Kick-Ass Kicks Ass Most Of The Time

Will I seem hopelessly square if I find “Kick-Ass” morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point? — Roger Ebert

Yeah, sort of. Kick-Ass is the kind of movie that if the critics who came out against an 11-year-old foul-mouthed crime fighter had their way, it would have been morally reprehensible. According to them, Hit-Girl needed to show remorse for busting up some bad guys to the theme song of the Banana Splits.

Let's face facts. One second of seriousness would have made this movie lame. The very nature of the entertainment is its unapologetic presentation of comic book mayhem. This is exactly why Chloe Grace Moretz (actually aged 13) steals most of the movie as Hit-Girl, every time she puts on the purple wig.

In fact, she has become iconic enough that Hit-Girl will be at the heart of the action. Right. While nothing is set in stone, franchise creator Mark Millar is happy to talk about a second installment as the growing post-theatrical release buzz is bigger than ever.

Kick-Ass 2 already has its own IMDB page, with interest skyrocketing as the post-theatrical release racks up even more interest and boatloads of fans. The flick could hit screens as early as 2012.

The Magic Of Kick-Ass Is That It Stomps On Convention.

Kick-Ass isn't a perfect movie. And director/producer Matthew Vaughn knows it, which is why he was originally reserved about a sequel. He wanted to make a cult classic, but nobody knows if he can actually do it. He did.

For all its language, violence, and occasional sexual references (or maybe because of all that), the movie is a cardboard cutout against the wave of super hero action flicks that have filled our screens for the last decade. Some good. Some not so good.

That's what makes this flick kick. Vaughn picked the right time to make the movie, but not because he believes super hero movies have run their course (he's wrong about that). Kick-Ass was timed right because people have been craving some common heroes with unconventional sass. We're tired of industry rules.

We're too serious about too much nowadays and Kick-Ass is not. A little fantastic escapism within the right context is fine. We can only hope the good ideas don't completely run away with themselves.

Kick-Ass 2 will certainly include comic book geek Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) who drove the first film. He has a great screen presence in his flashy green wet suit. Only Sylvester Stallone can take a bigger beating on screen. Kick-Ass is his comically brilliant creation after he asks a friend why more people don't become super heroes.

He learns why quick enough. After his first foray into fighting crime earns him several months in the hospital, Hit-Girl and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) ramp up their revenge plans on local crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). Kick-Ass is blamed for the buggered drug deals. The crime lord's son, Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), then becomes Red Mist to gain the trust of Kick-Ass as a wannabe sidekick.

Kick-Ass Kicks Ass With An 8.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Unless the sequel becomes cumbersome and contrived because the creators allow success to go to their heads, Kick-Ass will stand the test of time. On its own, this movie has had an impact despite a few shortcomings. A few include the early and forgettable sexual situations and failure to get past the second gear standard it sets. (There is no real climax and if there is, it happens before Kick-Ass puts on a jet pack).

If you are are easily offended or don't appreciate the audacity of Tarantino movies, Kick-Ass if not for you. If you want a romp through a movie with purposely underdeveloped characters, then you can find Kick-Ass on iTunes. The soundtrack is worth checking out for select songs, including one from The Pretty Reckless.

On Amazon, find the Kick-Ass (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack + Digital Copy) and Kick-Ass comic. They have action figures too.

What we don't have yet is the 18 minutes of deleted footage. We also don't have any real admission that the criticism was more hyped than the movie. Let's hope we get the first one. I couldn't care less if we get the other.