Review of Kick-Ass 2 (2013) by D.a. Z — 29 Mar 2014

"Try to enjoy yourself. Otherwise, what's the point?" claims Jim Carrey, playing the pensive yet strong-willed Colonel Stars and Stripes in this year's Kick-Ass sequel. The ingenuity of this quote is how well it suits Kick-Ass 2 as a moviegoer, because focusing on its cringe-worthy dialog and witless humor is likely to result in far too many scoffs and eye-rolls to enjoy the film.

Kick-Ass 2 leads with Dave, AKA Kick-Ass, having given up a life of vigilante justice for the normality of high school. It is not long before he learns that his heroic acts as the iconic Kick-Ass have inspired numerous citizens to take on superhero lifestyles, fighting for the sake of personal vengeance and retaliation, causing him to rejoin the vigilante cause. Mindy, famously known as Hit-Girl, has given up crime-fighting as well, and her storyline temporarily proceeds like a mediocre retelling of Mean Girls as she tries to lead a normal high school life. It comes as no surprise that Mindy's negative experiences inspire her heroic alter ego to emerge once again. Throughout these melodramatic plots, we revisit Chris, previously known as Red Mist (and whose new alter ego is hilarious but much too vulgar for me to type). Chris has taken on the role of a super-villain to avenge his father's death, caused by Kick-Ass in the first film. He recruits an army of powerful super-villains to battle the army of superheroes in hopes of murdering Kick-Ass once and for all.

Despite its seemingly non-conventional plot, Kick-Ass 2 fails extensively in respect to its predecessor. Few can deny that the first Kick-Ass is shocking and wholly prolific R-rated entertainment due to its use of gratuitous violence and an 11-year-old girl spewing practically every vulgar word in the English language. In Kick-Ass 2, it is simply no longer effective. Fight scene cinematography mimics that of the first film, and when this is combined with cheesy plot points and unintelligent dialog, it creates a stale and uncreative mess. There is no denying that Kick-Ass 2 is strikingly entertaining and quick-witted at times, and Chloë Grace Moretz shining in her reprisal as Hit-Girl makes it worth the watch. Unfortunately, the film follows the formula of its predecessor much too closely to leave a lasting impression.

Side note: Stay after the credits for a fantastic spoiler.