Movie Review: Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is about an average high school kid, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), who has no qualities worth noting. He isn’t a jock, a nerd, a Goth or anything else; he just takes up space. It’s this mundane existence that sparks a thought while sitting with his friends in the local comic book shop: after decades of comics captivating so many people, how has not one person tried to do it in real life?

Dave answers his own question when he dons a costume himself, taking on the persona Kick-Ass and then proceeds to get his ass kicked quickly. Kick-Ass earns a fan base, though, despite his lack of crime fighting skills because of amateur footage, making him an Internet phenomenon. He also gets the attention of one of the city’s biggest crime bosses, and he wants to use Kick-Ass to send a message that being a hero can lead to a quick death.

Kick-Ass may have gotten in way over his head, but thankfully he has the help of some more talented heroes in the form of Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) that are more than capable of taking care of him.

Kick-Ass has a premise that’s similar to other comic book adaptations, but it distinguishes itself by giving it some unique characters and a well-earned R-rating. Kick-Ass’s heroes aren’t like Batman or Superman; they are more like you or me. If an average person was to start fighting crime, it would most likely turn out like the titular heroes does: a very serious need for medical care. It’s this realistic take on superheroes that makes for such an interesting storyline; incorporating these “poser” heroes into a situation that is better suited for someone with a mechanical suit or million-dollar gadgets makes it play out much differently.

Not all of these heroes seem to fall nicely into the “poser” category, as Hit-Girl quickly proves. Although she may not have any powers, she makes up for it with her sword and sidearm skills. It’s this 11-year-old girl that single-handedly gives this film an R-rating and will get more than a few cringes from the audiences as she takes out goons in a very un-little girl fashion. The action scenes are choreographed perfectly, though, not over used in the film and always satisfying, not to mention some well chosen songs to play over them.

Big Daddy has made bad guy killing into a game, and the movie always makes it feel fun because of that. All of the characters are entertaining, especially Nic Cage purposefully channeling Adam West’s Batman for his character keeping with the “fun” side of their alter egos, Hit -Girl is easily the star here.

The trailers make Kick-Ass appear to be a teen-action-comedy, something much more tame than what you actually get with this movie. This movie has extremely dark, but always funny, comedy and some very bloody fight scenes. Don’t go in expecting a lighthearted family friendly comic book film, and if you have any squeamishness toward blood or young girls swearing, you may want to avoid this one. For those looking for a comic book film rivaling that of Iron Man or The Dark Knight, a film that’s funny, action-filled and extremely entertaining, look no further than Kick-Ass.

GRADE: A+