Film Review: Kick-Ass

Based on the comic book by Mark Millar, Kick-Ass is the newest film from Matthew Vaughan (Stardust, Layer Cake).

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a high school kid who doesn't fit really into any circles. Not a jock and not a nerd he just hangs out at a comic book store with his friends. One day he decides to become a super hero, mainly because he can't understand why no one else has done so.

This starts a chain reaction of trouble involving mobsters, drug dealers and actual superheroes...

After a run in with some drug dealers Lizewski (or Kick-Ass) runs into Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her father (Nicolas Cage) out for revenge against the mob boss (Mark Strong, who appears to be the villain in almost every film this year!).

The star of the show is undoubtedly Moretz as the foul mouthed Hit Girl whose opening line (as her masked persona) "Okay you cunts...let's see what you can do now" may well go down in the annals of film history, and as true identity Mindy McReady hits every emotional point you could imagine. Even though she is performing near-heresy by starring in the 'Let The Right One In' remake 'Let Me In', the kid has a bright future.

Another shocker is Nicolas Cage's return to form. Years of trash like Knowing, Bangkok Dangerous, Next, Ghost Rider, The Wicker Man...I could go on...but he is outstanding as Damon Macready or Big Daddy. A scene explaining the cause for Macready going after the mob is acted superbly by Cage and when he dons the suit he just does Adam West's Batman. It is a truely outstanding performance and coupled with the forthcoming 'Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans" this could truly be the year Cage gets his groove back.

Aaron Johnson is great as Kick-Ass also. It's one thing to watch a film and just laugh along with it and it's characters but it takes a lot of great writing and great performances to really feel for the characters and Johnson's performance (as well as Moretz' in particular) really make that happen. I don't cheer in the cinema but it happened twice!

Also worth kudo's is McLovin' himself Christopher Mintz -Plasse really moving away from that role somewhat as Mark Strong's son/self appointed 'hero' Chris D'amico/Red Mist.

To echo almost every other review going Kick-Ass is a blast. The Daily Mail actually published a review which actually said "Paedophiles are going to love her" and then goes on to publish statistics about underage sex around the world. I suggest you check it out - it is hilarious.

At the end of the day the films most important commodity is its heart. You care about the characters through all their ups and downs. And its a great laugh too.

*****

An absolute blast. It wasn't quite going to get the full 5, but the fact that it got a great performance out of Nicolas Cage warrants it an extra star. Go see it right now!