Does This Movie Kick Ass? Yes, mostly.

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2010)

A few dozen films come out every year that are hyped up to the point where you hear about them at least 20 times a day up until their theatrical release. "Kick-Ass" is definitely one of those films. I was excited to see it, but I tried desperately to keep the preparation to be disappointed just so not to be let down. So without reading any reviews beforehand (which, for me, was like being on a deserted island and trying not to think about water), I kept this question in mind before and after the movie: Does "Kick-Ass", in fact, kick ass?
There were things I loved about "Kick-Ass", most notably the story. The best way to really enjoy this film is if you know as little about it as possible, because the film has so many plot twists that would be shocking enough had it not been for the violence in this film. I'm a big action film fan myself, and there was seldom an action sequence in this film, aided by special effects or not, that didn't make me flinch. If you know nothing about this film going in, you will be entertained by the action alone, provided you're not faint of heart.
I also love the premise of this movie, which was really well executed. I liked the idea that despite comic book movies being the biggest box office draw of the last decade (if you don't count "Avatar" (2009), although that could have been based on a comic), very few real life people really have tried to be super heroes. There's a great dialogue in the beginning between high school geek and Kick-Ass to be Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) and his comic book loving pals (Clark Duke and Evan Peters) about why no one has really tried it in real life. They delve beyond the obvious reason (i.e. because no one really has super powers), and make some very good points that also remained hilarious.
Dave, despite not being athletic in the slightest or knowing any fighting skills of any kind, somehow becomes motivated enough to buy a green and yellow wetsuit online, and use that as his superhero costume. Without giving too much away, he never really wins a fight, but becomes a YouTube sensation, attracting the unwanted attention of a mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), and perhaps the wanted attention of real life superheroes Hit-Girl (11-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage).
It's when this father and daughter team come into the story that the film delves into unpredictable territory and enhances the story. A lot of controversy has been made about Moretz's language in the film. Truth be told, she only says about three or four swear words throughout the film. Some reviews I couldn't avoid made her out to have Joe Pesci dialogue. Truth be told, the scenes where she's killing people are far more intense than her PG-13 language. Overall, though, Moretz was a welcome presence on screen whose was well developed as a character and exhibited a lot of charm throughout the film. She was funny and unexpectedly warm in "500 Days of Summer" (2009), and she's the same in this movie on a different level.
I also didn't expect to like Cage's character as much as I did. The scenes between him and Moretz are never dull, often times funny, and surprisingly poignant even when he shoots her point blank in the chest (you have to see the movie). Cage really could have hammed this role up to the extreme, and given that he wears glasses in this film, I half expected him to use that annoying nasally voice he used in "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986). Fortunately, his performance in this movie was over the top enough so much so that you still cared enough about the character. There's even a great scene that's animated comic book style which gives the background of Cage's character. Once you see that scene, which tells an awesome story in and of itself, your sympathy points are hooked on Big Daddy and never let go.
Soon enough, another faux superhero falls into the mix, namely Kick-Ass' high school acquaintance Chris D'Amico, who becomes Red Mist by night and is played by Christopher "McLovin" Mintz-Plasse. As much as I thought Mintz-Plasse was funny in films like "Superbad" (2007), I felt like here he was miscast. There's a twist to his character that you learn not from watching the previews, but one quarter of the way through the film. His character is important and adds to the story, but I found myself not knowing whether he was supposed to be funny or not, and neither did the people who were in the theater with me. I felt as though the lines he spoke that were meant to be funny fell flat, and the nasally voice that worked for him as McLovin felt out of place here. I didn't feel he was meant to be a nerdy character in this movie, and he just felt out of place. Another actor could have played him better.
Revealing more about this film would take away the sheer thrill of it. Skip the reviews (except this one, of course) and go see it. There is seldom a dull moment in this film. The violence is very graphic, but always contributes to the story. The acting is very good so much so that you care about all the characters. I thought a few lines felt flat and uninspired here and there, but I recommend "Kick-Ass" because it kicked ass for the most part. It's violent and vulgar in many areas, making its R-rating well deserved. It's still entertaining as hell without succumbing to mindlessness, and should be viewed on the big screen. I recommend it!