Kick-Ass easily lives up to its title.

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2011)

High school nobody and avid comic-book fan Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides to stop just reading about super-heroes and begins living the dream, but with no special powers, zero fighting skills, and a distinct lack of high tech gadgetry at his disposal, life as a self-styled crime fighter is harder than he imagined—particularly when hunted down by major-league bad-guy Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong) and made to feel totally inadequate by the real-deal, crime-fighting duo Big Daddy and Hit-Girl (Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz).
Kick-Ass is the perfect wake-up call for any comic fan who has ever toyed with the idea of donning a mask and taking to streets in the name of justice (don't tell me you've never imagined yourself in a cool spandex suit with natty matching cape!); rather than painting the fight against crime as a glamorous pursuit, the film graphically displays every ugly detail of life outside of the law and shows what might easily become of anyone foolhardy enough to take on vicious criminals without the proper training (eg., entire childhood spent in a monastery practising martial arts with mystical monks). Brutal stabbings, cold-blooded shootings, and chilling torture are all shown in unflinching detail, making the film a genuine eye-opener (especially for those who might have mistaken this sucker for a light-hearted action/comedy romp).
What is even more surprising than Kick-Ass's ultra-violent content, for me at least, is that it was written, in part, by Jane Goldman, and directed by Matthew Vaughan, both of whom were also responsible for Stardust, a film so contrived and cloying that I would dearly love to erase it from my memory. Here, the pair redeem themselves fully, providing their audience with just shy of two hours of pure awesomeness that constantly delights with its witty, thoughtful script, and endless adrenaline-pumping action scenes (accompanied by a effective score and killer soundtrack).
On top of the remarkable script (based on the comic by Mark Millar) and flawless direction (love the first person shooter style used during one scene), the film also benefits from a stand-out cast, all of whom deliver pitch-perfect performances: Johnson is both likable and believable as the idealistic teenager who turns his life upside down by following his dreams; Lyndsy Fonseca is simply mouth-watering as Katie Deauxma, the object of Dave's desire; Nic Cage puts in yet another seemingly effortless but extremely memorable performance as vengeful ex-cop turned masked avenger Big Daddy (Cage has a blast in his role, even mimicking Adam West's Batman speech mannerisms); and the amazing Moretz regularly steals the show with her confident turn as lethal, 11-year old killing machine Hit Girl (if this promising young actress doesn't go on to be a MAJOR star in the future, I'll eat my cape!).
If, like me, you've grown a little tired of formulaic, big-budget, SFX packed super-hero flicks, I highly recommend checking out this alternative take on the genre, 'cos Kick-Ass easily lives up to its title.