No Powers, No Training, No Problem

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2010)

Mark Millar whom started out in the British Comic Book industry, writing for 2000AD and Sonic the Comic has become one of the biggest comic book writers around, writing for Marvel and DC with major characters like Spider-man, X-Men, Wolverine and Superman, before being able to create his own comics. His first film adaptation was the weak, dumbed down version of the Matrix, Wanted: but luckily Kick-Ass is a lot better.
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a typical New York teenager, who is a comic-book fan, and not in any particular group in High School. He is ignored by girls, including Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca), the girl he fancies. Dave however fantasises about what it would be like to be a superhero and he makes an effort to make it happen. After his first attempt at vigilante justice Dave ends up having a big accident and his nerve endings are damage. But this gives him a high pain threshold and after being videotaped fighting three men at once Dave becomes a internet sensation and his alter-ego, Kick-Ass is born. But Dave as Kick-Ass gets in over his head when he meets two real heroes, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage), and his young girl Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), a brilliant martial artist and skilled assassin. Big Daddy sets out to bring down the crime lord Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), taking down his organisation from the bottom up. As Kick-Ass Dave is brought into their violence world. As well as these superhero actives Dave has to hide his identity, whilst using his fame in the internet age to help people out through Myspace. He also finally get's Katie's attentions, but for all the wrong reasons.
The director Matthew Vaughn had been touted to direct comic book conversions before. He was offered the chance to do X-Men: The Last Stand but left because of the rushed production and weak script, and missed out on directing Thor when his script turned out would have cost too much. He has proved to be a skilled director, having done the great gangster film Layer Cake and the fun fantasy romp Stardust. With Kick-Ass he is able to make a stylist, colourful comic-book conversion. It is fast-paced, action-packed, violence and very funny throughout. Vaughn was able to make a live action comic, with stylist vision trick, compared to Ang Lee who tried and failed with Hulk. An excellent film in vain of Frank Miller films like Sin City and 300. Vaughn shows how an action sequence should be directed, with Hit-Girl and her wide range of weapons making excellent viewing. Vaughn made the film like a violence parody of Spider-man, following similar plot elements, scenes like Dave designing his costume, having a similar score and basically plays on wider superhero conventions. But this was a parody which pays tribute and respects the genre it's lampooning, not aiming for cheap laughs.
Aaron Johnson offers an excellent performance as Dave/Kick-Ass. He is like Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker, going through similar issues, using a voice-over throughout the film, and even sounds like Maguire. He is an actor with a bright future ahead of him. Vaughn is able to assemble a good supporting cast. Nicholas Cage is a known superhero fan and he missed out playing both Iron Man and Superman in the past. He is excellent as the man of action as Big Daddy, and is a deranged but loving father. He is one an important quest to take down Frank D'Amico. Mark Strong has been making headway in Hollywood recently, being in films like Body of Lies and Sherlock Holmes. He plays an effective villain, a gangster slowly becoming more violence and erratic because of the Kick-Ass phenomenon. He too is a deranged and loving father despite his business. But the real star out of the supporting actors is Chloe Moretz as the foul month 11-year-old assassin who is hard as nails, but also at times a sweet-natured girl and it is wonderfully played when the two characteristics are compared. She is one of the most fun characters in a film this year.
Kick-Ass is not perfect, and it will not cater to everyone's tastes, but it is easily one of the most fun films of 2010.