Kick Ass review

Maybe I should have titled this as Kick A** instead, so as not to offend anyone who hates donkeys. I have a theory about movies with swear words in the title. The theory is simple - (Spoiler alert) That they are awesome!

Last year we were introduced to two great movies in "Drag Me To Hell" and "Inglourious Basterds." These 2 movies even landed in my top 3 movies of last year. Now some might argue that "hell" isn't even a cuss. I might agree with them. They might also say that "basterds" isn't a cuss because it's spelled differently. All I know is that when my wife goes to my mother-in-law's house when I see these movies and tells her what movie I'm at, I am judged accordingly.

Kick Ass is a semi-fringe comic book that was released about two years ago. It was all about an extremely average kid who always wanted to be a super hero, so he got a costume and got his rear end kicked. Along the way he meets some other would be heroes. The movie follows suit.

Like many nerds who saw this movie I got interested when I saw the Hit Girl red-band trailer a few months back. Hit Girl is 12 years old, and although she is not exactly super, you wouldn't know it. She has moves that even Keanu's Neo would be jealous of. She can handle swords, guns, and throwing knives like the best of them. (of who?) Also it doesn't hurt that she swears like a sailor. Her character is what will divide the audience into being offended by the movie or loving it. The scenes of mayhem she is involved in can either make you laugh out loud or cringe due to hardcore violence. Because I am incredibly desensitized, I am on the side of the gut-splitting laughter.

Because the characters are in High School, we are relegated to cliche high school scenes. Yes, they provide a little comic relief but they don't add anything that we haven't seen before. There is a subplot that is laughable but mostly unnecessary in which Kick Ass's alter ego acts gay to get closer to the girl of his dreams. Also because I am a glutton for punishment I have a soft spot for Nicholas Cage. I think he turns in a great performance as Big Daddy, using Adam West-like tones when he's in costume.

My podcast partner described this movie as the Zombieland of the Superhero genre. I completely agree with that statement. Like Zombieland, it is very funny and has great shock value but isn't the greatest movie in the parody genre. I wish Kick Ass could be more like Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, but it does deserve to be mentioned alongside these fantastic movies. Though unlike those movies which are clever all the way through, Kick Ass relies on the shocking action to get laughs and doesn't know how to balance the scenes of drama.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves super hero flicks, or to anyone who just loves good action and gunplay. Just don't take your girlfriend or wife unless they can handle 12 year old girls with shotguns. Kick Ass deserves 4 stars.