Kick-Ass (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Kick-Ass' (directed by Matthew Vaughn) didn't really kick my ass (in a good way), but I'd say it kicks some other so-called superhero flicks to the curb. The film's hero, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a self-admitted ordinary guy; someone even a geek wouldn't appreciate. His life is fine, but he's dorky, a bit awkward, & doesn't have the bulging muscles of his jock schoolmates. Furthermore, he's woefully invisible to girls. Dave has only 2 pals, equally geeky, Marty & Todd. And his only crush comes in the form of unattainable Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca). To comfort himself, Dave reads comic books. And one day, inspired by said books, it occurs to Dave that becoming a superhero could alleviate some of his road blocks to coolness.
With that, he buys a green & yellow costume, & after weeks of training (using the term loosely), he's ready to take on the city's evil doers as 'Kick-Ass'; a hero with no superpowers. His 1st attempt at crime fighting goes poorly, however: getting stabbed by vandals & hit by a car during the process. Recovery is lengthy & his injuries leave him with permanent nerve damage. But all is not bad. Some kids taped him whilst being beat up, put in on youtube, & has now become a national teen inspiration. Meanwhile, a gun-toting dad & daughter team, Damon & Mindy Macready (Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz), don their own costumes & become vigilantes: 'Big Daddy' & 'Hit Girl'. She's a tiny, agile, yet profane assassin with purple hair, while his Batman-esque outfit makes him feel invincible. Though they have no superpowers, either - they aren't afraid to wear & use their guns.
You see, over time, this father/daughter crime-fighting duo have been training (rigorously) to end the criminal empire of mafia head, Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). And after D'Amico's son, Chris, takes on his own showy superhero alter ego, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) ... the stage is set for a dubious showdown btwn. the incidental hero, Kick-Ass, the boy trying to impress his dad, Red Mist, & the vengeful Big Daddy/Hit Girl combo. Good vs. Evil. Murderous drug dealers vs. bystanders. Can the right combination of 'bad guys' be taken down - and with the 'good guys' still intact?
Knowing that this film has received rave reviews, & knowing that it's also received an equal amount of critical pans, & knowing that some audiences are in love with it, & knowing that some audiences think it's absolute trash ... I firmly believed I would be in one camp or the other. But of course, I should have known, my opinion rests somewhere in the middle. I found it neither bad, nor anything special. And I'll touch on what I liked first ...
I appreciate that 'Kick-Ass' coincindingly pays homage to, yet, mocks superhero conventions. I appreciate the moments of sheer audacity (usually in the way of blunt violence - by way of Hit Girl). Much has been made of the fact that watching a bloodthirsty 11 yr. old behave the way she does (or witnessing violence unto her) is cinematically & morally reprehensible. To this I say, 'who cares'. This is a movie - and one that's barely grounded in reality, anyway - so it didn't bother me as much as it does others (but they have their points). British up-&-comer Aaron Johnson inflects an incredible American accent as Dave, but I didn't find his portrayal to be overly sympathetic or exciting. Chloe Moretz gives a cool performance as the snarky, profane Hit Girl; though, I found the character, itself, more eye-opening than her performance. And I got a kick out of Nic Cage's Big Daddy persona.
Now, here's my problem with the film: I just don't think it's particularly great at any one component. As part ultraviolent action, part Spiderman hybrid, part gore-fest, part parody, part father/daughter drama, part dark comedy ... I think it's merely standard, or slightly better than average on all accounts. The Tarantino-styled action sequences have their moments. The editing of the fun/violence/drama creates a swiftly told story with a beginning, middle, end & case-for-a-sequel. But nothing shocked me, or had me in stitches. I also have a low tolerance for the super-slick, mayhem-ridden, too-cool pop culture spouting teen flicks. I withstood a lot of that, here; and still came out mildly enjoying it - which says a lot for the overall quality.
Overall, 'Kick-Ass' is a fun-ish romp that's never awful, but irked me plenty of times; never awesome, but pretty damn cool in spots. I am reminded of another action/comedy with oodles of gore ... Zombieland. 'Kick-Ass' isn't too far off from that, but I prefer the other film much more so. It guess it's all in the details.
With that, he buys a green & yellow costume, & after weeks of training (using the term loosely), he's ready to take on the city's evil doers as 'Kick-Ass'; a hero with no superpowers. His 1st attempt at crime fighting goes poorly, however: getting stabbed by vandals & hit by a car during the process. Recovery is lengthy & his injuries leave him with permanent nerve damage. But all is not bad. Some kids taped him whilst being beat up, put in on youtube, & has now become a national teen inspiration. Meanwhile, a gun-toting dad & daughter team, Damon & Mindy Macready (Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz), don their own costumes & become vigilantes: 'Big Daddy' & 'Hit Girl'. She's a tiny, agile, yet profane assassin with purple hair, while his Batman-esque outfit makes him feel invincible. Though they have no superpowers, either - they aren't afraid to wear & use their guns.
You see, over time, this father/daughter crime-fighting duo have been training (rigorously) to end the criminal empire of mafia head, Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). And after D'Amico's son, Chris, takes on his own showy superhero alter ego, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) ... the stage is set for a dubious showdown btwn. the incidental hero, Kick-Ass, the boy trying to impress his dad, Red Mist, & the vengeful Big Daddy/Hit Girl combo. Good vs. Evil. Murderous drug dealers vs. bystanders. Can the right combination of 'bad guys' be taken down - and with the 'good guys' still intact?
Knowing that this film has received rave reviews, & knowing that it's also received an equal amount of critical pans, & knowing that some audiences are in love with it, & knowing that some audiences think it's absolute trash ... I firmly believed I would be in one camp or the other. But of course, I should have known, my opinion rests somewhere in the middle. I found it neither bad, nor anything special. And I'll touch on what I liked first ...
I appreciate that 'Kick-Ass' coincindingly pays homage to, yet, mocks superhero conventions. I appreciate the moments of sheer audacity (usually in the way of blunt violence - by way of Hit Girl). Much has been made of the fact that watching a bloodthirsty 11 yr. old behave the way she does (or witnessing violence unto her) is cinematically & morally reprehensible. To this I say, 'who cares'. This is a movie - and one that's barely grounded in reality, anyway - so it didn't bother me as much as it does others (but they have their points). British up-&-comer Aaron Johnson inflects an incredible American accent as Dave, but I didn't find his portrayal to be overly sympathetic or exciting. Chloe Moretz gives a cool performance as the snarky, profane Hit Girl; though, I found the character, itself, more eye-opening than her performance. And I got a kick out of Nic Cage's Big Daddy persona.
Now, here's my problem with the film: I just don't think it's particularly great at any one component. As part ultraviolent action, part Spiderman hybrid, part gore-fest, part parody, part father/daughter drama, part dark comedy ... I think it's merely standard, or slightly better than average on all accounts. The Tarantino-styled action sequences have their moments. The editing of the fun/violence/drama creates a swiftly told story with a beginning, middle, end & case-for-a-sequel. But nothing shocked me, or had me in stitches. I also have a low tolerance for the super-slick, mayhem-ridden, too-cool pop culture spouting teen flicks. I withstood a lot of that, here; and still came out mildly enjoying it - which says a lot for the overall quality.
Overall, 'Kick-Ass' is a fun-ish romp that's never awful, but irked me plenty of times; never awesome, but pretty damn cool in spots. I am reminded of another action/comedy with oodles of gore ... Zombieland. 'Kick-Ass' isn't too far off from that, but I prefer the other film much more so. It guess it's all in the details.