A Review of Kick-Ass

“Kick-Ass” is based off a graphic novel by the same name written by Mark Millar, who has gained acclaim from another adaptation of his work called “Wanted” starring Angelina Jolie. As comic book writers go Mark Millar would definitely be one of my favorites. His portfolio includes Red Son Superman, Wanted, Civil War, and his current project of Nemesis. The stories that he creates are amazing and raw which I appreciate in a medium that is looked down upon for being “only for children.” After that small tangent, back to the film review.
As films go, “Kick-Ass” was solid. It had good visuals, a bumping soundtrack and plenty of gore. This movie definitely warranted its R rating but I would expect nothing less from someting based off a Mark Millar piece. There is a lot of blood and the language is very crude so if you are offended by that sort of thing I would advise against this film. Matthew Vaughn brought in to direct. He also directed Layer Cake and Stardust, two other great films. He does a good job creating a simulacrum of the comic while putting new spin on it. Relative unknowns Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz both deliver good performances but Moretz’s Hit-Girl stole the show and rightly so. Nicolas Cage hasn’t brought much to the table lately but this time he managed to find an odd niche. His dual attitudes as a cliche doting suburban father to his Adam West inspired Big Daddy, Cage shows that he can create a crazy character on purpose and do it well. Christopher Mintz-Plasse appears opposite Johnson and brings a touch of popular culture with him. His performance is satisfactory but he seems to be chosen for his connection to recent popular films.
The sequel is already planned and it seems another comic will be coming out as well. Here’s hoping they can keep this interesting franchise continuing strong.