Kick-Ass(2010) Film Review

The Anti Superhero Film(**** Out Of ****), 8 January 2013
*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Kick-Ass is a unique film. It is a film that definitely falls under the "Take-No-Prisoners" category. The film is brutal and vulgar and it is deliciously demented. Kick-Ass is a brilliant comic book written by Mark Millar, and yes, there are differences between the comic book and film, but I don't go into a movie adapted from source material and nitpick if one character didn't do something he did in the book. However I do pay attention to see if it lives up to the book. Films like "Percy Jackson And The Olympians The Lightning Thief" and "Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker" are terrible adaptations of the original source material. Kick-Ass is one of the films that follows the book but makes changes, for a reason. If everything in the novel was in the film, than it would have been rated NC-17, which is the stamp of death for movies.

The films follows Dave Lizewski played by Aaron Johnson is pondering the age-old question: How come nobody wants to be a Superhero? After the crime rate has gone up in his city he decides he wants to dress up like a superhero and take down some thugs. However, his first encounter does not go so well as he is stabbed and hit by a car. Miraculously, he survives and decides to have another go at it. He launches into worldwide fame after a video is posted online of him beating up 3 thugs, goes viral. He goes to do another job but the plan goes awry when the gang member gets the upper hand. He is then helped by Hit-Girl played by Chloe Grace Mortez and her father Big Daddy played by Nicholas Cage. The films villain Frank D'amico played by Mark Strong and his son Chris played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse devise a plan to kidnapped Kick-Ass by having Chris be a new Superhero named Red-Mist. The rest is for you to watch the film and find out for yourself.

The films acting is very strong. Aaron Jonson is very good in his film debut as the title character. Chloe Grace Mortez is very good and vulgar in her debut as well. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is of course good as the sort of awkward kid who wants to make it big. Nicholas Cage is always great and fun to watch. He is especially hilarious as the gun toting nut Big Daddy.

The story is different yet original. This is sort of the Anti Superhero movie. This film brings to light that Superheroes don't always win. I love it. It's a bold approach and it is different to see superheroes placed in more danger than the PG-13 cookie cutter comic book movies. I have nothing wrong with those movies but I would love to see something different.

This film has two types of humor. The genuinely funny humor that happens from dialouge exchanges from characters, and the shocking humor. A perfect example is when Chloe Grace Mortez, who was 11 years old when filming is swearing all over the place with her saying lines like, "Okay you C***s, lets see what you can do." The character development is great and the characters of Big Daddy and Hit Girl have amazing back-stories. Hit Girl's mom died of a prescription drug overdose while her father was in prison. Big Daddy's motivation for going after Frank is that Frank put him in prison and left Hit Girl without a father for a few years. These characters have a motivation for getting their revenge.

Laslty I want to advise a warning. This film is extremely brutal, vulgar and violent. The torture scene in the film is very brutal and hard to watch. I know this sounds crazy but the torture scene in the book is more brutal than the film. Also there is blood galore in this film but has the same amount or less amount of blood than in the book. They wanted to make this movie PG-13 but, honestly, it would not have worked. Also 80% of the violence is enacted by a child who is Chloe Grace Mortez. This may be hard to watch and that is understandable. Lastly there is a brief but painful scene where Hit Girl is getting strangled by Frank. By me awarding this film 4 stars, I am not promoting child violence or violence against children, as a matter of fact it sickens me, But this is a movie based off of a comic book. It is not realistic and It is heavily stylized. I understand if you find this material hard to watch, but lets be honest an 11 year old girl is not going to go on a murderous rampage. Roger Ebert famously gave the film 1 star out of 4 saying "Should I be cool, or have a Heart?" I am not cool by rating the film 4 stars but I am being honest. So was Roger Ebert and I respect him for it.

This film earns my 4 star rating. The acting is strong, the story is brilliant and the film is brutally fun and shockingly funny. Kick-Ass is a movie with brutality but heart. This is a comic book film not to be missed.

Rated R For Strong Brutal Violence Throughout, Pervasive Language, Sexual Content, Nudity And Some Drug Use- Some Involving Children.

1hr 57min/117min.

112 uses of the F-word.

****/****