"Superbad" directed by Quentin Tarantino could've been the pitch in this remarkably revisionistic comic book adaptation ; one of the year's best; Moretz steals the pic!

Rating: 10/10 (19 April 2010)

KICK-ASS (2010) **** Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Lyndsy Fonseca, Clark Duke, Evan Peters, Dexter Fletcher, Xander Berkeley, Yancy Butler, Katrena Rochell, Kofi Natei, Elizabeth McGovern. "Superbad" directed by Quentin Tarantino could've easily been the pitch for this radically, graphic adaptation of the graphic novel series by Marvel Comics' Mark Millar & John Romita Jr. (who collaborated on the screenplay with Jane Goldman and the film's director Matthew Vaughn) which is a unique spin on the comic book genre to say the least. Gawky, teenager geek Dave Lizewski (newbie Johnson in an amiable turn) decides to take up his own "What If Ordinary People Who Indulge in SuperHero Comics Actually Decided to Become One" scenario, kicking it up a notch as a self-made vigilante in NYC but faces some serious consequences (i.e. pain inflicted really does hurt!) Also up for some titular tête-à-tête (and personal vengeance vendetta) are "Big Daddy" and "Hit-Girl" (Cage having a field day as an ex-cop/"Batman" manqué and newcomer Moretz who truly steals the film as the whirling dervish combo of The Tasmanian Devil and The Joker with her half-pint stature clearly a perfect foil for her homicidal tendencies with deft aplomb and filthy language to boot; her gauntlet run at the film's climax is truly one for the film vault and worth the price of admission). Stunning, blackly funny and shocking to say the least, but damn entertaining as well. For the kiddies? NO. For those grown-up kiddies: HellzYeah!! One of the year's best and one of the best comic book adaptations to date. Revisionist to say the least!