Over the past decade, comic book movies have saturated the movie landscape. For better or worse, they are immense money-makers and are here to stay (unless Hollywood runs out of people in tights to make movies out of). We’ve seen the good (Spider-Man, Iron Man), the bad (Daredevil, Fantastic Four), the polarizing (Watchmen) and the Oscar-worthy (The Dark Knight). Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass definitely belongs in the “good” category, but make no mistake; this film is not for the kiddies as the comic was definitely not for anyone under the age of, oh I don’t know, 25? This isn’t Spidey. This is a hard-R, folks. We’re talking granite hard.
Adapted from a miniseries created by comic book heavies Mark Millar (who also penned Wanted before it was adapted for the screen and murdered by Angelina Jolie) and John Romita Jr., Kick-Ass tells the story of high school student Dave Lizewski. Dave isn’t a nerd or a jock. Much like the rest of us, Dave simply exists, invisible to most, drifting from day to day, class to class only garnering attention when staring hopelessly and longingly at his teacher’s cleavage or engaging in an awkward exchange with the class hottie. He spends his nights on comic books, video games and incessant masturbating. Oh to be a teenager again. One day, Dave and his friends are gathered at a local comic book store when Dave wonders aloud why nobody has ever tried to be a super hero before? Good question, Dave. Enter Kick-Ass, Dave’s costumed vigilante alter-ego that accepts jobs through MySpace and is featured on YouTube fighting criminals in a scuba suit-err superhero costume ordered online.
Dave’s journey is often painful and bloody as he quickly realizes why no one has ever tried being a super hero before; it sucks and you usually get the shit beaten out of you. The action is visceral and bloody while the plot and consistent laughs keep the audience engaged and invested while swimming in a sea of violence. The movie stays pretty true to the comic (so good, no need to change things around), save for a few small discrepancies here and there. The third act that was largely revamped for the screen, but the spirit is the same and the payoff is just as enjoyable. More importantly the changes have struck the balance between movie goers’ mainstream interest and fanboy loyalty which generally makes everyone pretty much content when it comes to comic book movies.
The story definitely picks up upon the introduction of father-daughter crime fighting duo Big Daddy and Hit Girl; two real-deal vigilantes that make Kick-Ass look like the amateur that he is. This is primarily because Hit Girl, Chloe Moretz, 13, is an absolute scene-stealer. In the comics, she is described as “John Rambo meets Polly Pocket.” In the film, the rendition is dead-on and destined to be talked about for years.
Also appearing, and making another incremental departure from the American icon that is McLovin, is Christopher Mintz-Plasse. He is great in the role of Chris D’Amico/Red Mist and shows a darker, grittier side than most are use to seeing with him.
All in all, Vaughn nailed it with the most entertaining movie of the year thus far. The story is great while staying true to the master work and the characters are engaging and layered. And as previously mentioned, Chloe Moretz provides a performance that will be talked about for years to come (as well as impersonated for the next five Halloweens). The moral is simple: when people put on masks and decide to fight crime in the real world, there might not be anybody saving your ass in the next issue.
Photo courtesy: Universal Pictures
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