Failed attempt to spoof the super-hero genre

Rating: 6/10 (27 February 2011)

Can ordinary humans become a super hero? that is the theme question which Kick-Ass tries to answer. And for the first half our of the movie, I was positively surprised at the witty, intelligent and funny way in which Kick-Ass tries to answer this question. We witness an average teen try and fail and try again to test this hypothesis. As he gets smarter with every attempt, his luck changes and he actually achieves his desired super-hero status about half way through the movie.
At that point we get introduced to Super Daddy and Hit Girl, and the movie goes down hill form there onwards. These two characters completely overturn the central question - they are ordinary humans, but they do posses superpowers. They fight better than professional hit men, dodge bullets and cannot be knocked down or break their bones. The movie transforms into your average super-hero movie and becomes a parody of itself. Add to this your two-dimensional villain and all the clichÃ©s have been restored. What a shame.
To top it off, the movie is filled with unnecessary gore and bad language. Unlike in movies like Pulp Fiction or Sin City, it does not add anything to the plot of Kick-Ass. Quite the opposite, it makes the Hit Girl character even more unlikely and the fight between good and evil unrealistically obvious. It seems to me that the director could not decide what to make: an intelligent comedy, a parody or a popcorn action movie.
Still, Kick-Ass is not the worst movie ever. It was entertaining for the most part and did retain a touch of comedy throughout the second half. Just be sure to have your friends over and some beer in the fridge if you decide to watch it.