Kick-Ass

You know that rare feeling... happens every year or so... when you pour out of the cinema SO excited at the film you've just watched, and every other word is "ohmygodilovedtwithbitwherethey"? Well 'Ding', Kick ass hits that sweet spot. Comprising teen comedy, kick-ass action (sorry) and a healthy dose of comic book style violence and gore, it rocks.

It's Superbad meets Kill Bill.

The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the comic book, and where tweaks have been made, they make the plot more robust for the audience to empathise with.

Kick-ass is stylish, fun, daring, and the dark surprise of violence and gore kept the balance of comic teen angst fresh: a delicious perk me up when you were settling into comedy mode. There was never a dull moment in the pace of the film, never a flimsy plot point, and actually the audience guffawed their way through the film. Did I mention it has a cool soundtrack to boot? I've already got it on my Phone.

I saw the previews for this and thought this was going to be one of those slapstick stupid comedy movies (Superbad, Super Hero Movie). I came on IMDb and saw the rating and the reviews and I thought I'd reconsider after doing some research on this. I was very wrong with my initial assessment. Yes, there's some teen comedic elements to this movie, but the movie flowed perfectly. Great Soundtrack, great fight scenes, acting was good, story was great and original. With a current IMDb rating of 8.3 as I write this, look's like I'm not alone on how I rated this movie. Show stealer was definitely Hit Girl. I foresee her having a huge career. Possibly the next Natalie Portman. Reminded me of Natalie's role in Leon. Which leads me to my next point. Unless you're into comic books, video games, in your teens/20's/30's and don't have a young kid, you might be taken aback that a little 11 year old girl is killing people and using bad words. For those that gave this a bad review because of that, do some research on a movie before you go see something that you think you won't like. I hate musicals and I'm not going to pay 10 bucks to see High School Musical and then come in here and complain that there was too much singing and dancing. It's clearly geared at a older teen/young adult audience and is rated R, what did you expect. In closing, one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen.

"Why hasn't anyone become a superhero?"

That question is at the heart of Matthew Vaughn's "Kick-Ass", a deconstructionist superhero movie that sees awkward teenager Dave (Aaron Johnson) actually don the spandex and venture out onto the rooftops ... who then proceeds to promptly gets his ass kicked on more than one occasion.

But the question gets away from Vaughn, as the movie introduces a larger narrative and centers on a violent pre-teen girl (Chloe Moretz) who, as the sidekick to the Batman-esque Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), eschews a normal childhood in favor of ACTUALLY kicking ass.

For the most part, it's a fun ride. Cage gleefully chews the scenery in his gun-wielding Batman ripoff role (complete with Adam West dialogue impersonation). "Kick-Ass" features more bloody fight scenes than you can shake a stick at, with Moretz doing most of the anatomical damage. And unless you're Roger Ebert, there's some deliciously twisted humor to be found in those ass-kickings. And Mark Strong shines as the big bad guy crime boss (unexpectedly hilarious).

There are moments of adolescent angst, the "hero" actually does get the girl (not really a spoiler, here) and the words, "With no power comes no responsibility" are actually uttered. What better time for this movie's release than at the height (I hope) of Hollywood's superhero fetish.

7/10

It has been a long time since I have left a screening with endorphins pumping through my body and the strong urge to learn a martial art but Kick-Ass did exactly that; I felt like I could take on the world! An explosive ride that covers insane action sequences, intelligent superhero parodies and intense dramatic turns, Kick-Ass is a welcome addition to the realm of the comic-book movie.

I was initially sceptical about the prospect of watching another superhero spoof movie, most recent attempts at the genre have been abysmal, but Kick-Ass completely transcends its predecessors through the use of intelligent pastiche which drives the story forward as well as providing laughs. The brilliantly choreographed action scenes would not feel out of place in a Spiderman film, or even a Tarantino script, in fact it feels like Spiderman and Kill Bill were put into a blender and Kick-Ass was the end result.

The story focuses on Dave Lizewski, your average teenage nerd, whose obsession with comic books inspires him to create his very own superhero, Kick-Ass, despite his discernible lack of superpowers. Dave's attempts to become a vigilante crime fighter initially end in disaster but in the process of rescuing a cat his luck changes, propelling him into the public limelight and establishing him as a figure to be reckoned with.

It is not long before other vigilantes surface, some desperate for the fame and attention, others out for revenge, and when Kick-Ass becomes embroiled in a crime lords devious plans, we are treated to a number of intense melees that gradually escalate in size and repercussions for those involved. There has been some controversy over the graphic violence depicted in these scenes, especially as the trailer is intended to appeal to a fairly young audience, and that comes as no surprise when a pre-teen girl decapitates villains on screen and uses the c*** word. Controversy aside, I cannot deny that this was very entertaining.

Chloe Moretz easily steals the show as Hit Girl - the incredibly volatile young superhero with a penchant for explicit language, which will surely propel her into the realms of stardom. Nicolas Cage is surprisingly effective as her doting father, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is ever watchable as Red Mist. However it is Aaron Johnson who shows the most promise as Kick-Ass, with his convincing turn from a bumbling student to a brave and reckless crime fighter marking him as a talent to watch out for.

An essential part of the film is its eclectic soundtrack, with choice tracks taken from excellent films such as 28 Days Later and For a few dollars more. Usually I would be concerned at such a prospect but the Kick-Ass soundtrack adapts the tracks brilliantly, making them feel like its own, alongside great songs from The Prodigy and Sparks to name a few. The choice of music fits perfectly with the high-octane action sequences and even adds emotional depth to key scenes - not bad for a superhero comedy movie!

Kick-Ass is that rarest of films, a successful hybrid of two genres that delivers an almost perfect cinematic experience. My only criticism would be that some sequences near the end were slightly far-fetched but in a film where suspension of belief is required, maybe I'm being a little harsh. This is an essential film for all cinema-goers, catch it on the big screen and I guarantee you will be completely immersed in the explosive yet entertaining world of Kick-Ass

9/10

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Special, Spiderman, The Dark Knight and Superbad

Mark Millar whom started out in the British Comic Book industry, writing for 2000AD and Sonic the Comic has become one of the biggest comic book writers around, writing for Marvel and DC with major characters like Spider-man, X-Men, Wolverine and Superman, before being able to create his own comics. His first film adaptation was the weak, dumbed down version of the Matrix, Wanted: but luckily Kick-Ass is a lot better.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a typical New York teenager, who is a comic-book fan, and not in any particular group in High School. He is ignored by girls, including Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca), the girl he fancies. Dave however fantasises about what it would be like to be a superhero and he makes an effort to make it happen. After his first attempt at vigilante justice Dave ends up having a big accident and his nerve endings are damage. But this gives him a high pain threshold and after being videotaped fighting three men at once Dave becomes a internet sensation and his alter-ego, Kick-Ass is born. But Dave as Kick-Ass gets in over his head when he meets two real heroes, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage), and his young girl Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz), a brilliant martial artist and skilled assassin. Big Daddy sets out to bring down the crime lord Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), taking down his organisation from the bottom up. As Kick-Ass Dave is brought into their violence world. As well as these superhero actives Dave has to hide his identity, whilst using his fame in the internet age to help people out through Myspace. He also finally get's Katie's attentions, but for all the wrong reasons.

The director Matthew Vaughn had been touted to direct comic book conversions before. He was offered the chance to do X-Men: The Last Stand but left because of the rushed production and weak script, and missed out on directing Thor when his script turned out would have cost too much. He has proved to be a skilled director, having done the great gangster film Layer Cake and the fun fantasy romp Stardust. With Kick-Ass he is able to make a stylist, colourful comic-book conversion. It is fast-paced, action-packed, violence and very funny throughout. Vaughn was able to make a live action comic, with stylist vision trick, compared to Ang Lee who tried and failed with Hulk. An excellent film in vain of Frank Miller films like Sin City and 300. Vaughn shows how an action sequence should be directed, with Hit-Girl and her wide range of weapons making excellent viewing. Vaughn made the film like a violence parody of Spider-man, following similar plot elements, scenes like Dave designing his costume, having a similar score and basically plays on wider superhero conventions. But this was a parody which pays tribute and respects the genre it's lampooning, not aiming for cheap laughs.

Aaron Johnson offers an excellent performance as Dave/Kick-Ass. He is like Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker, going through similar issues, using a voice-over throughout the film, and even sounds like Maguire. He is an actor with a bright future ahead of him. Vaughn is able to assemble a good supporting cast. Nicholas Cage is a known superhero fan and he missed out playing both Iron Man and Superman in the past. He is excellent as the man of action as Big Daddy, and is a deranged but loving father. He is one an important quest to take down Frank D'Amico. Mark Strong has been making headway in Hollywood recently, being in films like Body of Lies and Sherlock Holmes. He plays an effective villain, a gangster slowly becoming more violence and erratic because of the Kick-Ass phenomenon. He too is a deranged and loving father despite his business. But the real star out of the supporting actors is Chloe Moretz as the foul month 11-year-old assassin who is hard as nails, but also at times a sweet-natured girl and it is wonderfully played when the two characteristics are compared. She is one of the most fun characters in a film this year.

Kick-Ass is not perfect, and it will not cater to everyone's tastes, but it is easily one of the most fun films of 2010.