Kick-Ass The Movie - Another Perspective

Comics Movie Reviews
Kick-Ass The Movie - Another Perspective
By Hervé St-Louis
April 17, 2010 - 19:39

Studios: MARV Films, Plan B Entertainment
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nicolas Cage
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Produced by: Stephen Marks, Mark Millar, John S. Romita
Running Time: 117 minutes
Release Date: April 16th, 2010
Distributors: Lionsgate
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adaptation and Teen

Teenage geek Dave Lizewski likes comic books very much and keeps wondering why no one has attempted to become a super hero. He doesn’t mean a super hero with powers. He means a regular vigilante like Batman with no powers but with ideals to uphold justice and help people. But in his quest to become the super hero Kick-Ass, Lizewski gets way over his head and in trouble with the local mob. Will he and his new allies, Big Daddy, Hit Girl and the Red Mist make it alive?

This movie was fun and I kept laughing every five minutes. So did the audience. It was a perfect mist of over the top action mixed with a dash of ridicule and exaggeration. The good thing about this film adapting the comic book by Mike Millar and John Romita Jr. is that there was never a moment to bore the viewer. I’ll go as far as to say that the changes in the plot from the comic book series and the goofy action elements like the bazooka made this even better than the actual comic book. The director took the comic book and improved on all elements. If Watchmen proved that the way for super heroes was more violence and more senseless action, at least Kick-Ass proved that it didn’t have to bore audiences. I’m not sure if women will enjoy Kick-Ass as well as horny boys, but it’s like one of those coming of age film with an actor that’s not over used like Micheal Cera. Aaron Johnson is a better young kid growing up every day man than both Cera and Shia LaBeouf. He also can get his face kicked quite well which worked for this movie. Of course, Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl was the best part of the film with smart one liners and a cool attitude that matched that of the adults in the film. The one plot hole in Kick-Ass is why Hit Girl and Big Daddy wanted to be super heroes in the first place, if they didn’t want to draw too much attention on themselves. Perhaps if they had been exposed more to the public the planned execution of Big Daddy live would have been more dramatic.

The action and the cinematography in this film was excellent. Sure the jetpack was too much to swallow, but the film didn’t feel like a cheap independent film like I expected. It really felt like a big Hollywood production and that’s a great thing.

Rating: 9/10

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