I have to admit I approached Kick-Ass with some trepidation. Moviegoers have been burned so many times recently with films that had great trailers, images and hype, but which were decidedly underwhelming when you actually got to see them. I’m more than pleased to report then, that Kick-Ass is not one of those films.
The superhero movie has reached something of a stalemate of late, either being incredibly dark and ponderous, or so light and breezy they’ve tipped into farce, so Kick-Ass proposes something new – a film that’s character driven, balls-out action entertainment, loving homage, parody and which feels as if it’s doing something fresh and new. In the process it manages to get close to what many directors have spent the last few years trying to do, which is to actually feel like a comic – if a very violent and profane comic – while never forgetting it’s a film. It’s a joyful reminder that superhero movies can be extremely good without feeling the need to be portentous (in fact Kick-Ass has a lot of fun with the deflating the solemn meta-urges of the likes of Spider-man).
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a typical high school kid, with the usual problems – lack of a girlfriend, too much schoolwork – who decides that loving comic books isn’t enough. Taking a green wetsuit he buys online, Lizewski modifies it into a costume and dubs himself Kick-Ass, the newest superhero on the block. Of course there’s one problem, he hasn’t been bitten by a genetically modified spider, been exposed to gamma rays, and he’s not even a billionaire industrialist – he lives in the real world and so his lack of superpowers means that his first day on the job results in the lengthy hospital stay.
Undeterred, Dave is soon back on the streets, and this time he’s even got some ‘superpowers’, as his injuries have left his nerves deadened, and he’s got metal holding his legs together (and obvious nod to Wolverine). When a successful rescue ends up on Youtube, he’s inundated with requests from a curious public. This attracts the attentions of two other masked vigilantes, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his 11-year-old daughter, Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), while Kick-Ass starts to inspire others and meets another fledgling superhero, Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).
All this do-gooding soon starts causing the bad guys to get annoyed, most notably mob boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), who’s less than pleased that a load of people in silly costumes are trying to destroy his criminal empire, so he hatches a plan to stop them.
Although many have said Kick-Ass is a superhero movie set in the real world, it isn’t really. It’s closer to our world than most comic-book flicks, but it’s still very much a heightened reality. And that’s to the good, as it allows for OTT action and blood-letting, while the witty script comments on the realities of superhero life in a way that feels far more true-to-life than most comic book flicks.
The script is great, with just enough Superbad-style geek banter, mixed with witty asides, loving parody of superhero movies and a joy in defying genre conventions while paying homage to them. In fact the thing that stands out beyond anything else, is that this is a comic book flick that is genuinely funny – not in a cheesy, vaguely amusing way (like Fantastic Four), but in a laugh-out-loud way that’s irreverent but never seems to be taking the piss out of the genre.
A lot of credit also has to go to the cast. Aaron Johnson may occasionally tip towards seeming smug as Dave Lizewski, but most of the time he carries the right amount of enthusiasm and pathos to pull it off. His character goes on a great journey through the film and Johnson never forgets he’s playing an awkward teen who wants to be a superhero, and therefore isn’t like Superman or Batman. It would have been easy to try and make Kick-Ass seem too cool, but Johnson plays it well (although admittedly it is difficult to look cool while wearing a green wetsuit, not matter how hard you try) so that by the end you’ll be cheering him on.
It’s also the best thing Nicolas Cage has done in years. Nic took the role because he love comic books, and shows just the right level of sadness and bravado as Damon Macready/Big Daddy, a man pushed to the edge and ready to fight back. In some ways he has the toughest job in the film, because as the father of the 11-year-old fist of fury that is Hit Girl, their relationship could have come across as perverse and slightly cruel, but both Cage and Moretz play it perfectly and end up as the emotional heart of the film. He’s also very funny, giving Big Daddy a voice that’s deliberately reminiscent of Adam West’s 1960s Batman.
It is undoubtedly Hit Girl that most people will remember from the film though. It’s difficult to think of another movie that’s given such a young character free rein to utter the filthiest of swear words and get involved in the sort of riotous cartoon violence on display here. From her blood-drenched first appearance, she is both the most outlandish and memorable of Kick-Ass’ characters, thanks in no small part to a bravura performance from young Chloe Moretz. Hit Girl’s story is sometimes pretty dark, but her youthful exuberance, and even an odd kind of innocence (despite the violence and cursing), mean it’s difficult not to root for her.
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Kick-Ass may not be set in the real world, but it feels like it is because the characters are authentic, so that even a Daily Mail-baiting creation like Hit Girl is genuine and sympathetic. The film’s other claim to reality is that it deals with the consequences of the characters action far more than most superhero flicks. It’s a film that revels in slow-mo fighting and blood-letting, but at the end always reminds you that while it might look cool, there are potential terrible costs.
Director Matthew Vaughn show such a level of conviction in both the characters and their emotional journey, that’s it’s easy to see why this is being called a ‘real’ superhero movie. No matter how daft the situations get (and some are a little silly), these are human beings who you genuinely end up caring for.
However perhaps the reason Kick-Ass works so well is that there’s a point to everything it does. A comic book movie filled with knowing nods to previous comic book movies could come across as either pretentious or smug, but here it makes perfect sense because its previous incarnations of superheroes that the characters are modelling themselves on. It’s a film that takes comic books seriously, while also having a lot of fun with them. Likewise, a superhero flick full of Superbad style teen exchanges could have been farcical, but thanks to an acid wit and genuine interest in and empathy for the characters, it underlines the real, everyday (and not so everyday problems) problems Dave and co. face.
If nothing else, Kick-Ass is a funny, action-packed, full-throttle work from a bunch of people who’ve allowed their creativity to run riot, while never forgetting to make a movie people will actually want to watch. It’s geeky, but not so obsessive that’ll it’ll alienate the casual comic book fan. Most of all though, it’s just hell of a lot of fun.
Kick-Ass is such as bold statement on the comic book movie and its importance to popular culture, becoming an almost counter-culture take on the genre. In fact despite having been made outside the studio system, I’d be surprised if Hollywood didn’t start lining up their own Kick-Asses pretty soon (and with the Spider-man reboot taking Peter Parker back to high school, it seems Sony already is).
The film is already being called the future of the superhero movie, and while the jury may be out on quite how influential it’ll actually be, it’s a wonderful reminder that comic book movies can push the boundaries, be fun without being stupid, be action-packed without looking like the whole thing was computer animated, and that they don’t have to treat characterisation as if it’s a dirty word.
Overall Verdict: It may be obvious to say Kick-Ass isn’t just the title but a good description of the movie, but it’s true.
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
