Kick-Ass

3.5/4

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence Throughout, Pervasive Language,  Sexual Content, Nudity, and Some Drug Use--All Involving Young Teens

Simply put, “Kick-Ass” is a lot of fun.  It’s got great action and good humor.  It treats its subject matter with both irreverence and affection, and it does so without losing its characters or its story.

Dave Lizewski (Johnson) is an exceedingly average high school student.  He’s not a nerd, a hard-core gamer, or a stoner.  He’s not even the funniest one of the comic book-loving trio that he is a part of.  But like all adolescents, he is yearning to do something different.  He wonders why no one has ever dressed in a costume and fought crime, so he buys a wetsuit, some batons, and calls himself “Kick-Ass.”  Unfortunately, hormones and testosterone prevent him from fully thinking through what he is actually doing, so even after he gets stabbed and hit by a car, he ends up on the wrong side of a local mob boss, Frank D’Amico (Strong).

The most noteworthy aspect (and key to the film’s success) is the irreverent tone.  Director Matthew Vaughn presents every scene with a funny bent.  Although there are a few belly laughs, it’s usually the askew slant that Vaughn gives the film.  It’s definitely offbeat, but it doesn’t alienate either those who read comics or those who don’t.  This is a movie for everyone to enjoy.

That’s not to say that this is a family film.  Far from it, in fact.  This film, despite its fun-loving tone, is very violent, some of which is perpetrated by (and to) young children.  In fact, the exuberance with which the film portrays violence is probably the most disturbing thing about the movie.  This is one movie that really deserves its R rating.

The acting is stellar.  Newcomer Aaron Johnson plays Dave straight.  He has the best of intentions, but it doesn’t take him long to realize that he’s in way over his head.  Funny enough, it’s not after he nearly dies from a stab wound, it’s when he is saved from certain death by Hit-Girl (Moretz), a little girl who, with her dad, dresses up as a superhero and is on a deadly road of revenge.  As the father-daughter duo, Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz shine.  Cage channels Adam West as Big Daddy and has a ball with it.  Moretz is a firecracker, and walks away with the movie.  She’s adorable, but she’s got big guns, knives and fantastic moves to kick major ass.  But Moretz never forgets that Mindy (as she’s really named) is a little girl, and that’s what takes the role to the next level.  Mark Strong provides a good villain and Christopher Mintz-Plasse shows a lot of maturity in his role as Strong’s son.  This isn’t McLovin.

The problem with “Kick-Ass” is that, despite being rooted firmly in realiy, it doesn’t go far enough.  What are the legal consequences of the characters’ actions?  What about forensics?  There is a cop on Big Daddy and Hit-Girl’s trail, but he’s a reluctant ally.  Take for example Benjamin Fodor, better known as Phoenix Jones, Guardian of Seattle.  Fodor donned a mask and costume and fought crime.  He was arrested, but not charged with assault.  There is a wealth of material that the film could have explored.

As it is, “Kick-Ass” is great entertainment, and one of the few movies out there that’s worth watching over and over again.

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