Roger Ebert calls KICK-ASS reprehensible. He’s probably right. But you know what? It KICKS ASS!
Yes, Kick-ASS is a violent, foul mouthed, irreverent movie. It puts young people in peril and has them saying and doing awful things. Based on the Mark Millar / John Romita Jr comic book, the movie tells the story of semi-dorky Dave Lizewski, a regular kid, who reads comics and likes girls and loves boobs and reads comics. He decides he could put on a costume and fight crime. He’s wrong, but he’s kind of right, too. In the Matthew Vaughn directed flick, Dave sports a wet-suit and takes the name Kick Ass, and becomes an internet sensation. He meets up with a much more talented pair of costumed crimefighters named Big Daddy and Hit Girl, and eventually gets involved with yet another, Red Mist. All kinds of crazy things happen. Violent things. And often, funny things. But mostly violent things.
Dave, who’s blonde in the comics yet brunette here, is played very well by Aaron Johnson. Not only is he not blonde, but he’s not even American. You’d never tell though. He did a great job and is instantly likable in both personas.
Big Daddy is played with fervor by real life comic book geek Nicolas Cage. He’s way over the top in his two personas as well, especially as Big Daddy, who will remind you of a certain 60s tv caped crusader.
The movie might be called Kick-Ass and center around said character, but let’s face it, Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl steals the show. Imagine Matilda from The Professional after intense military combat training with Bruce Willis as her drill sergeant. Eleven (or twelve) year old Moretz does a great job. I’m curious to see how she handles the lead role in the American remake of Let The Right one In.
So yeah, Kick-Ass is a very violent flick, but the thing is, it’s not believable. It’s way over the top and in my opinion does not glorify violence or even the art of being a vigilante. I wouldn’t worry about young people dressing up and trying to clean up their streets. If the movie took a very serious tone and made it look easy, then maybe I can see adults taking issue with it. But it’s a comic book. Comics are like the internet, a lot of fun but don’t believe what you read.
I don’t know how close this is to the source material, because I’ve only read the very first issue and hardly remember it. If it’s anything like the last Millar comic that was adapted, WANTED, it’s very different. I don’t know. But this movie really is KICK-ASS.