'Kick-Ass' Review

Synopsis:

Dave is your ordinary 'nothing' high school student that has an interest in comics. After getting casually mugged one too many times, he decides something needs to change. He orders a scuba suit, designs a costume, and decides to fight crime. He has no powers, no abilities, nothing more than good intentions. He is Kick-Ass!

Review:

It's not often that I walk into a 'comic book' movie and not know the complete story. I've only got half of the 8 issues of the book so much of what was to happen was new to me. I had no real 'that's not how the book goes' moments. It was relaxing to just watch the movie.

Let's get this out of the way immediately. There are no super powered people in this movie. There are masked vigilantes. The movie is violent. Limbs are removed, blood spurts, people die. There is harsh language. It is not for children.

It's clever. It calls for personal responsibility but also makes it clear that being a vigilante is not cool in 'real life'. At the same time it is an over the top action movie that will make you cheer. It's funny at times, gut bustingly so. It's a good ride.

I liked the casting. Our main character Dave looks like a good natured geek schmo. Even as Kick-Ass he often looks lost and over-whelmed by the circumstances he finds himself in. His good intentions rarely get him beyond trying but he does keep trying. His friends look and act right. Everybody 'fits', even Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy.

I was actually impressed by Nic Cage as he essentially plays three roles while being the same character. As the father of 'Hit Girl', he's almost like a weapons fascinated Ned Flanders or Mr. Rogers. As himself, he's cold and determined. As 'Big Daddy' the superhero... he's the Adam West Batman, except when he's fighting. It's hilarious.

The direction was stylish. There's a great action sequence in the dark that's illuminated by flashes. Another sequence looks exactly like the standard comic-book panel where all the lights are out apart from a spotlight and the camera is pulled far back. There are comic book panels to direct us through the timeline of the story and an animated comic book drawn by John Romita Jr, artist of the original book. Yet I never felt this was too heavy, too distracting into the 'reality' of the film.

I enjoyed it. It was serious but not too serious. It was funny but not too funny. It references 'real' comic-books without getting lost in anything too much.

Recommended.