Let me begin by clarifying this much, Kick Ass is a film that shouldn’t work on any level. It is a film about super heroes who haven’t any super powers just guns and batons (so there basically just cops in colourful uniforms) in a comic book that was rejected by all the publishers when it was first written and only got published after it was chosen to be made into a film. The film contains bloody violence, strong language (particularly from the 13 year old actress Chloe Moretz) semi-nudity, drug use, sex references etc. Its soundtrack is so diverse; from The Prodigy to Mika and even Elvis Presley. So let’s face it, it destined to flop right?
Kick-Ass Trailer
Wrong. The film itself pulled in five million in advance of opening in the U.S. For me, the film shines from the very start, it pulls no punches, I had feared the worst when a voice over began during the opening sequence, we all know when it comes to films, the narrator can’t die. Thus we are always aware of that fact throughout and it destroys the sense of unknown but it didn’t matter, the film switched effortlessly from the everyday life of teenager Dave Lizewski (Lead & Narrator) and his teenage angst, which takes ridiculous turns due to his new superhero identity. To fast paced action of the bloodiest and ridiculous choreographed variety as well scripted and hilarious lines were thrown back and forth in such well comically timed fashion you can’t help but ‘’LOL’'.
The excessive swearing in the script is what we as discerning viewers (bad mouthed and crude teenagers) can’t help but cling to and laugh about constantly until the next time the 13 year old swears again most often just after she’s rammed a 6ft Japanese scythe through someone’s chest while remaining absolutely adorable like a pint-sized Angel Of Death. (Personally I'd trade her for my sister any day)
And the laughs begin all over again. The actors, most of which are newbies in film career terms, (Moretz who starred in 500 Days of Summer and Johnson who starred in Nowhere Boy) all play there parts brilliantly and none of which can be faulted. There are no Oscar winning performances one must admit, well no performance the ‘’Academy awards would deem superb’’ (bullshit if you ask me) but all the performances pull together to set an atmosphere that’s just right and if anything it shows promise of what’s to come. Nicholas Cage himself pulled off a remarkably likable performance considering he hasn’t starred in anything I’d much want to watch since the turn of the millennium.
The jokes came hard and fast; during the fight scenes you laughed at the ridiculous action sequence of a man dressed in a crappy batman costume killing mob bosses and thugs and when no one is fighting you laugh at the normality to which the characters responded to the ridiculous situations they had gotten themselves into such like Dave who has pretended to be gay in the hopes of getting closer to his dream girl Katie Deauxma, not the best idea but he sure does try.
But really, I think everyone will agree that it should have been rightly called Hit-Girl. She’s the character that will be on most people’s minds when they leave the cinema. I can't help imagine some reviewers scrambling back to their little offices to decry the character as a shockingly irresponsible, blindly violent encapsulation of everything that’s wrong with modern society. The rest of us, though, will be too busy noting that the film’s violence is clearly fantastical and cartoonish and not to be taken seriously. In fact, as Hit-Girl mows down scores of henchman with murderous élan. There’s no doubt that Vaughn has created a role model for generations. (Scary I know, to describe a murderous, profanity driven, blood thirsty thirteen year old as a role model)
But really, I think everyone will agree that it should have been rightly called Hit-Girl. She’s the character that will be on most people’s minds when they leave the cinema. I can't help imagine some reviewers scrambling back to their little offices to decry the character as a shockingly irresponsible, blindly violent encapsulation of everything that’s wrong with modern society. The rest of us, though, will be too busy noting that the film’s violence is clearly fantastical and cartoonish and not to be taken seriously. In fact, as Hit-Girl mows down scores of henchman with murderous élan. There’s no doubt that Vaughn has created a role model for generations. (Scary I know, to describe a murderous, profanity driven, blood thirsty thirteen year old as a role model)
Kick Ass, I know is a film about super heroes (Once again I remind you they are really just people with guns in brightly coloured uniforms) but don’t let it put you off for an instant, Kick ass makes more of itself than just a super hero movie, hell, it actually tries to do just the opposite and move into more grittier waters but still somehow managing to retain its laugh out loud comedy. I do advise it has bloody violence so beware of that if you’re in any way at all squeamish and it has to be said as superb a film as I make it out to be it is still aimed for us, the crude mouthed, curious minded (i.e. dirty Minded) and simply ‘’LOL’’ kind of people we are. Older audiences will find it absolutely offensive and straight out ridiculous and put off by the bloody action sequences, but you’ll enjoy it immensely I give you that.
But there is only one real hero here and he sits safely out of range of the blood splattered action sequences. Vaughn, directing material like this all his life, handling wild tonal shifts with the implacable calm of an opening batsman, and choreographing the world-class action sequences, including a standout strobe-light shootout that nails the video-game aesthetic more better than the video games themselves. He has created something worth watching again and again till the projector breaks or you go insane. Seriously, it’s the film of the year so far for any teenager and even an open minded adult setting a pretty good benchmark for the next 8 months. It’s quite frankly ‘’Kick Ass’’ (Excuse the pun)
