They can’t read your mind.
They can’t see through walls.
They can’t fly.
But they can kick your ass — or at least die trying. Based on the comic book of the same name, “Kick-Ass” is the story of everyday people with no supernatural abilities donning masks to fight crime. But “Kick-Ass” is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill superhero film. It’s excessively profane, seeping with gratuitous violence and seriously lacking moral fiber, but it’s because this film is so outrageously wrong that it works, delivering a winning one-two punch of comedy and action.
Yet, the film’s crude content should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen the red band trailer or heard any of the resulting controversy. The film was attacked by some for its unabashed display of violence and profanity, especially the killing and use of the word “cunt” delivered by Chlo? Moretz, who was only 11 years old during filming. Sure, it’s probably for the best that kids aren’t running around killing and swearing in public, but this is an R-rated movie and its uncivilized edge is what makes it different from all the other superhero films out there — you’re not going to see Superman or Batman cursing profusely and mercilessly butchering bad guys. It’s like the film’s main character says, “With no power comes no responsibility.”
That character is Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson, “Nowhere Boy”), an average high school student and comic book fan who decides on a whim to buy a green scuba suit costume and fight crime like his favorite superheroes — despite possessing none of the same qualities. Although his first attempt results in a near-death trip to the hospital, Lizewski, or Kick-Ass, becomes a YouTube sensation after a video of him stopping a mugging is uploaded to the Internet, inspiring a father-daughter team (Nicolas Cage as Big Daddy, “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call — New Orleans” and Moretz as Hit-Girl, “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) and the outcast son of a mobster (Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist, “Year One”) to suit up as well.
Although writer/director Matthew Vaughn, who teams up again with his “Stardust” co-writer Jane Goldman to pen the screenplay, creates a colorful cast of costumed characters and a buzzy script that draws humor from an accurate parody of today’s social climate and kitschy dialogue, writer Mark Millar (who also created the “Wanted” comic that the 2008 film of the same name is loosely based on) and illustrator John Romita, Jr. deserve most the credit since their comic’s captivating dialogue and imagery greatly eased the task of adaptation. Props still go to Vaughn, though, for his thrilling use of cinematography and efficient pacing and for not screwing up a good thing, despite his anemic directorial r?sum? that consists only of the lackluster “Stardust” and the forgettable indie “Layer Cake.”
Yet when it comes down to it, a superhero film, no matter how atypical, only survives if its characters are worth investing in, something Vaughn understands well as his unconventional groups of heroes are without-a-doubt the film’s focus.
Having to tone down his good looks to portray Lizewski, Johnson, a 19-year-old British import who has only recently started appearing in American films, nails the nerdy charm needed to fill the boots of Kick-Ass. It’s Moretz, though, who steals the spotlight as the spunky, ass-kicking tomboy, Hit-Girl. Her switch from sweet little girl to profanity-laced killer is effortless throughout the film and her loving father-daughter chemistry with Cage is endearingly spot-on, making even Cage bearable onscreen — quite an accomplishment for any actor regardless of age.
Although he plays the same role that he did in “Superbad” and “Role Models,” Mintz-Plasse keeps the laughs coming as he tries to win the approval of his father and join the family business. While it would be a much-needed breath of fresh air to see McLovin take on something new, he’s done well sticking to what he’s good at and this film is no different. As a whole, the film isn’t a total knockout — the plot could use some beefing up to better fill the time between action scenes — “Kick-Ass” definitely packs a punch. It may be unreasonably over-the-top when it comes to violence and profanity, but this foul-mouthed bastard child of typical superhero flicks is not only timely, but also jam-packed with humor and action that will appeal to more than just fanboys. In the end, “Kick-Ass” is living proof that sometimes something can be so bad that it’s good.
3 1/2 stars out of 5.
