Review: Kick-Ass

Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman's last project together was an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's fantasy book Stardust. While that film had its foot purely rated in fantasy this one is a mixture of fantasy and reality as one teenage boy aims to be a superhero. Rather than a low-grade parody of super hero films this is more of a loving tribute as Dave tries to bring down the criminal underworld of New York and in particular crime boss Frank D'Amico. Dave's story is almost a very average teen movie, if you take away the story of the superhero, this is a boy who is incredibly geeky even though he claims not to be and hangs round with two dorky friends reading comic books he then pretends to be gay so he can try and ensnare the girl that he is enamoured with so we get lots of 'comedy' sequences where Dave applies fake tan to his topless would-be-girlfriend. So far so Superbad. But the romantic plot aside Kick-Ass has a lot to offer. There is an emotional underpinning as Dave tries to rid the streets of casual muggers and drug-dealers. He is a boy who's upbringing has been halted by the death of his mother from an annuerism and he has a very monosyllabic relationship with his father but you can tell that there is real love there.

Hoewver the films real emotional underscore is provided by Big Daddy and Hit Girl a father and daughter team who are trying to avenge D'Amico inadventerdly causing the death of Hit Girl's mother. The scenes between a father struggling to raise his daughter are very well played and that is why there is something deeper beyond the violence and swearing. Much has been made of Hit Girl's use of fowl language but that is few and far between however she is involved in two of the film's most memorable scenes and her first violent takedown of thugs to the strains of the theme tune from the Banana Splits is where you truly decide whether you love the film or not (I was in the former category). The third storyline strand is between D'Amico and his comic book loving son Chris who wants to be part of his father's criminal business but isn't the son that his father wants. So in essence this film could be seen as a study of the relationships between parents and children. But you will go away remembering the day-glo costumes, the 12 year old girl throwing knives and the very witty script.

Aaron Johnson is a very likeable lead and he does 'regular guy' very well, if I hadn't read before that he was the actor who portrayed John Lennon in Nowhere Boy I wouldn't have put two and two together. Johnson seems to be at ease throughout the film and makes you care about Dave's welfare during the scenes where Kick-Ass is outnumbered by thugs. Johnson isn't the only Brit among the cast, Mark Strong lays on a thick Italian-American accent as D'Amico and is packed up by, among others, Dexter Fletcher and Jason Flemyng as two of his goons. The mobsters are very much a pastiche of those seen in gangster films such as The Godfather and Goodfellas. Nic Cage delivers his best role in years delivering a very fine Adam West peformance when he dons the Big Daddy gear but also providing more tender moments when he is trying to be a father to his daughter. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is still best known as McLovin from Superbad, but here he is not just a one-dimensional character and as Chris shares a great chemistry with Strong. But it is Chloe Moretz who steals the show as Hit Girl she is great both in the foul mouthed action sequences but also in the more heartfelt scenes with Cage and it is these scenes that make me think that she may've been the right choice to play the girl vampire in the Let the Right One In remake after all.

While there are problems with the film - some of the scenes are a little repetive and although the love story is needed it isn't handled with the same care and attention as the other scenes. Kick Ass is a very funny, very violent and a times very heartfelt film that will appeal to comic book fans everywhere as well as those who just want a good time at the cinemas. This is definitely my favourite film of the year so far.