Kick-Ass is one of the most gleefully irresponsible films I have ever seen. It is also one of the better ones in theatres this year. Like Watchmen before it, it applies the idea of the superhero to a realistic setting but, while Watchmen is set in an alternative version of the 1980s, Kick-Ass takes place in the age of YouTube. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) wonders why nobody has tried to don a cape and spandex and fight crime, so he goes out, gives it a try and becomes an internet celebrity. At the same time a father and daughter team (a not quite underwhelming Nicholas Cage and tween actress Chloë Moretz, respectively) and bored rich boy Chris D’Amico (McLovin’) do something similar. Sexy results abound.
The film’s premise is easily its strongest point and it clearly owes a lot to its source material (a series of Marvel comics). Its events are mostly plausible and always fun. The performances are all decent but Moretz is definitely the star, convincingly doing and saying things that no 11-year-old should do or say. The soundtrack and action sequences are mostly conventional but don’t detract from the success of the film.
However, as mentioned, it is an incredibly irresponsible film. Even though it contains large doses of sex, violence and swearing, it is unlikely that these are solely enough to justify its R18 rating. I think the rating comes from the fact that it makes vigilante crime look achievable and decidedly awesome. While I am by no means justifying it (see how I just covered my ass, now nobody will suspect me when Triceratops-man takes to the streets of Timaru), I am pretty sure that we will see some copycat acts in the media. I am also unsure how responsible it is to show a pre-teen girl cutting off limbs, regardless of how good her performance is.
However, provided nobody under 18 sees this film and minimal people (especially not homicidal Miley Cyrus fans) try to imitate it, it definitely works. It doesn’t reinvent the superhero subgenre, but it is a very legitimate entry into the canon. Go see it and enjoy it, but please, don’t try it at home.
KICK-ASS
Directed by Matthew Vaughn