What a wacky movie this is. When I first saw the previews, I thought this Kick-Ass was going to be aimed at kids and teens. Boy was I way off, because it earns it's R rating many times over. I really had no intention of seeing this film until I saw the very positive reviews flowing in from the critics. Not that I always agree with them, but in this case I would like to thank them for getting my butt down to the local theater today.
Parts of the movie reminded me of Watchmen. You have everyday people who are sick of bad things happening to good people, decide to put on costumes, have funny hero names, and then beat and cut apart the bad guys in a not so nice way. I actually thought it was rather tame in the gore department, compared to what I read about beforehand, but the violence and language is way too strong for kids.
The acting is good from everyone. I liked newcomer Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass himself. Nicolas Cage turns in one of his better performaces in a long time, though I think he was great in an over-the-top kind of way in The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is still doing his McLovin thing in every movie since Superbad, but it worked again. Mark Strong is kind of one note as the villain, like in Sherlock Holmes, but I think he's a little better in this role. The real star of the show is little 11-year-old, Chloe Moretz, as Hit-Girl. She is clearly the most memorable thing in a movie with a bunch of stuff worth remembering. As the daughter of Cage's Big Daddy hero, she spews out bad language, slices and shoots baddies by the dozens, and loves her daddy. I want one of my own.
Kick-Ass is serious in tone most of the time, but there are some killer comedy bits and lines that had the whole theater erupting with laughter. The music is well placed in key scenes and the director/writer, Matthew Vaughn, did a fine job in creating a comic book film that should please both fans and non-fans of the genre alike.
Even though it looks like Kick-Ass will come in #1 this weekend, it still feels more like a cult film to me. I can easily see this movie being talked about decades from now, much like Army of Darkness, but without the campiness factor. What a breath of fresh air in a genre that has just as many misses as it does hits. Kick-Ass
Just like the rest of you, I went into the theater knowing not a whole lot about this movie. I thought it would be lame, cheesy, corny, *insert adjective here*. But, I was DEAD wrong to say the least. Kick-Ass combines action, comedy, and emotion, all at the right times. The movie flows well mainly because the cast jives so well together. I have yet to come out of a movie theater so pumped and wanting more than after I came out of Kick-ass
Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass)- I didn't realize he was a British actor until I heard a voice clip from an interview. You sure can't tell from the movie. He plays a great nerdy type kid. But what separates him from actors like Michael Cera is that he actually grew some balls and decided to stand up to crime. He does a great job as the lead actor in the first half of the movie, but quickly gets overshadowed by young dynamo, Chloe Moretz
Nicholas Cage (Big Daddy)- In my eyes, he redeemed himself for movies like Ghost Rider and Knowing. He was amazing. His character was totally believable and I sure enjoyed his Adam West mannerisms. He also did his fair share of ass kicking. His relationship with his daughter, Hit-Girl, brought hilarity and the emotion that I mentioned earlier to this movie.
Lyndsey Fonseca (Katie Deauxma)- Hadn't seen her in a movie before. She is very beautiful and will be looking forward to seeing her in the sequel.
Chris Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist)- As much as I don't want to say it, Chris is out growing his McLovin' character. He, like Kick-Ass, plays a slightly awkward superhero with no powers. He fills his part well and has plenty of laugh out loud lines.
And, the best for last:
Chloe Moretz (Hit-Girl)- I honestly don't even know where to start with this girl. I would say she gives the performance of her life, but she was only 11 at the time of filming. She underwent 6 months of combat, acrobatic, and weapons training for her role as Hit-Girl in this movie. It paid off big time. Chloe does all her own stunts (minus 2) in the movie, which is insane. She is foul mouthed and bloodthirsty, but also has her kid moments. I don't understand the controversy with her character. She is very mature and thus should be able to do more mature roles. If you're not planning on seeing this movie, rethink, mainly because of this girl right here. She is incredible and will no doubt be the new Angelina Jolie when her time comes.
Overall, great movie. Great cast, great fight choreography, great soundtrack, and a great setup for a sequel! (Which has been announced)
See this movie, and then tell all your friends! It's totally worth the 2 hours of your time.
The film is based on a comic book by the same name. The rights to the story were sold before the book was even published (it debuted only eight weeks before the film):
A teenage boy decides to take a stand for justice. He dons a green scuba costume and names himself Kick-Ass. However, not having any actual superpowers, this hero's good intentions quickly land him in an ICU. Eventually though, Kick-Ass crosses paths with a couple of far more effective (a.k.a. deadly) heroes: Big Daddy, a former cop falsely convicted of drug trafficking, and Hit-Girl, his eleven year old daughter. Big Daddy has spent the past six years training his little girl in all forms of mortal combat, hoping she would help him revenge her mother's death and her father's fall from grace, orchestrated by a local Mafia Boss. Enter blood, gore, and plenty of belly laughs...
Let me get straight to the point: yes, the film was funny and highly entertaining. However, initially I felt uneasy laughing at an eleven year old girl determinedly slaughtering a roomful of men, even if they were rotten to the core and disserving of every bullet and of every knife wound. But then, I remembered what I was like at that age: it was the early 80's. My favourite toys were a silver colt revolver and a sword. Depending on my mood, I would pretend to be a cowboy taking on a bunch of wild Indians, or a Jedi disarming (literally) Darth Vader and his evil cohorts. So, if any of you want to believe that little girls' minds are all about sugar and spice, well... good luck with that (by the way, I managed to grow into adulthood WITHOUT slipping into drugs and/or alcohol, and no, I was not a teenage mother). And so, that quick recollection gave me the permission to look at the film as an absurd exercise in fantasy and allowed me to enjoy every minute of it. Yes, the film was well written, directed and edited, but the special mention must go to the actress who portrayed Hit-Girl. Chloe Moretz was indeed eleven at the time of filming, but had the presence of a seasoned performer. I am looking forward to watching her future projects. There is already talk of a sequel. I'd pay to see it!
Laugh and enjoy!'
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