side (Brad Pitt is credited as a producer) to gain sufficient funding and bring Kick-Ass to cinema screens. With an indie approach, Vaughn had the freedom to craft an irreverent, boldly R-rated comic-book flick not burdened by the requirement to pander to toy manufacturers or fast food chains. A little 11-year-old girl in a superhero costume may seem cute, but a little 11-year-old girl in a superhero costume who brutally kills people and drops c-bombs? Not so much. All too predictably, controversy has been stirred up over the character of Hit Girl, whose violent and profanity-laced antics have interpreted by some as advocating violence to young viewers. This is, of course, utter nonsense. The film carries an R rating in America and a restricted rating in other major countries, why would young tweens be seeing this movie in the first place? Plus, those who loathe the film because of the content with Hit Girl are missing the point completely. Kick-Ass is just a fun, humorous, cartoonish ride not meant to be taken seriously, so stop being so uptight!

These days, comic book adaptations are no longer fun, with The Dark Knight and its imitators favouring a dour, gritty approach. Kick-Ass returns the fun element to the genre, demonstrating that thematic complexity is possible without making the experience a drag. With director Vaughn delivering one rollicking, raucous set-piece after another, Kick-Ass expertly blends side-splitting tongue-in-cheek humour with bone-shattering action, resulting in an endlessly entertaining and breathtaking slice of entertainment. It's to superhero movies what Shaun of the Dead is to zombie movies.

10/10