Review of Kick-Ass (2010) by Acewrite09 — 17 Aug 2010

I can't quite agree with most of the tut-tutting critics. I admit that several things in the film made me raise an eyebrow, and it did make me think, because I've never seen stuff like an 11-year old girl swearing like a truck driver and killing people in brutally violent ways in a film.

Ultimately I think the ones crying "for shame!" are over-reacting just a tad. The film does puts its toes to the line, but for me it doesn't quite cross it. And let's face it, it's a funny, clever idea, extremely well executed.

It doesn't make the mistake of many such films by diving into the action immediately before we've gotten to know the characters. People are oblivious to the fact that it makes it more exciting if we care about what happens to them, if it's not just frenetic mindless action.

Vaughn takes his time and his pacing is impeccable, just the right amount of build-up to the climactic scenes, and he deftly makes these scenes emotional as well as exciting. The cast is pretty much great, with the possible exception of Mark Strong, who is not quite loathesome enough to be the arch-villain.

Every critic and every "user", however, has agreed on one thing: this film contains a star in the making. Chloe Grace Moretz is astoundingly assured and inspired at 11 years old. Never seen a child actor this compelling EVER, not Anna Paquin, not Natalie Portman, not Jodie Foster.

She steals every scene she's in and steals the movie. See it just for her. Also, great music.