Since Bryan Singer’s X-Men revitalized the genre in 2000, audiences have been subjected to a never-ending barrage of comic book inspired films. In just ten years, it’s a fair assessment that we’ve reached a level of superhero fatigue. But while studios run out of A-list heroes to cast in their tentpole projects, Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, based on a relatively low-profile comic book, adds a fresh and unique entry to the category. The film excels at balancing satire with a legitimately compelling superhero origin tale.
Kick-Ass takes a simple question and explores it to its fullest potential: What if an ordinary kid actually attempted to be a vigilante crime fighter? Aaron Johnson stars as Dave Lizewski, the teenager who asks this and eventually becomes the title character. As Dave/Kick-Ass hones his crime fighting skills, he encounters a father-daughter tag team (Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz) while becoming the target of the city’s crime kingpin (Mark Strong).
Director Matthew Vaughn has proven himself as a capable and confident director with Layer Cake, and Kick-Ass allows him to have even more fun than his debut film. Vaughn’s high energy style fits the tone and material perfectly. There are obvious echoes to previous genre entries, with Dave’s neighborhood being very reminiscent of Peter Parker’s in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films. There are plenty of memorable sequences in the film, and thankfully the whole is at least equal to the sum of its parts. Although the film generally follows a typical three-act structure, the film keeps you on your feet as it mixes dark wit with tangible danger. The film isn’t based firmly in reality, yet Vaughn’s world feels alive and unpredictable.
Aaron Johnson’s portrayal of the protagonist couldn’t be better. Admittedly, it’s not a showy part, but Johnson is adept at being geeky, vulnerable, and likable... as close to a real teen in recent memory. The showy part belongs to Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy, who after a string of face-palms adds a solid film to his credit. Much has been said about his fun Adam West impression, but at the core, it’s clear that Cage is just having a good time with the material and not merely picking up a paycheck. The controversy surrounding Chloe Moretz’s potty-mouthed homicidal Hit-Girl isn’t entirely unwarranted, but the young actress is clearly one to look out for in the future.
The film features a memorable soundtrack filled with popular songs and pieces from memorable scores. Ennio Morricone makes an appearance, and Vaughn uses a piece from John Murphy’s Sunshine soundtrack to perfect use in a climactic scene.
Like any movie, the film does have some flaws, one being Dave’s unconvincing motivation to become Kick-Ass. Dave’s curiosity and boredom doesn’t seem like enough to keep the character persistent, especially after facing the setbacks he encounters early on. Thankfully the film remedies this later in the film when the stakes are heightened. Also, the film’s final shot rang a little weak. Thematically it made complete sense yet didn’t seem like a satisfying or appropriate way to cap off the film.
Kick-Ass is a love letter to vigilante hero films. There were several moments where I imagined this being the approach Quentin Tarantino would take if he had a crack at making a superhero film. The film’s simultaneous celebration and poking fun at comic book films adds new life to the ailing genre. Much of this lies on the shoulders of Matthew Vaughn, who adds another solid film to his resume. The success of Kick-Ass makes me more curious as to what his X-Men 3 would have been like. While that film will never be, Kick-Ass is a worthy entry in the crowded superhero field that deserves to be seen.
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