A thoughtful exploration on superhero phenomenons.

Rating: 9/10 (17 May 2010)

Despite the fact that the movie borrows heavily from titles like Kill Bill, Little Miss Sunshine and other black comedies, it's still a masterpiece on its own. The fact is, no other titles had been so frank, at least not in recent time.
I didn't read the comic book of Kick-Ass, but judging by the quality and story structure of Wanted, I'd say Kick-Ass got the similar spirit of being offensive and downright entertaining at the same time. Note that offensive means not afraid of being dirty. The opening sequences totally told that having Dave quoting "my only superpower is being invisible to girls". Later scenes just has the dynamic to surpass your imagination time and time again. Yes, I am entertained.
Below the vulgar surface of the presentation, Kick-Ass is actually more socially concerned than you think(no pun intended). From the beginning, the nature of so-said "superhero" is put to examination from all aspects. In some eyes, a superhero is only a wacko in a horrible suit, incapable of growing up. To some, superheroes are basic ingredients of a sustainable life, and note that this applies to both poor and rich kids(or pedestrian kids and gangster kids). To the coolly-dressed-guy who-leaped-off-a-skyscraper-and-crashed-into-a-car, superhero is a leased ID to do something stunning. To the people with vendetta against certain others, superhero is also an acceptable way to sugarcoat vengeance, meaning man-slaughtering. All these facts would round up a commonly-known fact, that superheroes don't exist in real world. Yet, the story didn't end here, because the superhero phenomenon is real anyway. And then we have the 2nd and 3rd act dwelling on this.
Kick-Ass the hero has become widely loved by Americans in the movie, basically because he did something that barely successful but nonetheless heroic. Only for that certain second, Kick-Ass the hero existed. But, his status quo had to be inflated to the level of an idol, a superhero anyway. That's just indifferent from true figures like Ghandi, Teresa the nun, etc. They are not so super in any way, yet the public continues to search for a perfect hero that they can idolize. For Americans, for better or worse, they are tangled with superheroes. Only death can separate them from superheroes, I guess. The Kick-Ass film is smart that it's aware of this fact and satirize on the right notes.
Though, the performances are very remarkable. This may very well be Nicolas Cage's best role in years, and Chloe Moretz who played Hit-girl is also very impressive. Their characters in the movie are downright vigilantes who mirror Dave's superhero dream, yet they are also the most emotional and lovable characters. Mark Strong continues to play funny villains and he's getting better and better.
To those who hate satires, I'd say the bottom-line of Kick-Ass is a well-polished 20-million-dollar-budget "superhero" movie which delivers equal fun and brilliance.
9/10. Waiting for the verdict from Oscars.