One of the funnest movie-going experiences I've had in awhile

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2010)

Being based on a beloved comic book series, and as a film that redefines what a super hero movie, specifically, should be, Kick-Ass would make for quite the companion piece to last year's Watchmen. It's a film that will assuredly offend many more people than it already has. If you manage to get past that, however, what you'll find is a piece of cinema that's pure fun.
Let me say, first and foremost, that Kick-Ass has a terrific ensemble. Aaron Johnson, who – as others have mentioned – will likely end up being overshadowed by other cast members, as great as the titular character. This is a character that, with even the slightest bit of mishandling, could've come off as pretty unlikable, but Johnson captures that perfect blend of awkwardness and badassness. Christopher Mintz-Plasse also delivers a surprisingly resonating performance as Red Mist; the days of him being simply known as McLovin' are over.
The real stars of this movie, however, are Nicolas Cage and Chloë Moretz as Big Daddy and Hit Girl, respectively, the former having officially redeemed himself for his performance in Ghost Rider. I won't say much for the sake of spoilers, but there's some brilliant stuff that only Cage could do with that character. As for Moretz, this is a career-making performance from her. Her introduction alone will go down as one of the great character intros. And even while committing such horrible acts of violence, she strangely manages to capture that sense of childlike innocence. It's something else, to say the least.
Speaking of violence (most of which done either to or by children), this is easily one of the bloodiest, nastiest mainstream movies to hit theaters in some time. Even as somebody who's watched all of the Saw movies (to give a more recent example), there were a couple of scenes that I just wasn't prepared for. That being said, the action is fast-paced, yet – thankfully – not so frenetic that you can't understand what the hell's going on, and there are some real nail-biting moments during the film's stirring climax.
Amidst all of the mayhem that goes on in Kick-Ass, however, there is some real human drama to be found here as well. The film definitely succeeds in getting you to sympathize with Dave, and by the time he's doing what's expected from a guy with an alter-ego named Kick-Ass, you're cheering him on. The film then equally as well succeeds in making you hate the villain, Frank D'Amico, played by Mark Strong. This isn't a guy who, right before killing you, will present you with some long, drawn-out monologue, he'll just kill you. And by the time the aforementioned climax rolls around, you see just how despicable this guy really is.
Kick-Ass is the most fun that I've had at the movies in a while. Just about everything in this movie works, from the Superbad-esquire humor, to the often over-the-top action sequences, to the surprisingly believable cast of characters. And hey, I managed to get through this whole review without saying "Kick-Ass kicks ass," even though I'd really like to.