Kick-Ass 2 Reviews

The first film was incredibly entertaining and a huge breath of fresh air. This sequel is not as bad as all that and there are far worse sequels about, in fact it is quite watchable, but compared to its predecessor it does fall well short. It's still slickly edited, the colours dazzle with no garishness or drabness, the costumes are still a lot of fun and the effects are incredible. The shaky cam while effective in some scenes was too much in others though. The music is breezy, adrenaline-pumping and catchy, if not quite as fitting as the soundtrack in the first. The witty, edgy humour and the (even more) violent, tense action sequences still remain and with little diminished impact, the climax is incredibly exciting. Admittedly some of it does get violent to the point of being too much to stomach for some, it wasn't a problem with me but parts could have toned down a tad. The dialogue is not as fresh as the first's but still quite witty and irreverent. It is the story where Kick Ass 2 falls down on most, it is lacking in the lively pace of the original, due to some overlong and draggy scenes, and there are a lot of tone shifts that are rather abrupt and awkwardly done, there is a bit of trying to do too much quality. The high school/trying to fit in subplot always is a nice idea but again very little fresh or interesting is done with it, it does drag the pace down with the most uninteresting scenes being to do with this particular subplot and it does feel out of sorts with the rest of the film. Of course there are enough fun, exciting and at times emotional moments but not enough to hide how problematic the story is. The supporting characters are colourful enough especially the main antagonist, Mother Russia and Colonel Stars and Stripes but the leads feel underdeveloped and not always easy to root for, certainly nowhere near as colourful, if anything while well played their personalities are bland. The acting is good enough, although John Leguizamo is very much wasted and Christopher Mintz-Plasse while fine as Chris over-compensates a little as the villain(I would say his name but the guidelines have a thing about prohibited words). Chloe Grace Moretz carried the film brilliantly though and Aaron Johnson is just as confident. Jim Carrey is also wonderfully refreshing and a more than pleasing presence. Overall, a watchable sequel but the first Kick Ass kicks ass much, much better. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I liked the first Kick-Ass. It was a nice blend of morbid content and gory fun. While the movie had tonal shifts that felt sort of uneven at times, I could still enjoy the film (for the most part anyway). So when they announced that a sequel was going to be made for it, of course I was going to wait in anticipation. I was just looking for a fun time at the movies. Instead, what I got was a film that didn't know what kind of tone it was going for.

Let me get this out of the way: Spoilers.

There, now we can continue.

And, while we're at it, let's get another thing out of the way: I did not like this movie.

"Why?"

Don't get me wrong, the film definitely has its "Fuck yeah!" moments. There is a lot of fun to be had with this movie including Jim Carrey playing as Colonel Stars & Stripes. However, these awesome scenes are overshadowed by the more sick and twisted moments.

This is where the problem of tonal shifting comes from. You would probably be assuming that this sequel would be kind of like its predecessor: a sick and twisted thrill ride that you would occasionally come back to. But that is not the case here. The morbid moments (as few as they are,) are so dark and depressing they kind of suck the enjoyment out of the rest of the film. There was a rape joke in the movie where the Mother Fucker (main villain, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse) was going to rape one of the defeated members of Kick-Ass' team, but couldn't get his dick up. And you know, I would have laughed, but the events that preceded the joke were too dark for me to find it enjoyable. The movie just took the "humor" out of "dark humor."

The key to dark humor is that it needs a special charm to it. A charm that can be established when there is a balance of both fun and brutal realism aka a consistent tone. If there are some semi-serious moments in a comedy, don't make them so depressing that you can't balance the rest of the film out with fun parts. The film seems to weigh more on creating shock value, rather than entertaining its audience.

A few characters are killed off in the movie and they are characters you like. Jim Carrey's character, for example, gets his neck snapped only after we watch him brutally get the shit kicked out of him. Same thing pretty much happens with Kick-Ass' father. Sure there's this awesome finale at the end, but I could not stop thinking about all the disturbing scenes that led up to it.

I don't have a problem with black comedy. Hell, I love it. But I can't enjoy it when the tone isn't consistent. Again, the first movie, at least for the most part, knew what kind of film it wanted to be. Kick-Ass 2 is just confused.

I took time to review this movie after the watch. This movie was not what I expected, you know what the first installment was better than this sequel. This 'Kick-ass 2' had so many jokes which are adult comedies, sometime those were too disgusting especially the puking one, ew. Don't forget the powerful gangster Mark Strong, the villain of the first movie, that led the movie to its success. But in this part, there are many villains and too weak in strength, I think except the 'Mother Russia'. And other villains are hyped too much for their strength in the intro then they were no way near to as what they were supposed to. Too many bad words used in this movie compared to first which makes not a family and kids friendly movie, just like the 'Scary movie'. Of course it was R rated movie, just for your information.

The Jim Carrey's role was small but liked though expected lots more from him. When it comes to the story, it was not that great but okayish type, remember I loved first part story very much. 'Kick-Ass' was one of my favourite action movie, the end fights were breathtaking especially the bazooka and flying thing they used. In this story there are too many characters that use superhero costumes and too many superhero names which sometimes looks like some Halloween party. The main character 'Kick-Ass' was slightly disappears when other costume characters in action, that's so disappointing. On the other side of the story the 'Hit-Girl' meets 'Mean Girls' and that's an off the track of what this movie is supposed to be. Chloe was excellent, she was a little girl at first, now in this she has grown up and for the next she will be a woman. There was no time for character developments, totally randomized in its appearances, except the Mindy who gets the cooled portion of the movie but slightly drags her role with 'Mean Girls' stuff.

We can say this movie is kind of an American version of 'Crow Zero' with men and women in fancy dresses. This movie keeps you alive because of its adult comedies and of course the awesome stunts. I liked the movie but not as much of its first part. I felt somewhere between two movies the bridge misled us. Better the third one should be very appropriate for its title. I'll tell something that this movie will definitely entertain you, no doubt about that but it won't be your favourite product of the year. It is hard to recommend it for one, like I said if you need entertainment then go for it but don't expect like the first, it was more like a youngster's movie.

After watching 'Kick-ass' twice, I was still not sure what to make out of the whole thing but I still enjoyed most of it. Of course, since it quickly became a cult classic, it was pretty obvious that they would make a sequel but I was pretty sure it wouldn't be great, especially after the lukewarm reception. Eventually, it was not bad but certainly nothing brilliant. This time, they pretty much messed the tone. Indeed, at some points, it gets really serious and, a few minutes later, it becomes completely goofy. As a result, in the same movie, you have Chloe Grace Moretz who was almost playing in a drama and Jim Carrey who was completely over the top. In my opinion, they should have been dead on serious, making a really gloomy super-hero flick like 'The Dark Knight'. That would have been a nice surprise but I would have been probably the only one interested. Coming back to Jim Carrey, he did a decent job, as usual, but we barely got the time to get to know his character who was seriously underdeveloped. Moretz was really impressive and it was nice that her character was then 15 years old which felt less awkward than the 1st time around. I felt that Christopher Mintz-Plasse gave his best shot but he was never really convincing as super bad-guy. Eventually, there were some interesting ideas, there were some good laughs but the whole thing was really unbalanced. To conclude, I still think it remains a fun flick and it is worth a look, especially if you liked the previous installment but don't expect anything amazing.

"I try to have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Even though 2010's wonderfully entertaining superhero satire Kick-Ass underperformed at the box office, its cult status and strong critical acclaim guaranteed a sequel, which has at long last become a reality. With British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn electing for a producing role this time, Kick-Ass 2 was written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down), and luckily, the result is just as giddily enjoyable as its predecessor. With an R rating and most of the surviving cast returning, this is a fine follow-up beset with bloody beatings, foul language and even a bit of heart, making it a refreshing alternative to 2013's other superhero offerings. If you loved the first movie, you will almost definitely enjoy Kick-Ass 2. But if you didn't like the 2010 picture (and if this is the case, why the hell not?!), there's no talking to you.

Unsure about his abilities as a superhero, Dave/Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) asks 15-year-old Mindy/Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) to help him train and become his crime-fighting partner. She agrees, but this infuriates her guardian (Morris Chestnut), who wants Mindy to live a normal life, stay out of trouble, and focus on high school. Consequently, Dave joins a gang of superheroes led by Colonel Stars & Stripes (Jim Carrey), who call themselves Justice Forever. Meanwhile, Chris D'Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) vows to avenge the death of his mobster father, reinventing himself to become "The Motherfucker," a leather-clad supervillain looking to build an army of heavies to raise hell and defeat Kick-Ass. The Motherfucker and his Toxic Mega Cunts gang, including towering behemoth Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina), soon begin their reign of terror, hunting members of Justice Forever and threatening Dave's personal life, compelling Kick-Ass to ponder the real-life consequences of being a superhero.

Much like the original film, Kick-Ass 2 substantially deviates from the Mark Millar-written comic books to the extent that Wadlow's script bears almost no resemblance to the source. Happily, the alterations improve the movie and allow the production to stand as its own independent entity. If Kick-Ass 2 is not on the same level as its extraordinary predecessor, it's through no real fault of its own. Kick-Ass was just so much out of left field: an unpredictable, audacious and anarchic gem that defied expectations at every turn. The story of Kick-Ass 2 is more straightforward; the character arcs for Dave and Mindy are foreseeable, and there's a climactic battle that we all saw coming. Fortunately, it's the journey that matters the most, and Wadlow has created one hell of a ride. The picture moves at a brisk pace, and Wadlow's screenplay is beset with witty banter. Kick-Ass 2 is a frequently funny film; Mindy enjoys the art of post-mortem one-liners, Dave's interactions with his friends are hilarious, and Carrey gets a few funny lines to chew on. Wadlow's script does falter on a few accounts, however. The depiction of Mindy's school life is sloppy, leaning on ridiculous caricatures straight out of Mean Girls. It's not a deal-breaker, but the subplot should've been handled with more maturity and sophistication. Added to this, Dave's girlfriend Katie is suddenly tossed by the wayside for no real reason, which feels incredibly out of place.

Despite the change in directors and the multiple-year gap, Kick-Ass 2 feels like an incredibly organic continuation of the first film, with a similar look and feel making us believe that this is the same world. The studio reportedly trimmed the budget several times, bringing funding down to a scant $28 million (a little bit less than the first movie's $30 million price tag), but you would not guess it. Shot digitally with Arri Alexa cameras, Kick-Ass 2 carries an attractive look despite its meagre funding, and the special effects are terrific. Action scenes are fluid, inventive and fun, too. Perhaps nothing compares to the hugely inventive action beats of the original, but it's hard to complain about the set-pieces here, including a gleefully fun sequence spotlighting Mindy atop a van killing loads of hired goons. It's hard to imagine the technical execution being any better, a real credit to Wadlow's ability to do a lot with such little money. Fortunately, Kick-Ass 2 is as R-rated as its predecessor - the violent carnage and foul language remains refreshing in an age full of PG-13 superhero movies, and action fans seeking an R-rated fix will be in heaven here. Indeed, Kick-Ass 2 is not just for superhero enthusiasts but for anyone seeking a fun time.

Reprising the titular role, Taylor-Johnson continues to display great acting chops, though his geeky, awkward demeanour inherently means that he'll be again overshadowed by the supporting cast. And my word, the supporting cast here is something to behold. Young Moretz has lost none of her sass or manic energy as the scene-stealing Hit Girl, effortlessly earning big laughs. Moretz is also given more depth to deal with, and she does a superb job. It's Jim Carrey, however, that will get people talking. This is easily Carrey's best, most audacious performance in years, forgoing thankless kiddie stuff (let's forget about Mr. Popper's Penguins) to slide into a thoroughly adult role. He wears a mask and doesn't sound like himself, making this a welcomely unexpected turn from the actor. Mintz-Plasse also continues to impress, while returning cast members like Clark Duke effectively hit their marks. Perhaps the big unsung hero of the acting department is Garrett M. Brown as Dave's dad. He's not a main player, but he's such a warm, compassionate presence, coming off as a believable father figure. Brown deserves more credit than he gets.

The Justice Forever gang are all played well, with strong characterisations and warm performances, making them sufficiently sympathetic and likeable. On the other hand, The Motherfucker's Toxic Mega Cunts are shallow and one-dimensional, though that's the point since they're literally a bunch of hired goons in costumes. The exception is Mother Russia, played by bodybuilding champ Olga Kurkulina. She's a terrific find; an imposing presence and a decent actress who handles the physicality of the action set-pieces with utmost confidence. Now we wait and see which franchise picks up Kurkulina first - The Expendables or The Fast and the Furious.

Carrey spoke out against the movie a few months before its release, refusing to be involved in the promotional campaign due to a crisis of conscience. See, due to recent massacres (most notably Sandy Hook), Carrey felt he could not promote a movie with such violent content. But the actor is entirely off-base here since there's a fine line between fabricated movie violence and horrific real-life violence. Besides, Carrey's role is a born-again Christian who fights for good, punishing paedophiles and other scumbags, and the script actually explores the moral implications of violence. Controversy is nothing new for the Kick-Ass franchise, which received its fair share of flack in 2010 for depicting a 12-year-old Moretz killing bad guys and dropping c-bombs. But if you cannot watch the film in the proper mindset, don't watch it at all.

Kick-Ass 2 is, on the whole, a dark, viciously violent and gleefully irreverent affair, but it's a lot of fun to watch, and it has a sincerity beneath its lewd exterior to give it a degree of depth. There was no way it was going to top its magnificent predecessor, but Jeff Wadlow devises a sequel that's worthy of Kick-Ass, making it a glorious companion piece that in no way tarnishes the picture that spawned it. It's hard to imagine the wildly uneven 2013 summer season getting a better send-off.

7.9/10

The first film in what now appears to be Kick-Ass franchise surprised us all. It looked like a complete parody spoof of superhero films but the key to its success was its originality within plot and characters as well as creative and somewhat artistic visual style. It was entertainment at the highest standard and like many which achieve this, a sequel is irresistible to abandon. Judging from this sequel’s title, audiences were expecting exactly it suggests – superheroes kicking ass for a second time. Kick-Ass 2 proves itself to be just that and become a very enjoyable, hilarious and fun sequel. However, its biggest faults were that it lacks the smooth originality and tone which worked so impressively in the predecessor.


The majority of central crew members from Kick-Ass returned for this sequel but this time, we witnessed a new director’s angle on Mark Millar’s work. Matthew Vaughn crafted a simple yet visually artistic comic book adaptation with Kick-Ass in 2010. Jeff Wadlow, on the other hand becomes a convincing replacement as director of Kick-Ass 2. He individually wrote the sequel’s screenplay and successfully maintained the same hilarious, witty one-liners as well as further creativity within character and plot development. His screenplay was top-notch and as director, he fulfilled more traditional comic-book trends with more action and violence. On a similar note, it may have been extremely repetitive from its predecessor but that does not matter. It the sequel was less exciting, gruesome and funny, it would defeat the aim of the title and overall intention the film brings. In addition, its pacing and tone seemed somewhat unique at times as sequences kept jumping and further stories kept expanding. It appeared unusual to begin with but as the film continued, the pieces fitted.


The plot in Kick-Ass 2 becomes more serious than in its predecessor. Vaughn never aimed for the original film to appear emotional or tear-jerking but the implication of further dramatic concepts in Kick-Ass 2 added a sense of realism with morals behind them. This has often been the case with superhero sequels, such as The Dark Knight and Spider-Man 2. Still, on a more emotional level, Kick-Ass 2 is a story of self-discovery as it focuses on the meaning of superheroes, differences between their ordinary selves and their alter egos, the consequences of becoming a superhero and learning about who they really are. Audiences have got to know the characters and we have witnessed them fulfilling their destinies as superheroes but now we’ve seen that, it goes more in depth. Therefore, director Wadlow provides a different angle to Kick-Ass, Hit-Girl etc and Kick-Ass 2 becomes more of a traditional superhero film than a parody.


Even after three years since the first Kick-Ass film, Aaron Taylor-Johnson still appears the same as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass. As opposed to being a teenage geek in the first film, we see a Bruce Wayne/Peter Parker like Dave/Kick-Ass in this sequel. As previously stated, we follow Dave’s journey of self-discovery and once again, Taylor-Johnson delivers a great performance. Furthermore, after stealing the first film with her fantastic role as the foul-mouthed and badass Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl, Chloe Grace Moretz succeeds in this sequel. However, this time we see both a different Moretz and a different Hit-Girl. In between the two films, she has transformed from a little girl to a hormonal teenager. Hit-Girl was a controversial character in the first Kick-Ass but now she’s growing up, the character and actress has not gone to that extreme level and has perhaps become a joint protagonist.


Christopher Mintz-Plasse is just perfect for the role of Chris D’Amico as he goes from a nerdy Red Mist to the supervillain The Mother F***er. This re-invention is the perfect spoof towards supervillains as he aims to cause chaos and get revenge but the path to achieve it is pure laughter. Finally, Jim Carrey makes a cool appearance as Colonel Stars And Stripes. Similar to Nicolas Cage in the predecessor, Carrey stands out in Kick-Ass 2 as the Colonel was his coolest character in years. However, at times his character felt somewhat underused and he could have become someone so much more.


Kick-Ass 2 is a kick-ass sequel to a kick-ass predecessor. It may have had pacing issues and a slight lack of originality but it still delivered as a film of pure entertainment. The humour and violence were still the same and was not any more or any less funnier or gruesome than its predecessor. Jeff Wadlow perhaps was not going to portray the more creative and artistic form of Mark Millar’s comic book like Matthew Vaughn did, but his work was still impressive. Finally, now that Mark Millar has released the comic book of Kick-Ass 3, it will only be a matter of time before that film adaptation comes around. Until then and after two impressive instalments thus far, excitement for the third and perhaps final addition to the Kick-Ass series will be even higher.