Kick-Ass delivers exactly what it promises and more

Charlie Dorf

As far as comic book movies go, they are generally a mixed bunch, ranging from cinematic greatness (The Dark Night), to missed opportunities (Watchman), to absolute garbage (Spiderman 3, The Ghost Rider). Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, in this reviewer’s humble opinion, the best comic book movie ever made. With crass yet witty dialogue, great performances across the board, stylized and seamless cinematography, and some of the most brutal (and awesome) action of I ever seen, this movie kicks a whole lot of ass.

The story follows Dave Lipetsk (Aaron Johnson), a regular teenager who, fed up with the monotony of daily life, decides to become a superhero, donning a scuba suit and modified police batons as his alter-ego Kick-Ass (other than a weakened ability to feel pain, he has no superpowers nor weapons training). His antics inspire a wave of other “super” heroes, primarily Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and his 11-year old butterfly knife- throwing, katana-wielding daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Mortez), while angering crime boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong)

Firstly, I want to thank Nicholas Cage for doing this movie. After the utter terror of Ghost Rider, I was worried Nick Cage would be party to yet another comic-to-film disaster. However, Big Daddy is personally my favorite character in Kick-Ass, portraying the caring yet destructively driven father who takes a desire for revenge to a whole new level. His bizarre lines and crappy yet endearing jokes were a highlight of the film. Also, Aaron Johnson perfectly captured the essence of Kick-Ass- that is, a dude who gets his ass kicked more than once. His character is interesting in the fact that you don’t love Kick-Ass because he’s an awesome fighter (which he most definitely is not) but because he shows what it’s like to be a normal person trying to be a hero, trying to help people, allowing the audience to relate.

I mean, imagine going out dressed in a green scuba suit and trying to fight crime, because you probably would be only a little less prepared than Kick-Ass. He isn’t Bruce Wayne, (with billions of dollars and advanced fighting skills). He is just a kid who wants to kick ass. His character explores that urge that lives inside of us to break from the mold of everyday life and do something incredible, opposed to just, as he puts it, “existing.”

Chloe Mortez’s is definitely the funniest and most controversial character as the c-word spitting, bad guy massacring Hit Girl who makes Lara Croft look like a push-over. Mark Strong’s performance also merits mention. Kick-Ass initially struck me as a movie that would have a goofy, over-the-top villain, but Strong’s D’Amico is one scary mofo who adds to the films overall feeling of believability.

The film’s shooting style is very stylized, using comic book themes like text boxes as well as creative camera angles, the most notable being a view from Kick-Ass’s eyes as he is pummeled into submission or the frantic, fast paced action scenes that use excessive blood and speed to leave you in shock and awe. The usage of effective transitions contributes to the films overall seamlessness, leaving you feeling completely immersed.

The action…oooh the action, is a grisly art. I have never seen fifteen men slaughtered by a little girl over the course of 30 seconds until I saw Kick-Ass. I had never seen a man shot through his cheek to kill another man until I saw Kick-Ass. The action is brutal, fast, and beautiful. Though some of it borders on ridiculous towards the end, the violent scenes are well shot, well choreographed, and for the most part believable. Like the slogan says, “They don’t have superpowers, but they can kick your ass.”

That’s not to say the only thing Kick-Ass has to offer is brutal action scenes. The crass, witty dialogue is the funniest I’ve ever heard on a comic book movie (Hit Girl’s version of the Bat Signal had me crying in vicious laughter). The film also had me tearing up at the saddest scene I have seen in a while. I don’t want to give it away, just know you will too. Kick-Ass’ internal dialogue shows the struggle of a teenager trying to become something he has only read about in the comics he loves so much. The film does a great job of balancing a lot of silliness with some good, serious scenes that seek to put a smile on your face even while a tear rolls down your cheek.