MOVIE
REVIEW: KICK-ASS
4/15/10
SYNOPSIS:
“How come nobody’s ever tried to be a superhero?” When Dave Lizewski – ordinary New York teenager and rabid comic-book geek dons a green-and-yellow internet-bought wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante, Kick-Ass, he soon finds an answer to his own question: because it hurts. But, overcoming all the odds, the eager yet inexperienced Dave quickly becomes a phenomenon, capturing the imagination of the public. However, he’s not the only superhero out there – the fearless and highly-trained father-daughter crime-fighting duo, Big Daddy and Hit Girl have been slowly but surely taking down the criminal empire of local Mafioso, Frank D’Amico. And, as Kick-Ass gets drawn into their no-holds-barred world of bullets and bloodletting with Frank’s son, Chris, now reborn as Kick-Ass’s arch-nemesis, Red Mist - the stage is set for a final showdown between the forces of good and evil - in which the DIY hero will have to live up to his name. Or die trying…
REVIEW:
Damon
Macready: Tool up, honey bunny. It's time to get bad guys.
Kick Ass? Maybe the movie should be called Hit Girl! Chloe Moretz steals the show with her ass kicking abilities playing the role of Hit Girl. You might remember her from 500 Days of Summer. She was the “wise beyond her years" little sister to the main character of the movie. She was awesome in that film and she was even more awesome in this one, purple hair and all. This movie was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it and the bulk of the audience at the screening really enjoyed it too. You could tell by their applause, laughter, oohs and ahs, and overall reactions that they were really into the movie. For it being another "superhero" movie, it has all the clichés but it also has all the fun. The tagline used in the commercial describes the movie perfectly: "Superbad meets Kill Bill". I would add that it's Superbad meets Kill Bill meets Watchmen. It has a touch of raunchiness, plenty of violence, blood and gun play, and it's wrapped in a cape of superhero moxie. Ergo, I advise caution to taking young children to see this movie; remember that it's rated R, and it's rated R for a reason. That is one aspect of the film that I was not too pleased with. Anyone who doesn't know any better would think that because it's about kids wanting to become superheroes it must be safe for kids . . . not quite.
Dave Lizewski: With no power comes no responsibility.
In certain ways this movie spoofs other superhero movies as you can tell. But it is not completely distasteful, it is actually quite comical. This is not your typical superhero movie by far even though it is chock full of clichés. These are just your regular Joe's without any special powers but still wanting to make a difference and that's what makes this superhero movie different. Everybody wants to be a superhero, right? In this case these particular kids proceed to act on that impulse. The problem is, are they in over their heads? Do they not realize the possible consequences? The risk they are taking? It doesn't matter, they are driven and determined. As mentioned, Chloe undoubtedly gives the best performance out of the cast. The lead role, Kick Ass, is played by relatively unknown Aaron Johnson and he gives a pretty good performance as well. Nick Cage plays Big Daddy, Hit Girl’s father, and his performance, although sufficiently good for this movie, was no big deal. I'm starting to see what I call the Jon Heder syndrome occur to Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Just like it has been difficult for Jon to top his performance as Napoleon Dynamite, it seems that it will be difficult for Christopher to top his performance in Superbad as McLovin. The dialogue that this cast had to work with is quite adult as most evident with Chloe. There is some controversy brewing over that fact but I won't even go there. The storyline for this film, although typical, is not too cheap and it is nicely laid out. The movie keeps a good pace so it is never boring. It resembles Kill Bill by means of its violence and bloodiness, and it also resembles Kill Bill with its cinematography. Director Matthew Vaughn is on a pretty good streak having done Layer Cake, Stardust, and now this one. It is apparent that he does excellent work. I do recommend this movie and if you decide to see it, heed the warnings.
Review
By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
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