Kick-Ass (2010)
showed the journey of one ordinary teenage kid wondering what it would really be like if someone just put on a
costume and went out as a superhero to fight crime, whilst also showing the
flipside that sometimes you have to be insane to actually do that, as
demonstrated by Nicolas Cage’s character.Three years on we are presented with
a sequel, which is unfortunately missing the two best things of the previous
film: the director, Matthew Vaughn, and Nicolas Cage. Well here’s hoping for
the best…
The film takes place sometime after the first one, with
Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in high school, now extremely bored since he
hung up his costume and life of crime fighting so he teams up with various
other heroes (notably Jim Carrey and Scrubs’
Donald Faison). Hit Girl, or Mindy Mcreedy (Chloe Grace Moretz), the
teenage assassin vigilante who was trained growing up by none other than her
father Nick Cage, is now starting high school, and immediately feels alienated
in this world she encounters. Finally, Christopher Mintz-Plasse returns as the
son of the crime boss that was ‘blown up with a bazooka’ by Kick-Ass in the
previous film, so he’s intent on seeking revenge by becoming a supervillain
whose name is unrepeatable.
So there we have our three subplots, Kick-Ass in the crime
fighting team called Justice Forever, Hit Girl in high school and the
supervillain-who-has-a-rude-name’s quest for revenge. Quite different, aren't
they? There’s this underlying problem that they don’t really work together.
There’s a point where they quite clearly merge, but that doesn't mean that
everything up to that point has worked in sync with the others perfectly. That
said each of those segments are great. The team of oddball superhero-wannabes
work greatly together, mainly thanks to Jim Carrey’s wacky born again Christian
ex-mafia henchman Colonel Stars and Stripes, who sort of fills in the large
Nick Cage-shaped hole that is quite obvious from the start. The band of foul
mouthed and equally foul named supervillains are quite good, delivering one or
two actual humourless poignant dramatic scenes that help to reinforce the
characters.
What’s the best is Hit Girl’s high school drama though, with
her story literally a carbon copy of Mean
Girls. That’s not a bad thing in any way, it’s great to see this character
who we know from the last movie in such a hostile, unknown and threatening
environment, also delivering some great jokes about high school girls, none of
which I can confirm though.
The film itself is absurd. Not absurd like the first one,
but completely ridiculous in a way that it’s brilliant, almost like a natural progression from the first. It’s never entirely
gratuitous and manages to stay on the right edge of funny without delving into
gross-out or boring. That said, it’s quite stupid, obvious and hilarious in
such a knowing manner that it makes the film’s message all the more clearer, if anyone did this in real life it would be
so stupid and the most ridiculous thing ever.
This means we’re presented
with a superficial layer of entertainment and hilarity but also an underlying
message that this level of absurdity is close to the actual concept of people
going out and becoming superheroes in real life. The message may seem oblivious
to some and more subtle to others, and some people may not see it at all. I
dunno, it may not even be there. It’s just what I thought. It’s not all ridiculous though. The film manages to give us
some actually moving and dramatic character moments for the main cast, most of
which work remarkably well and managing to develop the characters in a way that
the first movie may not have succeeded in doing.
One thing that has to be said about Kick-Ass, it has a great score. The music manages to bring about
this sense of heroism and glee that makes even the most ridiculous scenes make
you feel awesome. If you watched the movie with different or no music, you’d
see what I mean, it just wouldn't work.
Kick-Ass 2 is
obviously a more adult superhero flick. With bloody violence, very strong
language and some of the most ludicrous profanity-filled names you've seen (if
you thought the name Kick-Ass was bad, you’re in for a treat) it definitely
won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But for fans of the first one and for those
with an open mind to all of the above, it’s a funny, slick, surprisingly moving
flick that’s incredibly enjoyable and equally insane.
Needs more Nicolas Cage though.
I give Kick-Ass 2 3.5 stars out of 5
And if your still undecided, here's the trailer for Kick-Ass 2:
What did you think of Kick-Ass 2? Did you prefer it over the first film? Let us know below.
