HK Neo Reviews: Kiss-Ass

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2010)

A fresh and innovative take on comic book heroes...
Comic Book heroes can be fun and Kick-Ass delivers because it is fun. Without any superpowers, can you be a super hero. The answer to this movie is yes, but on the way to the top, you need a car accident, meet some real life superheroes and some fancy gadgets, then you are almost there. Still, the movie plays with the audience's mind. I am sure, that a majority of you that grown up watching comic book heroes, dreamt of the day – saving the world, killing bad guys and getting the girl across the horizon near the sunset. Such is the simplicity and fun that Kick-Ass generates. They are pretentious, but rather director Matthew Vaughn, combines sleek action, colourful characters, witty dialogue and even a tone of emotional core and in return creating a kick-ass of a movie.
Aaron Johnson plays the lead role of an ordinary high schooler, who longs and dreams of one day being a superhero. He is a likable character that never seems over the top. While, it may well be unintentional, I believe that his comic timing is spot on. One scene that catches the eye is when he confesses to the girl of his dreams (played by Lyndsy Fonseca). Nicholas Cage plays a supporting role as the father and a real life superhero, avenging the death of his wife. Sounds cliché, but his character is nothing but cliché. Cage makes his character mysterious and despite the violence that he preaches, one can imagine that only Cage can pull off such a character. However, the highlight of the whole extravagant must be the emergence of Chloe Grace Moretz (the wise kid from 500 Days of Summer). Chloe easily plays a character beyond her age and whether her moves are effects or stunts enhanced or not, she is the highlight of the movie. In one scene, when she entered the evil corporation with a school uniform, it reminds me of Kill Bill. There is no doubt that this kid have potential and rarely can killing one person after another still equates plenty of fun.
All in all, Kick-Ass is a great movie. For all it is worth, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the ride. It is light-hearted, fun, bloody, realistic, bombastic and finally true to the blue of comic books. There is even can allusion to John Woo in a question that Cage asks his daughter, but even without that line, the famous 2 handed gun sequences is already Woo enough. Kick-Ass is a kind of movie that you either like it or hate it and luckily, I am the latter. Maybe, I also dream about being a superhero, but till that day, Kick-Ass works for me...(Neo 2010)
I rate it 8/10

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