Review of Kick-Ass (2010) by Seth Y — 15 Aug 2013

Kick-Ass is a completely awesome mixture of humor, action and extreme violence. It's unlike anything else, which is rare nowadays.

Dave Lizewksi (Aaron Johnson) is an average teenager living in New York City. A geek that spends a lot of time talking comic books with his friends, Dave wonders if a real-life superhero could be a possibility. After purchasing a wet suit and modifying it accordingly, he hits the streets of New York busting up crime and picking fights with bad guys. He calls himself Kick-Ass, quickly becoming a local sensation that people can't quit talking about. Meanwhile, father-daughter crime-fighting duo Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) have their sights set on mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). After they take out a large group of his men, D'Amico thinks Kick-Ass is the one responsible for the carnage. This sets the stage for an epic showdown between the scum of the city and the mysterious local crime-fighters.

As I mentioned, this is unlike anything else I have ever seen. Based on the comic-book of the same name, Kick-Ass is the one unique spot in a superhero genre that has taken over the cinematic world. Enough praise cannot be given to the cast, who features an interesting blend of both young actors and seasoned veterans. British actor Aaron Johnson was a great choice for the title character. He provides the perfect amount of awkwardness that is authentic for the role. In the same breathe, you also have great support from the likes of Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Mark Strong (who is an awesome villain). The star of this movie however, is the young Chloe Grace Moretz. Hit-Girl is such a wonderful character and she is absolutely perfect for the role. It's something else watching a ten year old girl using foul language and killing bad guys left and right. They needed an actress who could pull it off perfectly and she does just that.

I've never read the comic book, so I don't know how accurate this film is in regards to that. As someone who has strictly seen the movie, I absolutely love everything about it. It's full of profanity, crude humor, and non-stop bloody violence. Some people might think it's in bad taste, but I think it's a breath of fresh air. 5 stars.