Review of Kick-Ass

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.