Kick Ass (2010)

"Tool up, honey bunny. It's time to get bad guys."

"Kick Ass" is based on the comic book of the same name by legends Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. It is a really awesome but ever so slightly unrealistic look at what might happen if someone decided to be a superhero in the real world. The film follows this same logic while occasionally differing in only small amounts. Both comic book and film are over the top, bloody and a ton of fun. "Kick Ass" is directed by Matthew Vaughn who also directed "Layer Cake" and will also direct the upcoming "X-Men" prequel, "X-Men First Class". Many of its stars are unknowns which can hurt a film or make it really work and in this case its the latter. Shall we summarize? Aaron Johnson is Dave Lizewski, comic book nerd extraordinaire. Dave lives alone with his father and wonders what would happen if someone decided to put on a costume and try to be a real superhero. Dave orders a wetsuit off the Internet and does just that except it doesn't go so well...at first. Dave is hospitalized after he tries to save someone and the criminals beat him half to death. After months of recovery he has changed his mind about being a hero until one day decides to give it a second try. This time Dave is successful in saving a man and his exploits are taped by someones cell phone and the clip is uploaded to youtube where it becomes an overnight hit. Dave is now being called on by various citizens to do good deeds and soon finds out that he is not the only superhero when he is rescued by Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). The rest of the plot involves these three - Dave, the bad-ass ninja girl, her ex-cop father who 'looks like batman' and a really mean mob boss played by Mark Strong.

There is so much I could say about this movie. I loved it. It was so unappreciated during its release and I can only hope it picks up steam as time goes along. I think part of the problem was in its marketing. A lot of people thought it was going to be a typical comic book/super hero movie like "Spider-Man" but it is really so much more. Those that didn't think that, came to the movie expecting it to be only a silly comedy which it IS but it also isn't. Lastly it was rated R and loaded with blood and violence and by many that was certainly unexpected. I highly advise reading the comic book if you can before viewing the film. This requirement is like reading a novel before you see its adaptation: not 100% necessary but a whole lot more fulfilling. For those not willing to take the plunge, the main difference between the two are in the characterization of Big Daddy's origin/relationship with Hit Girl, the outcome of Dave's relationship with Katie and the level of seriousness they treat Dave's implied homosexuality as a result of his mysterious injuries . All of this and Clark Duke from "Sex Drive" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" make for a really REALLY exciting, fun, and hilarious ride. The drama that peeks its little head out on the end is the icing on the cake and adds another level of depth to an already spectacular movie. You need to see this. 4/5 -andy

SECOND OPINION

I too enjoyed this but not as much as my friend here. "Kick-Ass" is a kind of guilty pleasure in the sense of "Spider-Man 2". You get to see real people wanting and becoming superheroes with no special powers but the will to fight back when no one else will. The film has its slow points but for the most part keeps you entertained. Mark Strong as the villian was perfectly cast and gave a command performance."Kick-Ass" is violent, bloody, and action-packed thrill ride that hits the mark where most movies of this genre fail. Yeah "X-Men:The Last Stand " I'm talking to you! I do not recommend this for everyone but if you like comic book movies, this is a sure fire hit. 3.5/5 -tom