Yes. It does. A lot.
Dave Lizewski openly wonders why no one would want to become a superhero. It is a honest question and it deserves an honest answer to which his friend Marty replies, 'Dude, if anybody did it in real life they'd get their ass kicked. They'd be dead, in like, a day'. Which almost becomes prophetic in Dave's case, as he decides to create his own persona, Kick-Ass, and rid the streets of crime. First day on the job? Not so great. Not so great at all.
But Dave emerges from that first experience, his nerve endings all shot to hell and his bones held together by surgical steel, and with his newfound resistance to pain and punishment he is more determined than ever to keep up his superhero ways and his next valiant act gets posted on YouTube and he becomes and overnight success. And it isn't long before he catches the interest of the local crime lord, Frank D'Amico, because someone is turning over his warehouses and hideouts and anyone left alive is saying it is this Kick-Ass guy doing it.
Dave, meanwhile, becomes 'friends' with Katie. He likes her. She thinks... I'm not going to ruin it. Katie does share with Dave that some guy is giving her trouble so Dave steps in as Kick-Ass. This same guy has also caught the eyes of Hit Girl and Big Daddy. And where the twain shall meet bloody violence and action ensue to the delight of the crowd. And so our trio of crime fighters join together on their epic journey to bring down crime boss Frank D'Amico.
Unlike the bulk of superhero films that try to take the fantastical elements of comic books and ground them in true life circumstances, only a handful doing it really well, Kick-Ass almost has to be restrained from going to far over the edge because the story elements can be, in a sense, true to life. Though there are only a couple times where Vaughan does take his film into the realms of 'Far' and 'Fetched' Kick-Ass feels remarkably grounded for a superhero film. Which I suppose is the reason it is so engaging and why I had a lump in my throat during the final act. Because Kick-Ass is as grounded as it is while still respecting its genre it feels more real.
These are after all, Superheroes without super powers. The material lends itself to be as wild as possible but Vaughan delivers it as straight as possible - with a little flair. And Vaughan should also be commended for not going overboard with style and gimmickry. There are some nice moments and shots with gun clips and such but for the most part Vaughan shoots as straight as his crime fighters do.
As well as Aaron Johnson does in his role as Dave/Kick-Ass the real scene stealers as Nicholas Cage as Big Daddy BUT especially Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl. This father/daughter tandem rain justified terror on the criminal element in Kick-Ass and I think give it most of its heart because of their relationship. And maybe I'm just a softy when it comes to Daddy and his little girl. Should I ever be blessed to start a family and have a daughter I don't think my wife will let me train her like BD does with HG but I sure hope she can handle herself like HG does in this film. And Cage and Vaughan's choice to take Big Daddy into Adam West territory just suits Cage so well. He is delightfully silly to watch, when he's not sniping, shooting or stabbing. For all the ticks and nuances that we may gripe about in regards to Cage and his acting quips and styles in Kick-Ass it totally works. And bravo to Vaughan and company for having the testicular fortitude to not shy away from the reality of the dangers of their actions and the consequences of them for the North American audience may not be ready for this level of violence involving who HG really is, a 12 year old girl. But you can bring those elements to the screen when you've got your Rated R Pass hanging around your neck.
Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl is a fucking revelation. Already making an impact on the con circuit - you can already see varying degrees of Hit Girl cosplay out there from the reverent to the down right naughty - Hit Girl is the character that will have everyone talking. The view from here for Moretz is clear and her inevitable place in the hearts of geekdom is set wth her powerhouse performance in Kick-Ass and her role in the upcoming adaptation of Let the Right One In. She is guaranteed a hallowed place. Please baby Jesus protect this child star from the trappings of fame and fortune and may she have a ever fruitful career in the years to come.
Kick-Ass belongs with films of that ilk Special and Denfendor where the ordinary man [and boy or girl in this case] does extraordinary things, not because he's been bitten by a radioactive insect or smashed by a meteorite but because they are tired of seeing the innocent trodden on by bullies and thugs. Because someone has to stand up for what is just and true. So, in a sense, that is there superpower, the size of their heart for justice. But you've got to be smart about it and that is what initially sets Kick-Ass apart from Hit Girl and Big Daddy. BD has trained HG to be the ultimate weapon that she is. Kick-Ass realizes that he's not in the same league as this duo but what he lacks in skill he more than makes up for with heart. And so with his pain resistant shell and hardened steel skeleton Kick-Ass is off to take names.
And if I may have my Good Morning America or Rolling Stone moment here by the time you make it to the final act you really will want to stand up and cheer. I don't know about that whole edge of your seat business but Kick-Ass is bloody good fun, incredibly violent, very, very funny and a standout submission to the superhero film genre.
Well worth the full price of admission.
Twice.
More from Kick-Ass
- Reviews: KICK-ASS: the post-hype review
- News: I'm Just Sayin' ...
I saw this movie at Wonder-con a couple weeks ago and was floored. Exponentially better than I thought it was based upon the trailers I saw beforehand, and miles better than the comic it's based off of. Vaughn and Jane Goldman have a way of distilling just the right elements of the book into the film to make it work on the big screen. This and Bad Lieutenant made me like Nic Cage again. He's having a blast here and it shows, but Big Daddy and Hit Girl's story also gives him a lot to play with dramatically, too. Fun stuff all around..