Born Movie Reviews

Movie Review written by: Born Movie Reviews

RT Critics Rating: 7.7/10

Born Movie Reviews' Rating: 8/10

Yes, I too am tired of superhero movies coming out practically every month. So why not tackle the idea of vigilantes and put it in smaller lower-budget movies? With little to no special effects, what can you possibly have? You have good characters, an interesting concept, brilliant writing, and an exaggeratingly entertaining sense of not holding back its adult content. Kick-Ass is a superhero movie that thinks outside of the "superhero cliche" box, breaking the rules of comics by being an "anti-comic."

Let me start by saying that I do not care a bit about the controversy that the film stirs. In agreeing with Mark Keizer and Wade Major, the violence and profanity is obnoxiously entertaining. Kick-Ass does not just deserve its R-rating, it earned its R-rating. This is a bloody brutal movie with does not shy away from pervasive language, and the funniest thing about it is all of these adult content comes from an eleven-year old girl...

Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a socially awkward teenager who sets out to become a real-life superhero, under the alias of "Kick-Ass." After fighting against a group of gang members, Dave finds his vigilante name becoming the most viral thing on the news, exploding views on YouTube and earning followers on his social network. However, as a result, he finds himself caught in a bigger fight when he meets Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), a former cop who, with his trained daughter Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), longs to take down the drug lord Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong) and his son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

The world that the characters live in is surprisingly believable, as if the film is adapted from a graphic novel (That was before I realized Kick-Ass was actually a graphic novel). In terms of characterizations, Dave is a simple human being, easy to follow, and easy to agree with. With crime going around in alleys and streets, you would think somebody would stand up and fight. The interesting thing, though, is Kick-Ass does not know how to fight at all, but he becomes an inspirational force for other true fighters to stand up and let their voices be heard. To quote TIME Magazine, "[the film] soars, jet propelled, on its central idea of matching a superhero's exploits with the grinding reality of urban teen life and on the aerodynamic smoothness of the film's style."

Big Daddy and Hit-Girl's chemistry is wild cinematic gold, one of the most rauciously entertaining duos in years. The very first scene where you see the two together at a river basin is probably the best moment in the entire film. Even better, the film's irony and outlandish tone brings back everything we loved about Nicolas Cage. As for Moretz, this is indeed the film that put her on the map. It is very interesting how a young actress must first be vulgar and twisted to be known in Hollywood.

The most intriguing thing about Kick-Ass is that through Vaughn's direction, the entire film has a funny sense of satirizing contemporary action film cliches, deconstructing the superhero myth with a quirky punky tone. At the same time, it treats its characters with much realism. Just like how New York Magazine describes it, "Kick-Ass is a compendium of all sleazy things, and it sings like a siren to our inner Tarantinos." Though it stands as a very cynical film, it is loudly terrific with so much energy, enjoyable in, as Wade Major describes it, "a cathartic politically incorrect way."

The film is surely going to offend many audience members, but in terms of filmmaking, it is so refreshingly original because it breaks all rules of a manufactured Hollywood film. Practically every action film today is chained by certain marketing techniques or demographic techniques. Kick-Ass is an energetic beast that successfully broke its chains Tarantino-style. For the shocked viewers, you have the right to be shocked. For the other viewers who are seeking something completely exhilarating and innovative, let Kick-Ass consume you.

In conclusion, Kick-Ass is a film not for the faint of heart, but it is so stylishly told in a gleeful manner. Do not judge the film by its cover, for it is loaded with heavy violence, drugs, adult content, and profanity. However, because of its originality and fresh direction, the film comes forth at a lightning fast pace with an edge, and you will enjoy the hell out of it once you know the entire point of the film -- it is one of the most iconoclastic films ever made.