A righteous display of revenge and retribution, “Kick-Ass” explodes off the screen. With an adaptation as true to the comic book as can be done, this movie satisfies my need for dark humor and graphic violence to the fullest extent.
I was excited to see this comic turned in to a movie after stumbling across it several years ago.
The story follows Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), an average teenage male who is just trying to keep his head down and get out of high school without getting into too much trouble. His hero complex, however, is what sets this young man apart. Sick and tired of seeing people going out of their way to ignore someone in need of help, Dave decides to create an alternative identity for himself, Kick-Ass.
He has no superpowers, no special equipment and no skills other than his own belief that he can kick your ass. It is this belief that leads Dave to try and make the world a better place, however he is not the only one.
A second set of characters are also out to seek revenge for wrongs that need righting. Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) are a father/daughter team out to do much of the same thing as Kick-Ass is doing — stopping the bad men. Another superhero Dave crosses paths with is Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who is inspired to do good by Kick-Ass.
The adaptation from comic book to film is near flawless.
Director Matthew Vaughn did an excellent job creating an environment for the characters to come out and play.
When it comes to visual effects, no punches are pulled. The detail to the fight scenes and violence is incredible. While the violence is gruesome, it is not so over-the-top that it turns the viewer off to the rest of the film.
Even for those who have never read comic books as a child, it is still a film worth seeing. Right from the start, the viewer has a connection to the characters because they are very human. They have flaws that endear them to the viewer, and the movie allows the audience to feel their pain, emotion and happiness.
The cast really brings their characters’ emotions and complexity to life. They imbue the souls of their characters with a life that is bold and awe-inspiring.
There has been some controversy about the youngest actress Moretz being too young and female to be in such a violent film.
I think that is just an excuse to not show girls can kick as much ass as boys can. It has been done in movies in the past, and I hope we will see more of it in the future.
She helped give life to Hit Girl in a way no other young actress could have. She was cute, smart, funny and raw in her portrayal of a young girl who is also a killer.
Another point of contention that critic have with this actress is the language that Hit Girl uses at sporadic intervals in the film.
Now while I do understand that the c-word is a deplorable word to use, it was only used once.
The one time it was used fit perfectly into the situation and was appropriate to the character who used it.
Personally, the violence seems to be more apprehensive to me, but after seeing some of Takashi Miike’s movies this level of violence seems commonplace.
When Hit Girl goes to town on a group of baddies, the punked out version of “The Banana Song” by The Dickies makes the scene. The rest of the soundtrack is masterfully orchestrated and creates an atmosphere of intensity befitting the characters and story.
Overall, this movie really latches onto the experiences that at one point or another we have all gone through.
This movie is a must-see for those up for a revenge-strewn, action packed, no-holds-barred action movie. It is able to take the audience on a ride that does not disappoint.
3 out of 4 stars