Hit Girl kicks...well, you know

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2016)

If the idea of a foul-mouthed 11-year-old girl slaughtering people is just too repugnant for you then do not watch Kick-Ass. If you are willing to accept such an idea then there is much for you to enjoy in this movie. This movie is gleefully over-the-top in every way. And it makes for a rollicking good time. The movie has great wit, action and, surprisingly for a movie which is absolutely drowning in blood, charm. But make no mistake, for all the movie has going for it the best thing it has to offer is that pint-sized, potty-mouthed terror, Hit Girl.
But before we get to Hit Girl a word about Kick-Ass since the movie is after all entitled Kick-Ass. Aaron Johnson plays Dave Lizewski, an ordinary, anonymous teenager who decides to become a real-life superhero. He buys himself a cheesy costume, christens himself Kick-Ass and takes to the streets to save the day. And proceeds to get his ass kicked. But soon enough he manages to become an internet sensation...who's still getting his ass kicked. Enter Hit Girl. Begin the slaughter. She's got a costume but, unlike Kick-Ass, she's also got skills. And no qualms about hacking off a bad guy's limbs. She's been trained by her father who dresses like Batman and calls himself Big Daddy. This is one deadly duo. They're going to team up with Kick-Ass who, all things considered, might want to go back to being plain old Dave Lizewski.
There is much to like about the movie. It's funny, it's exciting, at times downright exhilarating. Not everything works perfectly. A subplot where Dave's dream girl, Katie, suddenly becomes interested in him because she mistakenly thinks he's gay doesn't add much to the proceedings. Mafia boss Frank D'Amico, the main villain for most of the film, is not the most exciting of antagonists. A movie this far out there (and boy is this movie far out there) needs a more compelling adversary for our heroes. Happily Red Mist enters the fray. Yes, another weirdo in a costume.
The one flaw with the film which is most clear is that the central character is nowhere near as interesting as the supporting players. Johnson gives a reasonably fine performance as Dave/Kick-Ass but the character is a little flat. Happily Hit Girl is here to liven things up. This girl is dynamite and Chloë Grace Moretz plays the part perfectly. A star-making performance. Moretz looks every bit the action star and is utterly convincing with the dialogue (including the raunchy stuff) and emotional scenes as well. And Moretz works beautifully with Nicolas Cage, playing Big Daddy. Cage decided to go way, way over-the-top with his performance and in this movie that works perfectly. He hams it up and he should be hamming it up, it's that kind of movie. Christopher Mintz-Plasse brings a very unique personality to Red Mist and, though her character seems a bit extraneous, Lyndsy Fonseca plays the part of Katie well. This is a pretty good movie up to the point we first see Hit Girl in action. From there the movie kicks into a higher gear and never lets up. Embrace the violence, enjoy the carnage, cheer on Hit Girl, one of the unlikeliest heroes you'll ever see. She kicks ass.